BACK TO 2077
It goes without saying that the debut of one of the most hyped games in recent history was a flop. Nope, too strong. Let’s try again. Upon its premature release into the gaming world in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077’s laundry list of glitches, bugs and incompatibility issues rendered the game underwhelming, frustrating and costly. OK, better choice of words. Why? Because to say that the game failed entirely wouldn’t be accurate. It raked in a handful of awards, managed to incorporate Keanu Reeves’s avatar (and voice) into the majority of scenes and generated a buzz rarely rivaled in the gaming world. Just too bad that wasn’t the point.
FUTILE EFFORTS
CD Projekt Red has been sleeplessly attempting to win back fan’s affections with several initiatives, including addressing and cutting out flagged issues with every update and issuing apologies left and right. Remember the overpriced T-2077 blockchain watch released in honor of Cyberpunk 2077’s anniversary? Exactly, neither do we. Projekt Red’s reputation and amount of money lost may not seem salvageable at this point, so maybe it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie to lick their wounds. Or is it?
SAVED BY A SPIN OFF
It seems like these days, fans can’t—and won’t—accept the word “goodbye”. A slew of retired and beloved TV shows have either resurrected a side character’s story arch, or completely rebooted the franchise in order to satiate starving audiences who obsessively wait for a bone thrown down from the studio execs that be. If you find yourself lumped into that group (as I unabashedly do), lady luck has shown mercy with a second chance at redemption in the form of an anime version of Cyberpunk 2077, recently showcased on Week 3 of Netflix’s “Geeked Week”.
From what we know so far, Studio Trigger will gift us with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, a ten-episode series that will debut in early 2023. According to Netflix, the premise is seemingly straightforward: “In a dystopia riddled with corruption and cybernetic implants, a talented but reckless street kid strives to become an edgerunner: a mercenary outlaw.”
The response to the trailer has been ecstatic, similar to the adulation of praise that its source material garnered prior to its release. Even the writers/executive producers of Cyberpunk 2077 admit that the anime takes viewers to places that were previously impossible in the video game. Cyberpunk 2077’s own executive producer admits, “the game is more about immersion, but the anime is more concerned about being believable.”
MADE WITH LOVE
To be fair, every adaptation and spin-off comes from a place of love. In Studio Trigger’s case, it’s clear that they are obvious fans of the game as they they have spared no expense in capturing not only the essence of Night City, but have dug deeper in portraying the emotions of the characters through the (often graphic) actions that will be seen throughout the series. With Hiroyuki Imaishi at the directing helm (Neon Genesis Evangelon, Full Metal Alchemist, Kill La Kill), the anime looks to breathe new and timely life into the weary bones of Cyberpunk 2077. In short, and in the words of CD Projekt Red writer/producer, the anime is, “the game elevated to something amazing.” Well said and well needed.
