Monster Fight Club Launch Combat Zone

 On April 22nd Monster Fight Club launched a Kickstarter to fund a brand new tabletop game based on Cyberpunk Red called Combat Zone. Within 35 minutes they reached their funding goal and have blown way past it in the past week. They've also already unlocked 13 stretch goals which is a huge accomplishment.. At the time of writing they are almost at $152,000.

The base game is gonna set you back about $120 but that box comes with quite a bit of content. Two sets of gangs totaling 12 minis, the rule book, game board, terrain, 8 scenarios, 30 loot cards, double sided tokens, dice and measuring devices. And that's not even including all the stuff that has been unlocked from stretch goals.

So far the campaign is looking really good and we already know Monster Fight Club has been absolutely killing the minis for Cyberpunk Red. This is just another way to enjoy Cyberpunk Red. Be sure to head over to their Kickstarter and check it out because they have a TON of more information over there.

Entromancy: Hacker Battles Headed to Kickstarter

A few weeks ago Nightpath Publishing announced that they would be producing a cyberpunk card game titled, Entromancy: Hacker Battles. They ran a beta test of their game for a couple weeks and now it looks like they are gearing up to make the game available to everyone.

First however they are taking the game to Kickstarter. I'm sue they are doing this to get the cards printed and to also get some artwork made for each card. They haven't released any information about what tiers would be included, but we do know that it will debut on Kickstarter on October 1st. You can get notified when it goes live on Kickstarter right now by clicking here.

Entromancy: Hacker Battles is a cyberpunk fantasy tabletop card game for 2-4 players. In Entromancy: Hacker Battles, you and your friends will take the roles of hackers and engage in fast-paced, strategic card battles to deploy devastating programs and attempt to overcome each other’s security protocols.  

• Competitive Card Game Mechanics. Draw cards to build and unleash devastating programs upon your opponents while gaining bit points to overcome their security protocols. 

• Customizable Gameplay. Choose from five distinct specializations and multiple objective cards for a new experience every time you play. 
• 2-4 Players. Engage in fast-paced card battles with 2-4 players where strategy is paramount to victory. 
• Custom Decks for Added Depth. Get into the action quickly with pre-made beginner decks or create your own custom decks. 
• RPG Hacking, Reimagined. Play Entromancy: Hacker Battles as a standalone game or utilize the advanced rule system to integrate hacking into Entromancy: A Cyberpunk Fantasy RPG or your own cyberpunk and urban fantasy roleplaying games.

New Cyberpunk Game: Ghostrunner

Today I was made aware of a brand new Cyberpunk game being developed by One More Level called, Ghostrunner. This was initially brought to my attention by Daniel Deluxe when he announced he would be making the official soundtrack for the game. So at least we know there will be some bad ass music.

The game itself looks pretty promising as well. It features some parkour elements and some brutal combat. We can also expect high mobility, one-hit-one-kill, and bullet-time mechanics. Luckily this game will be coming to XBox, PS4 and PC. We don't have a solid release date except a window of 2020.

Below you can check out the short synopsis as well as the games trailer.

Ascend humanity’s last remaining shelter, a great tower-city. The tower is torn by violence, poverty and chaos. Conquer your enemies, discover the secrets of the superstructure and your own origin and obtain the power to challenge The Keymaster.

Cyberpunk 2077 Card Game is Coming

My first introduction to Cyberpunk was the card game, Net Runner. I have been begging for a new CCG in the Cyberpunk universe and today CMON has announced that they have teamed up with CD Projekt Red to produce Cyberpunk 2077 Afterlife: The Card Game.

In Cyberpunk 2077 – Afterlife: The Card Game, players become Fixers. Fixers are the databrokers and masterminds in Night City who recruit cyberpunks, equip them with gear, and send them out on missions. But nothing’s free in Night City. Players need to balance between what they want and what they can actually afford. Using an innovative drafting mechanic and special dashboard, players must decide which cards they want to buy, and which to sacrifice for funds in order to purchase new ones.

Each successful mission raises the player’s Street Cred, with mission survivors becoming Veterans, imparting their knowledge and experience to newer recruits. In this chrome-infused world, Street Cred is the only currency that truly matters.

So this doesn't appear to be a CCG or LCG but simply a card game. It is designed by Eric M. Lang and no solid release date has been announced but we know it will come out sometime in 2020.

Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit Review

I was fortunate enough to be one of the lucky few that was able to get their hands on a copy of R. Talsorian's Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit before release. I've been pouring over all of the PDFs and I think I am able to give a coherent review of the contents of this kit. I wasn't able to actually get a game in with these rules but I think I can give a educated guess of how things will work.

Included in this set of PDFs is a couple reference sheets, some maps, pregen character sheets, some standees and most importantly, the world and rule book. I'm going to focus on the rule book in this review but I'll also touch on the world book a bit at the end. I'll start by going chapter by chapter.

There isn't much to this chapter at all, at least for returning players from Cyberpunk 2020. It is a really good primer however for people who are new to the Cyberpunk universe. They have also included a page full with street slang, some of which made me chuckle.

Chapter 2 is the meat of the rules for players. It discusses classes, stats, skills and lightly touches on role abilities. A couple changes have happened with stats. Attractiveness has been removed and Reflex has been split to also include Dexterity. In this jumpstart kit they have not included any Medias, Lawmen, or Execs. What are Lawmen and Execs? Well they are the new titles for Cops and Corporates respectively.

This chapter I believe is the shortest of all of them. The only thing this chapter covers are lifepaths. In this there are things for both the player and the GM. If you have played Cyberpunk before this chapter will be very familiar. If you have not this is basically the chapter you can use to flesh out your character. Personally I never use Lifepaths, but for new players this can be an easy way to develop your character and give them a real personality.

This is what you play Cyberpunk for. This is all the cybernetics in the Jumpstart Kit. This is the barebones of what will be available in the full game. You are shown a handful of cybernetics and are given a lot of flavor text about the world. In this kit they do not cover cyberpsychosis but they do mention that it will be fully explored in the core rulebook.

Getting it done. This chapter is entirely about how movement and actions work. They go over Difficulty Values (DV) and how LUCK can help you out in a pinch. Without delving to much into combat, (which comes up shortly) they discuss many of the actions you can take in a combat turn.

This entire section goes over how Netrunning works in the time of the RED. I won't go on any more than I already have in a previous post. You can check that out here. Without getting into details, this new system is fantastic. Netrunners function somewhat like a magic user in D&D and other fantasy games. Your cyberdeck acts as your grimoire except instead of spells you have programs.

Netrunners can no longer just sit at home while the group goes out because the NET has been ravaged and they must physically jack into local networks. They have "meat" actions in the real world and then "net" actions in the net, obviously. Having a Netrunner has become an essential part of a team. If you are going into a raid, would you go in without a healer? I don't think so. The Netrunner functions somewhat like that being able to take over nodes to control turrets, elevators and many other things.

Thursday Night Throwdown. This is what everyone is looking forward to. Combat is always a major part of any RPG and Cyberpunk has always had a great system. Again I have a much more in depth discussion of how the new combat mechanics work, but I will try and touch on it a bit here.

The two major changes to combat in this kit is wound states and limb damage. Rather than having light, serious, critical and mortal wounds that have simplified it. They have also done away with limb damage just to make the system much smoother. Although you can still aim for the head with a penalty to hit.

Something that I didn't see included in this section was cover. In Cyberpunk 2020 you could hide behind cover and it would give you an added Stopping Power (SP). They did however add a pretty cool mechanic called "reputation". You can have a negative or positive reputation which can either get you out of trouble, or land you in deeper trouble than when you began.

So that is the end of the core rulebook. The other important book included is the World Book. This is probably going to be one of the things that people who are looking forward to Cyberpunk 2077 will look forward to the most. This book details the entire world and what has happened to the universe. The World Book helps bridge the gap between 2020 and 2077.

I wish I could give you guys more details but that is something that is under lock and key right now. But I will say that the name RED definitely fits and actually has an in universe meaning. The beauty of this book is all the cool little hooks that it gives GM's to create adventures. Something I shared on twitter was the inclusion of a Biotechnica created Sasquatch! This one paragraph gave me so many ideas for a fun one shot adventure.

So how is the art? I was probably one of the most critical people of the art that we were shown early on. Now art is completely subjective so my opinion on this may differ wildly from yours. I love the old school black and white artwork of 2020. That artwork screams PUNK. It goes against these full color spreads on glossy paper. To me that artwork epitomized Cyberpunk. This new art feels a little corporate but it has definitely grown on me and I completely understand why they have gone this route.

My favorite piece from the Rule Book. Dead Netrunner.

What about the writing? It's Mike Pondsmith. If you love the writing in Cyberpunk 2020 than you will love this. He has a very informal way of writing that is so inviting and begs to be read especially the World Book. He has so many ideas and interesting bits abound.

I do have one issue with this kit. It's probably not a big deal to most people but it wouldn't feel right to me if I didn't mention this. There are several pages from these books that are completely lifted from previous books. Not just Cyberpunk 2020 but also Cyberpunk v. 3.

On the left, Cyberpunk Red. On the right, Cyberpunk 2020.

At first I was a little drawn back about this and unless you are a super fan like me who continuously reads through the books you probably wouldn't even notice. The good thing is that it is just flavor text, and good flavor text at that. If it's not broke, why fix it?

 Something else that I was surprised by was the absence of character creation. But the more I thought about this the more I realized this is truly a Jumpstart Kit. This isn't a basic rules set. Everything here is meant to get you playing one shots and getting a feel of some of the basic mechanics. This is simply meant to be a taste of what is in store for the core rulebook.

My final thoughts are that I absolutely love these rules. They are so streamlined and simple to follow that someone who has never even played a tabletop RPG could dive right in. This is also perfect for someone who is looking for more lore and is simply waiting for Cyberpunk 2077. You could have no interest in actually playing the tabletop game and still really enjoy the World Book (Although I highly suggest you do play, its a lot of fun).

The PDF set will be available on August 1st through DriveThruRPG and the physical version will be on sale at Gen Con. Shortly after you will be able to pick it up from the official R. Talsorian store.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading my stuff here and following me on Twitter. Huge shout out to J Gray, the media ambassador of R. Talsorian. I have been in this business for a long time and J is one of the most responsive and active media people I have dealt with. I also have to give props to JonJonTheWise who I spoke with about the rules and how they would work in an actual game. Obviously I have to thank Mike Pondsmith for creating this Cyberpunk universe because without him we wouldn't have any of this.

Akira Live Action Film on Hold

Today the live action Akira film has hit yet another road bump. Variety reports that the project is being put on hold while director Taika Waititi is directing Thor: Love and Thunder. Waititi is probably best known for his fantastic work on Thor: Ragnarok.

Filming was set to begin later this fall. He had been sitting down with several Japanese actors to cast for the lead but apparently has had no luck so far. Variety believes this may have meant that there were some creative differences as well.

Of course this isn't the first time this film has hit a wall. This project goes back to 2012 seven years ago but was cut back because of budget concerns. Akira was scheduled to open on May 21st, 2021 but that obviously looks like it will not happen.

Hopefully Waititi is able to wrap up filming on Thor and can jump right back into Akira. I'm not sure how I feel about the live action adaptation but I'm definitely willing to give it a shot.

Reality's Edge Coming From Osprey Games

For a few years I played the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop skirmish game. I've always wanted to get back into the hobby but none of the settings have really grabbed me enough to put that amount of money back into the games. Today Osprey Games announced a game that might just draw me back in that takes place in a cyberpunk dystopian future, Reality's Edge.

Reality's Edge will be a 28mm wargame in which you play a Showrunner, a powerful mercenary who leads a team of trusted operatives and disposable freelancers. This will be a campaign game, which means you will save your progress and advancement. Which means you can get better equipment and of course, chrome.

Below is a list of features that the game touted in a recent blog post.

Crew Diversity. Your Showrunner can hire numerous types of operatives, though only two of each, who bring unique skills to the crew. Sprawl ronin are deadly combatants with the ability to react before their opponents can go, while infiltrators stalk the shadows hunting targets of opportunity. Other exciting options include console cowboys, cyborgs, street docs, and more to give your unique crew lots of potential.

Shiny Chrome. A true cyberpunk game, Reality’s Edge features advanced weaponry, drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, and cybernetics. In a world infatuated with technology, there is nothing machines cannot improve. 

Cyberspace. Not just an afterthought or bolted on, Reality’s Edge hacking rules are pivotal to game play. Showrunners are accompanied onto the battlefield by their shadowbacker’s avatar. The avatars hunt virtual space looking for targets while countering your opponent’s avatar. Should they wish, your Showrunner can be accompanied by console cowboys; combat hackers who interface with local technology. Hacking allows you to breach network nodes, break enemy technology, and gain control of drones and robots. With over 20 different hacking apps in the game, your hackers have lots to do.

Dirty Jobs. The Showrunner accepts jobs from nebulous sources and it is entirely possible multiple teams have accepted the same job, which can complicate things. There are 10 scenarios the book, which means plenty of ways to get paid.   Further, before each game, players roll on the Hitch table, representing all the unique challenges of the sprawl.  From chemical pollution blocking line of site, to drug- addicted maniacs rampaging through the local sector. With so many job variables, players never have to play the same game twice.

Dark Agendas. When playing a campaign, your Showrunner is associated with a shadow backer who can provide unique access or other benefits.  You can serve the interests of a corporation, a Gov.Mil  black-ops group, a criminal syndicate, a hacktivist collective, and more.

The Sprawl. Out in the streets your crew is not alone. Independent forces are in play and your team may come up against foes who may not oppose you directly, but are still in your way. Crowds of civilians can impede your crew or provide a nice place to hide from their enemies.  But more dangerous foes include law enforcement, street punks, private security forces, and various other nasties that call the dark alleys of the Sprawl home.

Experience Counts. By playing games and earning experience points, your Showrunner and their few select employees can improve themselves and acquire better equipment.  Be careful though as you let operatives into your inner circle, their fate becomes entwined with yours and expect a bigger cut of the pie. While they will not be as good as your in-house support, freelancers are cheaper and definitely more disposable.

If this sounds like something you are interested in you can pre-order the game right now. As a bonus you won't have to wait too long because the book will be released on August 20th, 2019.

Akira Creator Announces Series Return

At the Anime Expo in Los Angeles Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo announced that Akira will continue. Currently it is unclear what that will mean as he also said it will not be a sequel. Does that mean a remake or reboot? It is too early to tell.

With a live action Akira film coming in 2021 it shouldn't be a surprise that we will be seeing more from the series. We do know that Otomo's continuation will indeed be an anime so that should lay to rest any worries on that front.

In addition to the news of the Akira project he also announced a new film he has in the works, Orbital Era. The story takes place on a space colony under construction, and follows the lives of some young boys surviving in this peculiar environment and society as they are tossed around by fate.

An Entromancy CCG is On the Way

A long time ago I was very invested in CCGs. I played Magic: The Gathering, Shadowrun, and even the Netrunner game. That last game I mentioned is why I'm excited about today's news. The company behind the Entromancy tabletop RPG is producing their very own CCG titled Entromancy: Hacker Battles.

The game will be playable for 2-4 players in which you take the role of a hacker. It sounds like that the "spells" that you play are computer programs that are meant to breach the opponents security. I'm very interested in checking this game out. I signed up for the closed beta and you can too right here.

What I find really exciting about this game is that it sounds like it will be compatible with Cyberpunk Red or any other cyberpunk tabletop. Below are some of the bullet points that they have shared about the game.

• Competitive Card Game Mechanics. Draw cards to build and unleash devastating programs upon your opponents while gaining bit points to overcome their security protocols.
• Customizable Gameplay. Choose from five distinct specializations and multiple objective cards for a new experience every time you play.
• 2-4 Players. Engage in fast-paced card battles with 2-4 players where strategy is paramount to victory.
• Custom Decks for Added Depth. Get into the action quickly with pre-made beginner decks or create your own custom decks.
• Hacking, Reimagined. Play Entromancy: Hacker Battles as a standalone game or utilize the advanced rule system to integrate hacking into Entromancy: A Cyberpunk Fantasy RPG or your own cyberpunk and urban fantasy roleplaying games.

5 More Films to Watch in Anticipation of Cyberpunk 2077

A little over a week ago I wrote an article about five films that I felt everyone should see before Cyberpunk 2077 releases on April 16th, 2020. I would suggest checking out that article first because it includes some of the most seminal films in the cyberpunk genre. However because this genre of film is so rich, a lot of these will be equally as good.

As I did with the previous article I have one honorable mention that is a TV show.

Honorable Mention: Cowboy Bebop

I'm not a huge anime fan, but when it comes to cyberpunk they have that genre down. Cowboy Bebop is the very first anime that I enjoyed and pulled me into the possibility of liking others. If it wasn't for Cowboy Bebop I probably would have never discovered Neon Genesis Evangelion, Bubblegum Crisis, or Ghost in the Shell.

Cowboy Bebop has been often described as space opera meets noir, meets comedy, meets cyberpunk. The show follows a team of bounty hunters traveling across hyperspace bringing criminals to justice.. Plus one of the shows main characters is a corgi named Ein. Whats not to love?

5. The Matrix

I don't think I have to explain a whole lot about The Matrix because probably 90% of you have seen the movie. After the last list came out I received a couple messages that I should have included it so I am including it here. Keanu Reeves plays computer hacker Neo that discovers that the world he is living in is not what it seems.

The Matrix is a classic and if you haven't seen it already, you probably should. I wouldn't recommend the sequels though. I think the first one is good enough to stand on it's own without the convoluted sequels.

4. RoboCop

On the surface this may not strike people as being very cyberpunk. But if you know anything about Cyberpunk 2020 you will know where I am going with this. RoboCop is created by an evil megacorporation called Omni Consumer Products. They strip away most of his humanity and make him an obedient cyborg. But.. I think we all know who is going to get the last laugh.

The first two films in this franchise are fantastic. They are ultra-violent affairs that really dive into consumerism and the role of the mega corporations. I haven't seen the remake, so I can't comment on the quality of it. The original with Peter Weller is where it's at.

3. Ex Machina

This was a surprise film for me that I just watched randomly on Amazon Prime one night. Now Ex Machina might not necessarily be cyberpunk, but it definitely deals with the idea of AI and what makes someone human.

Ex Machina focuses on three characters. The first is an immensely rich man who strikes me as a kind of David Zuckerburg. He has built an AI robot that he wants to test on someone so he invites a man to come in and talk to her. The entire film consists of the two talking with one another and the drama that unfolds from that. It probably doesn't sound like an amazing film on paper, but it is masterfully done.

2. Total Recall

We all need a little Arnold Schwarzenegger in our lives. I was going to include both this and Running Man but I didn't want him to take over this list. Total Recall is a magical film that has so many memorable scenes and mind fuckery going on. I love this movie and I think it absolutely stands the test of time with some of the fantastic effects that they employed.

1. The Fifth Element

I love this movie. It's probably a crime that I didn't include it on the last list. But that goes back to what I said earlier that there are so many good cyberpunk films that it is hard to narrow it down. If you love the cyberpunk aesthetic, this is probably the most cyberpunk film you will see. Yes, some of it is probably a little cliche but it's also a lot of fun.

Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, Gary Oldman, Luke Perry.. I mean the list goes on. Even if you haven't seen The Fifth Element I guarantee you are familiar with Milla's character Leeloo.

There were a lot of films I really wanted to include here but I didn't think they necessarily fit under the "cyberpunk" genre. If this gets as much love as the last one did maybe I'll go ahead and share those films as well.

As always I hope you guys enjoyed this one and if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know! I always enjoy talking film with people!

Blade Runner 2019 Comic Trailer Released

I have been keeping you guys completely up to date with the next installment of the Blade Runner franchise. No, unfortunately it is not another film but a prequel comic.

The series, written by Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter Michael Green and long-term collaborator Mike Johnson, will run 12 issues and follow a veteran Blade Runner, Ash, as she takes on a new case: the search for the missing family of a billionaire with connections to the Tyrells, whose disappearance may be connected to rogue Replicants.

You can check out the trailer below courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. You can pick up the comic from Titan Comics on July 17th.

New Lovecraftian Cyberpunk Game: Transient

With all the hype surrounding E3 and all the Cyberpunk 2077 goodness that has been permeating are eyeballs, Transient slipped through the cracks. As I have mentioned before besides cyberpunk, horror is by far my favorite genre. Thankfully this new game is going to combine my two loves.

Iceberg Interactive just released a little teaser trailer and a little bit more info as well. The trailer doesn't tell us a whole lot, but the additional information is where they explicitly detail the cyberpunk elements.

In the distant, post-apocalyptic future, what is left of the population of mankind lives in an enclosed citadel called Domed City Providence, created to survive the harsh outside environment. In this, mankind's final refuge, Randolph Carter, a member of a notorious hacker-for-hire group called ODIN, accidentally stumbles across the terrifying truth, a truth that might tear apart his own sanity and question his very existence.

KEY FEATURES

H.P. Lovecraft meets Cyberpunk. Delve deep into an obscure dystopian world and hold firm to your consciousness while you explore enigmatic networks where change is permanent but reality is only temporary.

• To find out what is going on, traverse between real and artificially created worlds.
• Ominous but lush graphics created with Unreal Engine 4.
• Secrets and easter eggs.
• A haunting and atmospheric soundtrack.

Love, Death, and Robots Renewed for Season 2

Love, Death, and Robots was a huge surprise that premiered on Netflix in March. It was remarkably good and filled with cyberpunk goodness. Today Netflix has revealed that the series has been renewed for a season two.

They are officially calling this Volume 2 and it will be directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. She previously directed multiple episodes of “Spawn,” “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “Kung Fu Panda 3, and the live-action feature “The Darkest Minds.”

Let's hope this second season is just as good as the first. I'm not too familiar with Nelson but I did enjoy Spawn so lets hope this series will contain a little bit of that grittiness that Spawn had.

"Love, Death and Robots" will be back! Jennifer Yuh Nelson has joined as supervising director for Volume 2 and will oversee all episodes pic.twitter.com/8OVStMbpeP

— See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) June 10, 2019

Five Pages from Blade Runner 2019 are Here

About a month ago we got a small preview of what the upcoming Blade Runner 2019 comic was going to look like. Today we have even more to show you. BC got their hands on five pages from the comic that will be releasing July 17th from Titan Comics.

Below you can check out those pages for yourself. Personally I was hoping the main character would have a more unique look. She looks a lot like a gender swapped version of Deckard. Otherwise I'm really looking forward to this. 

BLADE RUNNER 2019 #1 (MR)
(W) Michael Green, Mike Johnson (A) Andres Guinaldo (CA) Artgerm
In the neo-noir city of Los Angeles, 2019, Ash, a veteran Blade Runner, is grappling with a new case: a billionaire’s wife and child, apparently kidnapped by Replicants for dark purposes… An all-new ongoing comic series from the pen of Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049, Logan, American Gods), with longtime co-writer Mike Johnson (Batman/Superman, Supergirl, Star Trek), illustrated by Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark, Captain America). The first comic to tell original, in-canon stories set in the Blade Runner universe! In Shops: Jul 17, 2019 SRP: $3.99

 

 

 

 

New Teaser Trailer has Arrived for Herogrinder

Herogrinder has been in the works for quite awhile. Back in 2006 the game was part of the Steam Greenlight project before it was discontinued. Since then it doesn't seem like the game has been getting much traction, until recently.

Today the team behind the game released a teaser trailer showing off a couple different systems within Herogrinder. They seem to be advertising a way to sign up for some kind of early access. But as of the writing of this article, I can't seem to find a way to do so.

From what has been shown I am really excited for this title. It gives off heavy Smash TV vibes. The release date at this point is unknown. On one site they show a 2021 release, but with all this new information I'm hoping we will get it sooner. Check out the teaser trailer below and keep it here for more information as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Herogrinder is the game of the future - a gameshow where contestants can enter lethal tactical combat arenas for free with a customized team of bioroids and measure their skills against each other in strategic, simultaneous turn-based PvP deathmatches. Contestants win creds for each battle that can be spent on upgrades and also experience that leads to detailed character progression and customization. The range of tactical opportunities in Herogrinder is endless and simultaneous turns eliminate wait times for continuous play.

SKYRUN: A New Dystopian Cyberpunk Game

Drowsy Bat Games have just released their new cyberpunk dystopian game, SKYRUN. After watching some of the trailers, it reminds me a lot of Ruiner. What really excited me about SKYRUN is the procedurally generated levels. I'm also a real sucker when it comes to character customization.

I'm not at all familiar with the studio but this seems like a good start. Lets hope that they continue to do more games with this theme in mind. It definitely feels like cyberpunk is coming back into fashion with all these new games on the horizon.

The game is pretty fairly priced at $5.99 on itchi.io. Below you can check out the release trailer and if you are feeling it go check it out for yourself. At the very least it looks like a really fun time waster.

SKYRUN is a 2D platform shooter with procedurally generated elements. Take on missions and fight for freedom on the rooftops of gigantic skyscrapers in a dystopian cyberpunk setting.

• Engaging core mission gameplay with procedurally generated levels
• Earn powerful utilities and suit upgrades to tackle harder challenges
• Versatile customization options for your character

Is Death Stranding Cyberpunk?

Today Playstation released a nine minute long release date reveal trailer. As the trailer started up I thought it had a very strong cyberpunk aesthetic. I was even gearing up to write an article about my thoughts on it. However as the trailer went on, I began to think it looked less and less cyberpunk. So I decided to scrap the article. But tonight I was on r/Cyberpunk and I noticed someone with this question, "Is Death Stranding Cyberpunk?".

The old high tech, low life feel is definitely there. It also looks like we will be dealing a lot with the breakdown of social order. Now I don't think a lot of the tropes have to be there for it to be considered cyberpunk. For example, from this trailer I don't see any kind of "megacorporations". As a matter of fact it looks like the government has a stranglehold on society. The other noticeable factor is the story takes place in a post apocalyptic world.

So is the game cyberpunk? Technically it's probably too early to say without too many details of the story. Not to mention that this trailer raised more questions than answered. So there is that. Now I'll tell you a little bit of what I actually think of the game from the reveal trailer.

It should be noted that this is clearly a Hideo Kojima game. Everything from the graphics to the combat look exactly like what you would expect. I haven't played a Kojima game since Metal Gear Solid II. So that probably has some influence on the way I feel about the game.

I'll say right off the bat that I'm not floored by the trailer. At least not as much as most of the gaming community. All of the early cinematic trailers just confused me and the only thing that really had me excited was the involvement of my favorite modern day director, Guillermo del Toro. Recently news has come out that del Toro will not have his hand in the game as much as we thought. That was a little disappointing to me.

Now the actual gameplay doesn't really impress me either. The combat looks a little clunky to me and as I said earlier, the animations are distinctly Kojima. But I hope I am wrong. Despite my first impressions I'm completely open to the game, although I will probably wait for early reviews when it is released on November 8th, 2019.

You can check out the trailer below and I'm curious if you guys think Death Stranding is cyberpunk?

After the collapse of civilization, Sam Bridges must journey across a ravaged landscape crawling with otherworldly threats to save mankind from the brink of extinction.

New Series is Coming: Inspiring Cinema

As I have said in many of my other posts, I am a huge fan of film. I don't actually read a whole lot, other than RPG rule books of course, so movies have always been my main source of inspiration in everything I do. Today I was watching a couple videos from Neil Blomkamp's Oats Studios and it really got me thinking of some cool stuff to throw into a game. By the way, if you haven't watched some of the Oats Studios stuff on YouTube I highly suggest watching.

On this blog I really only have one series that I have been doing, Kickstarter Spotlight. Honestly that series has been some of my most popular posts. Now I am thinking about doing a series about inspiration from films that aren't necessarily cyberpunk, or less known films anyway. For example you won't be seeing Akira or Ghost in the Shell here. But you may see The Sixth Sense mainly because that film is often overlooked as being cyberpunk.

A lot of really good movies seem to go by without much fanfare. As I said above I had no idea that Neil Blomkamps studio had a YouTube channel with some amazing content. It's things like that I want to shine a light on.

As I said this is a new series I am going to start up. How often will they be appearing? That much is unknown. It will probably be as often as I find new films to post. Besides hidden gems I'll also probably be posting about newer movies as well.

So I hope you guys will dig this new series. I love film and to be able to combine RPGs and film is something that is right up my alley. As soon as Cyberpunk Red is released, I will put a twist on this series. But that is a post for another time.

Kickstarter Spotlight: Venus: A Short Cyberpunk Film

While I absolutely love tabletop and video games, my favorite medium is probably film. Before starting this blog I wrote for a horror film website, Horror-Movies.ca. So obviously film is very close to my heart. So whenever I see an independent production, I always feel the need to help them however I can.

Today in the Kickstarter Spotlight I present to you, Venus: A Short Cyberpunk Film. Looking over their page I can see they have a lot of ambition. They site Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Ex Machina, Under the Skin and Cam as inspiration for Venus.

I see a lot of potential in this project and I hope they make their funding. Below is the short synopsis they provide as well as their pitch video. If you like what you see, toss them a couple dollars over on their Kickstarter page.

A grieving mother uploads the consciousness of her dead daughter, Iris, into a stolen synthetic body. Torn out of her idyllic digital world and left on the run in an​ oppressive city, Iris must confront her body's objectification and its violent capabilities, as well as the dark truth of her mother's actions.

Kickstarter Spotlight: Halls of Horror

The only thing I love more than cyberpunk is horror. I have been a horror fan probably since I was 6 years old. So what is better than horror and cyberpunk? Combine them! That seems to be what iFun4all are trying to do with their new board game, Halls of Horror.

Now I can't totally confirm that this is explicitly cyberpunk, but it definitely has the aesthetic. The game is set up for up to four players and even includes a solo mode for all of us whose friends are too good to play board games.

I'm loving the look of this game so far. The official breakdown is below and I can say it sounds a lot like Saw 2. Check them out on Kickstarter right now.. And don't worry the campaign will be running for a couple more weeks.

You wake up in an unfamiliar room. Your entire body hurts, and you can hardly remember last night. Maybe there was a party at a club, or you were supposed to meet with a promising client, or you remember being mugged in an alley but nothing else… it doesn’t matter. Now you are here, and an industrial camera follows your every move. A voice plays over a crackling speaker. “Welcome, participant… to the Halls of Horror!” 

Trapped inside a house built by the insane Master of the Ceremony, you are challenged to a deadly game in which the prize is your survival. Who will perish, and who will escape? Let’s find out!