Edgerunners' Success Shouldn't Erase Cyberpunk 2077's Past Mistakes
Cyberpunk 2077 has finally had its redemption arc. Except it doesn’t really deserve one after CD Projekt Red’s unwinding web of lies saw its reputation go from an industry darling to a despised corporate insect in a matter of days. Several updates, a next-gen upgrade, and the arrival of Studio Trigger’s Edgerunners has seen the game undergo a sudden resurgence, with hundreds of thousands of players jumping into Night City this past weekend.
I understand this attraction, especially given I’m among the masses playing the game right now and having a surprisingly good time with it. I’m over 30 hours into my first playthrough since reviewing the game at launch, and despite still bumping into weird bugs and a bizarre disconnect from this fictional dystopia, I’m having a great time. But the global popularity of Edgerunners shouldn’t wipe the slate clean and give it a free pass, and believing it was always a misunderstood masterpiece is not only misleading, but wilfully ignorant in how it forgives the mistakes of a product that once promised us the world and gave us nothing.
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Edgerunners is a stunning adaptation. While I have issues with its approach to sexualisation and lack of character development in the first two acts, it translates Cyberpunk 2077 into animated form in spectacular fashion. It looks amazing, and even with its exaggerated style, manages to take us back to Night City as we whizz through familiar locations and lore that fans of the game will immediately connect with. On the flipside, it presents a stylish universe that doesn’t push away newcomers, but invites them in and encourages us to want even more.
I imagine
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