While we haven’t seen any gameplay yet, this trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 looks pretty awesome.
But, with a release date of ‘When it’s ready’, what can a geek do to stave off that ravenous hunger for cyberpunk goodness? Well, for starters…
1. Read William Gibson’s Neuromancer
One of the defining moments in the cyberpunk genre, Neuromancer tells the tale of Henry Case, an ex-hacker searching for a way back into the virtual dataspace dubbed the ‘Matrix’. In addition to being a great read in general it was written in 1984, way ahead of its time. Whether you’re reading through it for the first time or re-visiting, Neuromancer is an awesome way to keep you in the cyberpunk mindset while you wait out the release. Of course, if you like your cyberpunk text experience to be a bit more interactive, you can always…
2. Play Cypher, the Cyberpunk Text Adventure
While it’s probably been a while since you’ve ever felt likely to be eaten by a grue then you should feel right at home here. But, if you’ve never played a text adventure in your life Cypher’s still a pretty good place to start. Created as an updated love letter to the genre, this modern spin on the text adventure has slick visuals accompanying the gameplay and there’s even a a collector’s edition that comes with some cool stuff like:
- A printable map of NeoSushi City
- DRM-Free Soundtrack
- Signed Digital Hintbook
- Papercraft (that requires no glue!)
- And more!
The price is only $14.99 for the standard edition and $24.99 for the deluxe edition. You can head over to the Cabrera Brothers website to pick it up.
But alas, the text adventure genre isn’t for everyone and maybe you’re the type that prefers their digital entertainment ever-so-slightly more modern, if that’s the case you could always fire up…
3. Deus Ex: Human Evolution
While the original garnered a ton of praise for its flexibility , the Human Revolution too was also widely praised for its open-ended play experience and abundance of player choice in regards to mission progression. If you’re not satisfied with just playing as Adam you could always go pouring through eBay to try and find that limited-edition trenchcoat. Granted, if you’re not Adam you risk looking like a giant doucher by donning it, but that’s the price you pay for cyberpunk fashion sense.
Human Revolution perfectly captures the retro-futuristic look
Speaking of cool looking coats, while you’re at it you should probably go ahead and…
4. Watch Blade Runner
You knew this was going to be on the list. Perhaps Ridley Scott’s most famous work, no matter what version you watch one thing is certain; it won’t be time wasted. Harrison Ford gives a masterful performance as Deckard and Rutger Hauer’s delivery as Nexus-6 Roy Batty is unforgettable. From the acting to the incredible set design which would become genre-defining in its portrayal of a retro-futuristic aesthetic, Blade Runner is an absolute classic. Again, whether you’ve seen it before or it’s your first time, you won’t go wrong watching replicants get down as the very essence of humanity gets called into question. You can grab the 30th anniversary edition on Blu Ray here.
But if you like your heroes slightly more psychotic, do yourself a favor and…
5. Read Transmetropolitan
I had never heard the name Spider Jeruselum before, but when a good friend of mine gave me the virst three volumes as a Christmas gift one year I had no idea how much I’d come to love the character. With corruption continuing to be alive and well, renegade, futuristic gonzo-journalist Spider dishes out justice the best way he knows how; even if that does involve household appliances that are addicted to drugs, a bowel-loosening ray gun, and covering stories from the effects of unleashing someone from cryostasis to the transition of a sentient human being into nano-cloud form, Transmetropolitan is consistently entertaining, scratching that devious itch we all feel from time to time when displeased with the world around us.
6. Listen to Daft Punk
You’re already reading so why not add to the ambiance with some electronic tunes? I’m not saying everyone in a futuristic dystopia has to be some kind of cyborg but if that’s what you envision you’d be hard-pressed to name another artist more befitting your musical enjoyment. Daft Punk’s robotic appearance simply oozes so much cool to match their music that they’ve had cameos in a variety of unexpected places (yes, beyond DJ Hero). Whether you want to go back to Homework or check out the Ton: Legacy soundtrack, their infinitely danceable electronic goodness is appropriate for just about everything except sweet, sweet lovin’. Just kidding- it’s perfect for that.
7. Visit the Cyberpunk Subreddit
Well, go ahead. There’s tons of good stuff in there if you’re a fan of the genre and in all likelihood you could even make some new friends. No guarantees they’ll be human but if I were an escaped prototype cyborg looking to make friends that’s probably where I’d hang out because no one would expect it.
8. Learn a Programming Language
There are tons of resources online , dummies books abound, and entire communities for learning to code nowadays. Granted, you probably won’t become a proficient programmer overnight, but if (God forbid), Cyberpunk 2077 gets delayed to Duke Nukem Foreverian levels, you just might have mastered PHP or C by the time the game sees the light of day. You might even be able to release an app that serves no other purpose than to voice your displeasure at the delay!
The point is that programming can be fun and useful. It can also be astoundingly frustrating, but you could say that of anything new you’re trying to learn starting out. If you’ve been curious to test the waters of development, there’s no better time than now and who knows? Maybe we’ll be playing your cyberpunk game some day, smart guy!
9. Automate Your House
I wrote briefly before about how cool the Philips Hue lighting system is, but that’s just one way you can automate things. You could also check out this fancy Nest thermostat that ‘learns’ your behaviors to adjust the temperature automatically. Or if you like to get your hands a little dirtier than what a pre-package automated solution can provide you can always hit up a site like Hack a Day where there are fresh hardware projects almost daily for you to indulge in. Because, come on, who hasn’t wanted to print their own AR15 magazines with a 3D printer? Nobody, that’s who.
Oooh! While we’re talking about the automatic…
10. Re-read Penny Arcade’s Automata
I first wrote about Automota way back in 2009 when it made its debut and it’s still as awesome as ever. This robot-noir tale is touching and and Mike’s artwork remains an inspiring mix of noir and the futuristic. It’s got likable characters and tells a compelling story about how a future filled with humans and android could potentially look. It was a great read when I first recommended it and nothing’s changed since.
So there you have it- 10 ways to satiate your cyberpunk palate while you wait for Cyberpunk 2077. What else would you add to this list?
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I’ll check these out! While I like the genre very much, I’m also not an aficionado so the best part of writing this article and having it read is all of the new things I’ve been able to discover.
It’s already done!