Author’s note:
While there is significant controversy surrounding the release of Cyberpunk 2077, the author has chosen to focus on the ‘corporation’ element identified. Please conduct further research into problematic themes, gameplay, etc.
Picture it: the year is 2077, and instead of riding around on skateboards that hover, we’re trapped in a world full of pollution, corruption, and everyday despair. Cyberpunk 2077, a video game best played on PC, captures this perfectly, providing an atmosphere that’s ridden with everything that profits a corporation’s pocket while forgetting about the common human and their family.
Cyberpunk 2077: Gameplay
While there are several starts to the game, varying your background prior to playing, this author chose to start with a corporation history. I confess that my logic behind this was very cosmetically based, having an affinity towards the sleek look of a suit. The game starts with some light roleplay focused around how the corporation deals with a scandal – and then soon after, I found myself canned and without a purpose in Night City… which largely felt very true to reality. While the year isn’t 2077, millions of people on planet Earth have found themselves without the security of a job, while corporate pockets continue to fill. It begs one to wonder if this is the path we’re headed down, and if its not just about video gaming.
Continuing to play the game, plot takes you on the fringe of what it’s like to survive in a world where the only thing that matters is ‘eddies,’ the local currency. Corporations invest in technology that is seemingly based around war, espionage, and destruction – while people live in slums and alleys. Thinking about the law – it seemingly only cares about the corporations themselves.
Cyberpunk 2077: Setting
The world itself isn’t beautiful at all. Compared to other games set in fantasy settings with beautiful cities or lush wilderness, Cyberpunk 2077 is set in a world of trash. You can literally walk around and collect ashtrays and other garbage in the city streets. The beauty of the world can only be found when climbing high on skyscrapers and looking at the lights of the city from afar. The only exception to this, is when you visit corporations and areas owned by wealthy people. There you can find arboretums filled with greenery and waterfalls, far away from the majority of the people that might enjoy them.
One of the prime corporations named is ‘Arasaka’ – a family-owned corporation that is full of scandal. From murder to sabotage, the corporation has its hand in anything that might bring in a few eddies. It seemed true to reality, when you contemplate that the Walton family (who owns Walmart), is such a large part of the world’s wealth as a result of the corporation. And this wealth buys them something beyond luxury, almost a god-like standing in society, and even the ability to eventually transcend death. It’s no coincidence that there’s been massive speculation and myth surrounding Walt Disney having been cryogenically frozen… After all, what is the one thing that wealth currently can’t buy you, but immortality?
Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t just a game that focuses on a potential fantasy world – it’s a forecast of the future of humanity and a glimpse into the world that society is creating for itself. A world where the top 1 percent rule and nothing else matters. A planet where the environment is forsaken and desolate alleyways are the norm.
Cyberpunk 2077: Would I Recommend This Game?
I believe that Cyberpunk has many problematic issues, but that it is truly trying to pioneer into an unknown territory with video games. The setting, plot, and overall web of theatrics makes the game incredibly interesting. Playing this game on a relatively new PC, I have had minimal issues with bugs. However, it is widely known that video game systems such as the PlayStation 4 cannot handle the graphics and intensity of play.
I should also provide context that this game is for mature adults with high sexual themes and a massive amount of violence, drugs, patricide, and general human rights complexities.
