Cyberpunk 2077: 6 Facts You Need to Know

Bamboozled by the sudden surge in Cyberpunk 2077 hype? Here's everything you need to know...

One of the games that everyone is talking about at the moment is Cyberpunk 2077, not least because movie star Keanu Reeves showed up at the E3 2019 conference in Los Angeles to announce his involvement in the title. But if you’re not sure what all the fuss is about, this is the article for you.

From the developers at CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 is an upcoming RPG video game set in a future that’s rife with cybernetic enhancements. That game was first announced way back in 2012 and it has been teased at numerous E3 conferences since then, meaning that there is loads of information on the web about it. It can be hard to cut through the noise and make sense of it all.

In this handy hub, we’ll round up the latest and most important news about Cyberpunk 2077 to provide a concise and clear guide about what the game actually is. If this sounds like something you’d like to read, don’t let us stop you.

Here’s everything you need to know in order to wrap your head around Cyberpunk 2077

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Cyberpunk 2077 News: Keanu Reeves Joins The Cast! 

There’s nothing quite like a celebrity appearance to help put a game on the map, and that’s exactly what Keanu Reeves’ casting as Johnny Silverhand has done for Cyberpunk 2077. Before Reeves came along, the game was hotly anticipated in gaming circles, but now it’s reached a whole new level of mainstream attention.

Interestingly, Reeves isn’t the only mega-star to be linked with the game. Rumors have been rife for a while that Lady Gaga is set to make an appearance, as well, but those rumors haven’t been confirmed as of yet.

Read More: 40 Best Video Games to Play in 2019

Cyberpunk 2077 Trailer: Here’s The Latest

As well as giving us our first glimpse of Reeves’ presence in the game, the E3 2019 trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 also gave us a taste of what the game will be like. It’s a cinematic teaser rather than in-game footage, but it’s still a tantalizing taster that impressed a lot of people. 

The trailer shows V, the enhanced assassin player-character, attempting to get one over on a criminal gang. It doesn’t go well, though, and V ends up close to death in a scrap heap. That’s when Reeves’ Johnny comes in and declares, “we’ve got a city to burn.” 

Cyberpunk 2077: It Follows a Pen-and-Paper Game

To fully understand Cyberpunk 2077, you need to go back to Cyberpunk 2020, a pen-and-paper RPG that was written by Michael Pondsmith and published by R Talsorian Games in 1988.

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Set in a future where cybernetic implants are common, governments are corrupt and rockstars like Johnny Silverhand have the guts to stand up to the system, Cyberpunk 2020 introduces a lot of big concepts. The game received a fair few expansions and follow-ups. 

Cyberpunk 2077 is set in the same world, 57 years on, with Reeves’ Johnny being one character that carries over from the pen-and-paper game to its video game sequel. If you fancy checking out Cyberpunk 2020, there are some not-very-cheap copies going on Amazon

Read More: 25 Best PC Games to Play in 2019

Cyberpunk 2077 Story: What’s It All About?

Cyberpunk 2077 will put you in the shoes of V, a mercenary that lives and works in a metropolis called Night City, California, in the year 2077. You’ll be able to customize everything about V’s appearance, a mechanic that ties into the cybernetic enhancements that dominate this vision of the future. 

We don’t know exactly what V will get up to in the game’s main story, but we do know that Cyberpunk 2077 will be an open-world game that gives you a fair amount of free rein. And since you’re a merc, it’s safe to assume there will be some killing involved.

We also know that there will be heaps of romantic options, catering to different sexual preferences. The way that you choose to make V look will affect how certain NPCs interact with V, and romantic options will play into that concept. Note: this is a game for grown-ups and it will have an M rating.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay: Here’s 48 Minutes of It

Cyberpunk 2077 is an RPG with a fair bit of first-person shooter action thrown in, with the gameplay video above showing off rather a lot of gunplay. The game is mainly a single-player experience, but CD Projekt Red has teased a multiplayer option as well.

One interesting mechanic that you’ll come up against in Cyberpunk 2077 is this: you’ll only see a ‘Game Over’ screen if your character dies, meaning that it is possible to fail a mission irreparably. If you do fail a quest, the game will just carry on and adapt to your muck-up. 

You’ll also be able to drive futuristic vehicles in the game and explore six different regions of the open world Night City. The choices you make throughout the game can lead to different endings, so there’s meant to be a real sense of actions having consequences.

Cyberpunk 2077 Release Date: It’s Not Until April, but Pre-Orders Are Open Now

The Cyberpunk 2077 release date is set for 16 April 2020, with the game due to launch on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Special pre-order bundles are already up on the official Cyberpunk 2077 website, or you could pre-order through a regular retailer like Amazon or GAME.

As next April inches closer, we’ll be sure to keep you updated with all the latest Cyberpunk 2077 news.