Here you can read all 13 separate episodes with new background info about Night City that CD Projekt Red released about the Cyberpunk 2077 trailer from E3.
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PART 1
For every colorful individual in Night City, there’s a colorful story, and nearly every slice of the E3 2018 trailer tells a story of its own. This trailer is a product of the dedication and hard work from our CD PROJEKT RED team and is based on concept art we’ve developed over the years. Every scene is rendered in-engine and offers a brief glimpse into the lives of Night City residents.
Night City is a free city located within the Free State of North California. While still technically on American soil, the city falls completely outside of state and national legal jurisdiction. Here, the corporations are in charge. Over the years, the city has been fractured by various corporate conflicts and gang wars. Those caught in between are often left desperately trying to make ends meet and survive the riots and violence that rage throughout the streets.
Night City was founded by tech giant and visionary Richard Night. He envisioned a perfect city that would stand as a monument to progress and the power of technology to improve people’s lives. His optimistic vision of the future is now a haven for violence and corruption.
PART 2
In 2077, society is highly dependent on drones and robotics — from live-feed camera drones, to sparring bots and massive warehouse machinery. Huge, automated trash collectors and robotic street sweepers can be seen any day through your window (if you’re lucky enough to have one).
Whether top-of-the-line or pieced together from scrap, robotics serve a huge role in both the economic sector and everyday life. In fact, most public transportation services are handled by automated vehicles. These trains and buses are practically entities in their own right — able to communicate with each other and learn in order to improve efficiency.
PART 3
Megabuildings are a prominent feature of the Night City skyline in 2077 and function like cities within a city. Each serves as a microcosm for Night City at large. They are self-contained architectural behemoths that offer housing, food, firearms, medicine, training — you name it, it’s there. But don’t mistake them for a futuristic realization of a utopian society. They share much of the same grit, grime, and danger you’d encounter out on the streets.
Night City is a shining example of consumerism run rampant. No matter where you look, you’re pitched a product, an aspiration. Whether you’re riding the metro, brushing your teeth, or pissing in an alleyway, the glitter, vibrant color, and allure of it all sucks you in. Advertisement saturation is a constant part of the sensory experience. Corporations are selling an unattainable dream and the masses are buying into it hook, line, and sinker.
PART 4
Lizzy Wizzy — Controversial frontwoman for the band Lizzy Wizzy and the Metadwarves, of which she is the only human member.
For many Night City residents, crushing poverty and homelessness are significant and likely inescapable problems. Despite this, most are still entranced by the glitz of showbiz and luxurious lifestyles of the privileged elite. Breakthroughs in neural technology paved the way for people to share recordings of their own personal memories and emotions via tech known as “braindance” (or BD). Some BD productions put actors in staged situations to create “false” memories, to give viewers the feeling that they’re living in an action film. Other BDs are simple recordings of a day in the life of the world’s biggest and brightest stars. The ability to “become” a celeb and experience a life of luxury gives many a chance to escape their own miserable reality. As a result, braindance addiction has become an ever-growing problem for the city’s poor. Also, as with all forms of entertainment media, illicit braindance recordings (XBDs) can be found easily in the seedy underbelly of Night City’s black market.
Samurai — A legendary rock band for whom music was a way to rebel and fight the system.
PART 5
In 2077, technology has become omnipresent. It’s used to automatize industry, bombard the masses with incessant advertising, replace human flesh and bone with circuitry and steel, and the list goes on. While cheap electronic devices and services are available to even some of the poorest members of society, most cannot afford to buy the newest toys or replace broken equipment. As a result, from a young age many learn to improvise and work with discarded scrap to make repairs, to build their own diversions, to craft their own weapons.
PART 6
Night City is a diverse place with people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures. As a result, there’s an array of nightlife establishments, each with their own appealing theme and atmosphere. Some Night City bars have a distinct old-school vibe, which is why, in the trailer, we spot a familiar sight — a classic style pool table that’s been retrofitted with minor technological enhancements.
PART 7
Even though cybernetic prosthetics were originally developed for practical and medical purposes, they’ve since become a matter of lifestyle choice. In 2077, cyberware has become as commonplace as tattoos and jewelry. The reasons for installing it are many and varied, including simple tech upgrades, combat enhancements, and even fashion statements. The possession of trendy cyberware has become an integral and defining part of Night City culture. Uniqueness is just another form of currency. To make it big, you need to look the part. Style is everything.
RealSkinn technology — synthetic skin designed to cover cybernetic implants.
PART 8
Night City has seen its share of gang warfare over the years. Night City gangs vary by structure, hierarchies, and backgrounds. Organized crime in this town is driven primarily by violence. There’s an ever-present need to prove oneself. Self-actualization through violence is a philosophy followed by many in society. At the bottom, physical brutality settles most disputes. At the top, corporations do whatever’s necessary to maintain both hard and soft power. Here, fear is king.
Below Deck — An underwater-themed club opened in a former aquarium.
PART 9
Gun laws are lax in Night City — anyone can own a gun. And thanks to frequent riots and the daily threat of violence, just about everyone does. Open carry of firearms is commonplace and many even wear bulletproof clothing as they go about their lives — just in case. No one bats an eye at a pistol here or a rifle there. To stay alive, you need to look out for yourself… Even if that sometimes means turning a blind eye to the constant violence happening all around.
PART 10
For most, despite pervasive violence and poverty, leaving Night City is not an option. Everyone is a lone wanderer in their own right and Night City presents an undying hope for fame and success where failure is the ultimate fear. Self-preservation and self-promotion—not money—are the driving forces behind societal advancement. In order to be someone, you have to be more than yourself. To become immortal, you have to become a brand, an ideal.
PART 11
Night City is a global center for megacorporation operations and home to regional branches of corporate giants such as Arasaka and Militech. In Night City, Arasaka specializes in protective services and the distribution of their Japanese-made products throughout North America. Over the years, it has developed a dark reputation as a corporation that is to be feared and one which covers its tracks using cyberassassins, an army of lawyers as well an alleged connection to the yakuza. Militech, on the other hand, is an arms dealer based out of the eastern US. Working closely with police and military forces, it has substantially contributed to civilian security systems. It’s a powerhouse manufacturer of high-grade military technology — from simple firearms to heavily armored combat vehicles.
Night City is home to many shops, restaurants, and decor that draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Indian culture, among others. These include Kiroshi Optics, Kabayan Foods, Fuyutsuki Electronics, and Masala Studios as well as maneki-neko figurines and tengu imagery that enrich the world.
PART 12
The Trauma Team is composed of paramedics expertly trained in combat, who will go to any length to deliver their clients from harm. Those wealthy enough to afford a Trauma Team medical plan receive a card and biochip implant. When the chip recognizes a medical problem in a client’s system, it immediately informs the Trauma Team who rush to the scene to stabilize and extract the patient — rain or shine, war zone or picnic.
PART 13
Speed is a major theme in Cyberpunk 2077. For many, it’s just a way of life. The city moves fast, so keep up or get blown back. Any edgerunner will tell you: If you stop, you die — Night City waits for no one.
Our protagonist’s well-worn bomber jacket oozes style, but that’s not it’s only purpose. Like most fashion choices in Night City, the jacket is also designed to be functional, offering the ability to connect the character to different forms of tech.
Now that you have learned the little details about the trailer, take another look at this beautiful clip. After all, it’s the only video footage we have so far from E3 2018 :)
