With the release of the new Netflix anime series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, audiences have developed not only a highly revived appreciation for CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk2077 but a devoted love for the world of Cyberpunk, and more importantly, the world Cyberpunk2077 crafted with Night City and the life that inhabits its proudest and darkest corners.
With the newest Cyberpunk content set in 2076, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is entirely faithful to the game whilst also changing a few things from Cyberpunk2077. These changes don’t break the game, anime, or Cyberpunk universe; they simply add a few creative things that either may be short on.
8 Even More Bizarre NPCs
As V, the player will be sure to encounter some strange life in Cyberpunk2077. The inhabitants of Night City are far from normal, whether that’s in the intense body modifications or warped mental states of a city that destroys its populous through consumerism. V encounters many bizarre NPCs, but mainly through side quests and other activities.
When audiences are introduced to Night City in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, they see it through the eyes of the protagonist, David Martinez. David, despite being a teenager, is seemingly undisturbed by the bizarre people in his city. Unlike Cyberpunk2077, the NPCs here are overtly sexual and seem to pleasure themselves in the street, a more bizarre act than what was seen in the game.
7 Going Cyberpsycho
It’s a big concern of the chrome-addicted populous of Cyberpunk that if they get too much cyber ware installed, then they will become cyberpsycho. This means that they lose their minds to the technology that they have combined with and will become killing machines.
This fear is within everyone who modifies themselves in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, but in Cyberpunk2077, V can enjoy plenty of modifications without the fear of losing their mind. Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersadds the fear of cyberpsychosis that Cyberpunk2077 lacked.
6 V’s Apartment Complex
Players of Cyberpunk2077 may recognize the apartment that David lives in as an identical architectural design to V’s. This apartment complex is the starting home for V and David and remains consistently the same, apart from the people that live outside it. Whereas V doesn’t have to worry about squatters, and other strange individuals outside, David’s apartment complex seems riddled.
There may be a few lurkers and even a stray cat in V’s apartment complex, but for David’s in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, there are whole communities outside his front door. There’s a larger sense of class divide in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners due to the homeless population.
5 Trauma Team
Going on a rampage or even killing rival gang members in Cyberpunk2077 has no downside. Other than being wanted by the police, which can be rather simple to evade. Medics and Trauma Team are otherwise uninterested in V’s murder sprees and remain unnoticed in Cyberpunk2077.
When it comes to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, characters run into Trauma Team more than usual. It’s a fun change to see from the games, as it adds to the importance of wealth in Cyberpunk. Wealthy characters will be saved, whilst those of a poorer class are left to die and suffer in silence.
4 Arasaka Academy
Arasaka has ties everywhere, and the roots of their power seem to know no bounds. What makes matters even more haunting is Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' inclusion of Arasaka Academy. The implication of this school just goes to show that Arasaka is shaping the youth in their disastrous and immoral image.
For Cyberpunk2077, Arasaka Academy is not in the game. Although Arasaka is everywhere, on buildings, advertisements, and employees on every street, the lack of Arasaka Academy makes Cyberpunk2077 seem less focused on the corporate corruption of youth.
3 MaxTac’s Notoriety
Maximum Force Tactical Division (MaxTac) is the specific specialized sub-group of the Night City Police Department. This squad is highly militarized and extremely dangerous to the criminals of Night City. They specialize in the destruction of cyberpsychos and other gang groups that prove too strong to maintain in Night City.
Players will rarely see MaxTac in Cyberpunk2077, even when they are fighting the world for high notoriety of a 5-star wanted level. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, MaxTac arrives on the scene at the first sign of trouble and proves themselves as a force that many do not want to mess with.
2 Braindance Exploration
In today’s age, many consider current entertainment immersive. However, the populous in Cyberpunk have Brain Dances to enjoy in their time off. These “BDs” are memories, which include the emotions experienced by the original user, whether it’s fear, thrill, or pleasure.
V experiences a few Braindances, but only when it becomes crucial to the plot. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Braindance has more commercial and entertaining use. Characters like Lucy use BDs to experience the peacefulness of the Moon. Sadly, Cyberpunk2077 does not offer this level of freedom in BD selections.
1 Rideable Trains
Despite having active training across Night City, V isn’t exactly allowed to travel this way. The real reason is due to behind-the-scenes cut content of Cyberpunk2077, and not for lore reasons. Either way, the fact that V cannot ride and experience the many trains of Night City is something that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners changes.
David’s journey as an Edgerunner begins thanks to trains, as he meets Lucy here, who introduces him to a larger world. It would have been fun to explore these trains and commit heists on them as the characters in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners do.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is now streaming on Netflix.
