Cyberpunk 2077 takes us on a very fashionable test-drive
Chrome skin seems a right hassle to clean.
Go fast and leave a beautiful car crash. That's how you win in Cyberpunk 2077 - at least, according to the latest episode of trailer-filled dev stream Night City Wire. Tonight's stream was all about sharp suits and roaring engines, touring a behind-the-scenes look at Cyberpunk's near-future car parks, and going into the future history of why folks in the future are painting themselves in chrome and neon.
And if that doesn't do it for you, there's an extended bit where Keanu talks about motorcycles for like 10 minutes. What a lad.
Tonight's stream kicked off with a showroom demonstration of Cyberpunk's cars. Naturally, there's a whole range of high-performance sportscars, hyper-expensive hypercars and heavily armoured brutes, but I'm entirely here for the clunkers - the family sedans and dumpy little compacts in the economy class. Kit them out in classy cardboard bodywork and you've got the ride for me.
All vehicles have fully modelled interiors, of course. Cars nicked off the street can be stored, and you'll be able to "summon" cars in a similar manner to the way you summed Geralt's horse - though hopefully, street races in Night City are more bearable than The Witcher's horse races. There is also at least one real-life car in CP2077, with Johnny "Keanu Reeves" Silverhand getting his own Porsche 911. Your man Keanu showed up for a bit himself, gushing over some roaring motorcycles being recorded for the game.
That's enough cars, though. Next up was a history lesson on future fashion, while comes in four distinct flavours in Night City - from corporate militarism's sharp armoured suits to neon-tinted clubwear and celebs boasting entirely chrome skins, by way of stained shirts and baggy shorts out in the wastelands. Hey, fashion isn't for everyone.
I'm not sure how many of these outfits you'll be able to wear, mind, given the segment didn't touch on V's fancy glowing cyberjacket. Night City Wire wrapped with news that Cyberpunk will get a Stadia release alongside PC and consoles on November 19th - with CD Projekt reportedly backtracking on their "no mandatory crunch" stance to meet that deadline.