‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and the Dangers of Cyberpsychosis

CD Projekt RED continues to impress fans as more and more news emerges about their upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077. This team is no stranger to a powerful narrative, as seen in their massive hit The Witcher, and now we’re getting an even closer look at some of the more … problematic aspects of the game.

Cybernetics play a bit role in the upcoming IP from CD Projekt RED, which is appropriate given the Cyberpunk nature of the game itself. Still, with great power comes great responsibility and though the use of cybernetics provide a drastic advantage in day-to-day life and in combat, it is possible to overdo it.

In the November issue of EDGE magazine that we’ve previously covered, Quest Designer Patrick Mills opened up a little about how cybernetics can go terribly wrong in throughout the story’s progression.

He mentioned, “All the travails of the flesh fade away, and you become a perfect machine of chrome. But you had to buy those body parts from someone, and now you’re in debt to them; if you need parts, you’ve got to go to their store. You have this very utopian idea of being liberated by technology. And it’s like, not so fast–you haven’t solved the problems. The problems are still there, and technology actually makes them worse. ‘High tech, low life’ is one of Mike’s [Pondsmith, Cyberpunk 2020 creator] mottos.”

This branches off of Cyberpunk 2020’s, the tabletop game that inspired 2077, “cyberpsychosis” mechanic that punishes the player’s mental help due to overuse. This provides a balance – yes, there’s this powerful tool that can be utilized by humans, but it doesn’t come without cost. Checks and balances, trade-offs, duality – realism.

Unfortunately we still don’t have a release date at this time but you can check out Edge Magazine right here!

For more about the game itself, as per the studio over at CD Projekt RED:

“The game follows the story of V — a hired gun on the rise in Night City, the most violent and dangerous metropolis of the corporate-ruled future. A robust character creator will allow players to choose V’s gender, visual appearance, character class, as well as historical background — all of which may influence the shape of the game,” the summary reads.

“With dozens of hours of main story arc quests, and many more of additional activities, there’s always something to see and do in Night City. Players will experience all of it entirely through V’s eyes, with an interactive dialogue system that gives them greater narrative agency.”