Cyberpunk 2077 has been slowly revealing different aspects of its dystopian world and this has largely led to increasing excitement from fans. The title is among the most anticipated games of the year, but as an original title from CD Projekt Red, there is still a lot of questions about the game. The team behind the game has now answered queries about the landscape and it seems that global warming has heavily impacted the rural areas in the game.
Yesterday Cyberpunk hosted a Night City Wire Event which detailed how "lifelines" word work within the game. It seems that players will be able to choose from three different paths that vary from a Corpo, Street Kid, and Nomad. As the names of these options suggest, it will place players in corporations, on the streets, or in the rural areas outside of the city. Interestingly it is in these less populated areas where the game will show the biggest impact of global warming.
Senior quest designer Philipp Weber discussed areas during a live stream that accompanied the Night City Wire Event. The quest designer explained that “Time has not been kind to the Badlands” before claiming that this is because of the impact of global warming on farming and general life outside the city. Many of the comments on the trailer for the "lifelines" showed admiration for what seems to be an honorable traveling life but they may reconsider this given the challenging terrain that the player will have to conquer. Cyberpunk 2077 seems to be offering players plenty of ways to experience the vast open-world while tapping into different conventions of the dystopian fantasy genre.
The impact of global warming has long been the basis of dystopian narratives and it is a logical area for the game to cover as it also seems to address poverty and the power of corporations. These are issues that are prevalent today and will likely act as a tool that will allow players to understand the wider more sci-fi infused world. The "lifelines" that players can choose in Cyberpunk 2077 appear to not only offer plenty of action and choices but also a vehicle to get a new perspective on contemporary problems.
Cyberpunk 2077 is promising an immersive world and the context provided for each player choice supports this. If the game can address contemporary issues while engaging players in multiple narratives, then it may well live up to the large expectation that surrounds it.
Cyberpunk 2077 launches September 17 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, and later for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Source: YouTube/ CyberPunk 2077
