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.

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!

Cyberpunk 2077 Expansions Will Be Similar to Witcher 3

E3 and the news about Cyberpunk 2077 has been pouring out. So much so that I have been completely overwhelmed with information. Every major member of the CD Projekt Red team have been doing interviews and I plan on sifting through them soon to find the most juicy bits. Today however we received a good bit of info about the expansions planned for Cyberpunk 2077.

UI Coordinator Alvin Liu spoke with Prima Games about the future of the game. "We are talking about expansions in the future. We want to make sure everything's complete, but we also want to build open worlds. I know when I was playing The Witcher 3 and I finished everything, I still want to know what everyone was up to. I think we're going to have opportunities like that as well for Cyberpunk 2077."

Doubling down on CD Projekt Reds high standards he goes on to say, "You're going to see characters and you'll see them develop. You're going to see them go through conflicts and resolve those conflicts. It'll be a very rewarding ending. We're not withholding content, we're not withholding story for the future to try to, you know, monetize it or sell it in pieces or anything like that. You're going to get the whole, full value game here."

So if we do indeed get DLC that is the size of Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine we know we will be in for a treat. Those DLC are the size of some stand alone games these days. CDPR hold themselves to a much higher standard than most studios in the gaming space these days and it is refreshing to behold.

Keanu Reeves Talks About Cyberpunk 2077

The big reveal at E3, probably THE biggest, was that Keanu Reeves was not only playing Johnny Silverhand but he was also on stage to introduce the release date. Today a full interview with the man was released in which he talks about his role in the upcoming game as well as some details about the game itself.

Check out the video below.. and remember, you are all breathtaking!

Secret Message from CD Projekt Red Decoded

After the Microsoft Press Conference in which CD Projekt Red revealed a new cinematic trailer and a release date, they posted a Collectors Edition unboxing video. In the beginning of the video there was a series of lines of code. Some intrepid fans were able to crack that code and reveal a secret message.

Below is the message in its entirety:

Finally, after months of preparation, we can share with you two big things we have been hard at work on — CP2077's cinematic story trailer and a brand new gameplay demo! Yes, yes, we know — for now, the demo is only available to the lucky ones who managed to get tickets to E3 and the rest of you will have to wait until gamescom or the public dev Q&A unveiling stream at PAX in August. Yeah, we can already feel the bashing you're gonna give us online :(. "Why are you not treating us fair", "why is the gameplay not being released right away?". The reason is we want to make the most out of the months of work we put into the demo and first showcase gameplay live at E3 and gamescom. Releasing gameplay right away would make the gamescom presentations pointless and would significantly limit our chance to build hype. Why do we need to build hype? To get more gamers interested in CP2077 and, hopefully, convince them to give it a go. We are putting our hearts and souls into making CP2077 a great game and we would like as many gamers as possible to find out about it and experience its amazing story. Also, hype can turn into sales (after all, we are not a charity), and good sales allow us to grow, take creative risks and deliver new, great games for you to enjoy.

And let’s not forget about one more super important announcement — the release date. Less than a year from now, on April 16th, 2020, you’ll finally be able to sink your teeth into Cyberpunk 2077.

As you probably noticed, we prepared 2 editions of the game. Why only two? Because when we pre-order ourselves, we don’t like to go to Wikipedia to compare content. We have a simple deal: there’s the standard edition, the one we think most gamers will choose, and a limited Collector’s Edition. While we're pretty proud of the CE, we'd like to turn your attention to that first one. Why? Because we have really maxed out the physical capacity of the box with goodies. We think this raises the bar for "standard" and we hope you'll think so, too. Also, since pre-orders are live, you might be wondering if there’s any point in placing an order now. Yes, if you want to give us some extra support. Pre-orders help us build anticipation — the more copies you pre-order, the more likely it is for us to get retail (both digital and physical) behind the game. Therefore, if you like what you see, we will appreciate you "voting yes" for CP2077 with a pre-order. If you are still hesitating though, we would rather you wait for more materials or reviews. Our goal is for you to truly enjoy CP2077 and not regret a pre-order.

Take care and looking forward to seeing you in Night City! CD PROJEKT RED team

New E3 2019 Cinematic Trailer for Cyberpunk 2077

The Microsoft press conference just wrapped up and.. WOW. Two big things to say. 4/16/20 and Keanu Reeves is Johnny Silverhand. I have a lot more to write about everything that went down but right now I just want to share with you guys the official cinematic trailer that CD Projekt Red just released.

In the most dangerous megacity of the future, the real you is not enough. Become V, a cyber-enhanced mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant — the key to immortality. Customize your cyberware and skillset, and explore a vast city of the future obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. The choices you make will determine the story and shape the world around you.

Cyberpunk 2077 Collectors Edition Leak?

With the Microsoft conference being only two days away rumors and leaks are bound to happen. We have been hearing a lot of info about when Cyberpunk 2077 might be released. Today however we got something much juicier from the resetera message board from a user named vestan.

He claims that he recieved the message over discord from a friend in Poland. How much can we trust this leak? Well from my perspective not at all. I take this with a grain of salt. But, I do think that this is definitely a good fake if it is indeed a fake. The timing also adds some credence that this could possibly be real.

Of course this will all be revealed in just a couple days. So stay tuned and we can either confirm or deny this leak.

Cyberpunk 2077 Answers Are Coming

Once again the Cyberpunk 2077 twitter account has sprung to life with some exciting news. They announced that they will be answering fan questions that have been submitted. At first they said they would be answering them on July 12th. But after an overwhelming response the team has decided to answer them at E3 on June 13th at 7pm CEST/10am PST.

Pretty exciting news because a lot of us have questions that we would like answered. This kind of outreach in the gaming community by a team of developers is pretty rare for an upcoming AAA video game.

So if you have any questions at all, head on over to their official Tumblr and ask away.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an ambitious RPG for mature audience, set in the corrupt and tech-advanced world of the year 2077 and is being developed by CD Projekt RED in association with the Cyberpunk Pen & Paper system author, Mike Pondsmith.

My Cyberpunk 2077 E3 Wish List

This E3 is my most anticipated in a very long time. I don't think I have ever really looked forward to one. Cyberpunk 2077 has been my most anticipated game probably since Mass Effect 3.. and well we all know how that went.

In a couple weeks on June 9th Microsoft will be holding their E3 press conference. This is where most people believe that CD Prokjekt Red will be presenting the game. With that in mind I have been thinking a lot about what I really want to see. I'm sure not all of these things will happen. But if E3 was going to turn out the way I want it to, these would be the things I want to see.

Release date. I'm just going to get this one out of the way. I want to see a solid release date and not a release window. Rumors have been circulating online that we are only going to get a target date and not a firm one. I'm also hoping that the game will be out by the end of this year. Waiting until 2020 seems way to far off. Granted, if it means they need to add that final polish, I'd be fine with that. Again, this is the perfect scenario.

Male V. We have been getting teases of what the male V looks like but I want to see this guy in action. New gameplay with the male V would be great. Behind closed doors apparently there was some gameplay with the male counterpart so it would be nice if they finally let that updated footage out into the wild.

Melee. Again this was shown behind closed doors in an alternate playthrough. From what was said they were using a katana to deflect bullets. I'd also love to see some kind of cyberfist or something along those lines. Something up close and brutal. I'm curious how viable a melee build will be in the game considering most protagonists will be carrying guns. How easy will it be to close the distance?

Hacking. We saw a short glimpse of it during the last E3 demo. I'm sure aspects of it have changed and I am hoping we will get to see some other aspects of hacking. Not just the human jack-in but also hacking computers and other things like turrets.

Brain Dance. This is something that is teased all throughout the demo. In Vs apartment we see the brain dance option on the screen and we see multiple billboards advertising the service. I'm curious how they will work and what we can expect. I always liked in the GTA games how they would make little TV shows that you could watch. I think they will probably work like that.

Crafting. We know that some kind of crafting will exist in the game from the inventory screen. Now of course this could be something that they removed entirely, but if they haven't I want to see the types of things that you can craft. It seems a little odd in a game like this, so I'd like to know the use of it. Maybe we can craft different designer drugs to give us an advantage in the field.

More cyberware. We have seen a couple enhancements you can get from Victor the ripper doc. I want to see more! Exotics, sub-dermal armor plating, fucking TVs in our arms.. That's a legit thing in Cyberpunk 2020. I just want to see a whole host of new cyberware that we will be able to procure from some of the shadiest of ripper docs in Night City.

Which leads into something similar, I want to see some of the shady, underground ripper docs. Blood splattered on the wall, waivers needed signed. All the juicy bits.

Companions. I'm hoping we get to see more than just Jackie. I don't want to see all of them, but I'm hoping we get to see at least one more that may show up in our time in Night City. I would actually rather not see any more Jackie. Since we have seen so much of him I'd rather discover more about him when I sit down with the game myself.

Relationships. I've always been a sucker for romances in games. Mass Effect is one of my favorite franchises (or was) and I thought the relationships in those games added to the story. I'm hoping we can see our significant other (if we so choose) to have an impact on the story. Maybe some scavs will kidnap them for ransom. I'm just hoping the person we have a relationship will have some impact on the story and not be just tacked on.

Characters. I want to see more of the major characters in the game. Lizzy Wizzy, Johnny Silverhand and whoever else they can pull up from Cyberpunk 2020 lore. I've had this idea in my head that I have wanted to see in a game for some time. I'm hoping we can go to a concert and see Lizzy Wizzy live. We know Johnny Silverhand is no longer performing so that is probably off the table. Or maybe Blood & Ice from Cyberpunk 2020.

Gear. We have seen the Samurai jacket that everyone has fallen in love with. But I want to see more of what we can wear. I'm also hoping that there is some kind of transmog available as well. Visually I might find something I love, but stats wise it won't live up to something else I find a long the way.

Pre-Order. This is the last on this list. I'm hoping at the end of the presentation, they say the game is available for pre-order everywhere starting right now. I know pre-ordering games has become somewhat of a bad thing these days. But we all know we are going to buy this game at launch. Why wait? I want to see the collectors editions and all the things that will come with it. With the upcoming GOG Galaxy 2.0 I believe I will be putting my order in at the CD Projekt Red owned store.

Well that about wraps up this huge wish list of mine. Besides what I mentioned I think the obvious is the updates. I want to see the new interface, character customization and all the things that we have seen before, with a bit of polish. I hope you guys enjoyed my little list and I'm curious what some of you would like to see at E3 this year.

Cd Projekt Red Store is Live

We have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the official store for a couple weeks now. Today they finally opened the floodgates and announced the store is officially ready for business. The only problem right now is that they are only shipping to the European Union. So all of us in North America and elsewhere will have to wait until they figure out their shipping issues.

I'm a little surprised they didn't nail that down before opening the store up at all. But my guess is that they were sitting on it for longer than they wanted to. Well that and Cyberpunk 2077 news has dried up waiting until the E3 news dump.

Anyway it's definitely worth checking out right now to create a wish list of stuff from The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077 and Gwent. If you are in the EU they go ham and pick up everything you have been waiting for. They have everything from t-shirts to phone cases. There is also a nifty Trauma Team t-shirt I have my eye on. We'll keep you informed of when they begin shipping overseas.

Mike Pondsmith Clears Up Timeline Confusion

There seems to have been some confusion over the timeline in the Cyberpunk universe. A misinterpretation of an interview seemed to reveal that Cyberpunk 2077 was an alternate timeline from the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk games. I'm not sure how Mike's original quote was taken out of context since it seemed pretty clear to me. This is what he originally said at PAX East:

Let’s say that at this point, we plan to continue the timeline and you will see the things that you saw in 2020, but they will somewhat be changed. And that will affect both the timeline and also the fact that cellphones went from the size of the brick to the size your thump, and than again to the size of a brick. So you are going to see some shifts in technology.

I guess I might be able to see where some confusion came into play when he was referring to changes in the timeline. However Mike Pondsmith has come forward on Reddit to clear up the confusion:

Ahem. There's still an incorrect interview floating around the interwebs that states that Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk 2020 are separate timelines. To clear this up, I am posting RIGHT HERE AND NOW that the timeline is unified, with the path moving from Cyberpunk 2013 thru Cyberpunk 2020, then through Cyberpunk RED and up to Cyberpunk 2077

Lord knows, we spent enough time hashing the details out over the past six months. Expect more on this later. Back to your cyberlives, everyone.

So there ya go folks. The man has spoken.

Welcome to The Blog of the Dark Future

I have been a long time tabletop fan. My first game was first edition D&D. I was digging through some old boxes and found my fathers old books from when he was in high school. I was immediately drawn into the game. I could do anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. In my mind it was like the best video game I had ever played.

Over the years my taste in games hasn't wavered much. I always preferred the old school mentality that first edition brought. Since then I have bought books for Dungeon Crawl Classics, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Swords & Wizardry, Astonishing Swords & Swordsmen of Hyperborea and the list goes on and on. It wasn't until a few years ago that my interest in other genres in tabletop began.

I was never a fan of sci fi. Never. It wasn't until Mass Effect came along that I began to fall in love with the genre. The game was amazing and I wanted to do even more in the universe than the game would allow. So I set out on a mission to convert Mass Effect to the tabletop. While doing research for it I picked up several sci fi games and space operas. In the end that project died because I found someone had beat me to the punch.

However that interest also turned me onto Shadowrun. I read through the books and even backed the game on Kickstarter. This in turn brought me to the world of Cyberpunk. Not the game, not yet anyway, but the genre. I was rewatching Blade Runner, Akira, Ghost in Shell, Cowboy Bebop and whatever else I could get my hands on. I read William Gibson's Neuromancer and began to consume all I could that included cyberpunk aesthetics.

This brings me to CD Projekt Red's announcement of Cyberpunk 2077. This game seriously peaked my interest and when I laid my eyes on the gameplay demo, I was in love. I was so interested in the world that I searched out all the source material for the game I could. Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk 2020 was the high tech, low life game I had always been searching for. Yet somehow it alluded me all this time.

This brings me to the present and why this blog was created. I also want to address what you can expect to find here hopefully on a daily basis. As I said before I have been a long time tabletop fan and I have always frequented many OSR blogs. Everything from Tenkars Tavern to Vengers Old School Gaming Blog. But just a few days ago I was curious if there were any Cyberpunk blogs. Apparently no one knew of any. I knew at that moment I had to do it myself. There has to be an audience looking for this kind of content, so I might as well be the one to do it.

Now the types of things I will be posting here will all be cyberpunk related. Cyberpunk 2020, Cyberpunk Red, some occasional Shadowrun maybe and much more. Some of what I post will be simply inspiration for Cyberpunk games such as image dumps, NPC's, cyberware and news stories that you may be able to fit into your games. Whatever I think might spark some inspiration will be posted here. I also plan on doing movie reviews for applicable films as well. So even if you have no interest in tabletop games, you can still get a healthy dose of cyberpunk.

So I hope you continue to frequent this blog because I plan on keeping this as up to date as possible. Feel free to comment what you to see in the future or if you think I left anything critical off my list. Thank you everyone and I'll see you in the matrix.