The Cyberpunk franchise, as it relates to Polish games developer CD Projekt Red (CDPR), hasn’t had what we’d call a sterling reputation. In fact, the release of the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077 is considered one of the most disastrous releases in gaming history.

However, the game has been (mostly) fixed since then on a technical level, and as the spotlight on CDPR’s faults has left for other ventures, Studio Trigger (of Kill la Kill and Promare fame) has come out with the first trailer for its Cyberpunk 2077 anime spin-off.

Called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the trailer alone promises a thrilling and trippy ride.

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Night City: The Worst Place to Live in America

From David Pondsmith’s original tabletop role-playing game to CDPR’s video game, the world of Cyberpunk takes place in the fictional Night City. Sitting on North America’s Pacific coast, it was founded as a free city where anybody can strike it rich. What this actually means, in a fashion typical of the cyberpunk genre, is that corporations have a chokehold on the place.

If you aren’t selling your soul to the likes of Arasaka or Militech, chances are you’re scrounging on the streets or committing crimes to get by. Night City is a dangerous place to visit and an even more dangerous place to live year-round. It advertises guns the way our world advertises movies, and for safety’s sake, the average citizen better is outfitted with some serious Cyberware body modifications.

Edgerunners seems to be sticking hard to the sheer ferocity of the Cyberpunk universe. The first indicator is in the show’s title itself. Edgerunner is the apt name for Night City mercenaries who live their lives on the edge, taking on contract work against dangerous individuals and gangs. The clips we’ve seen so far of the show, including the trailer and a quick 40-second sneak-peek, reinforce the promise of danger as well.

We know we’ll have at least one run-in with Maelstrom, a crazed Night City gang known for replacing their faces with glowing red CyberOptics, and in general, we can expect plenty of blood and gore. Keep in mind that, like the game, Cyberpunk Edgerunners will be meant for a mature audience.

High Rises and Neon Lights

     Netflix

Arguably more than anything else, Cyberpunk 2077’s greatest feature is its beauty. Despite the danger lurking around every corner, Night City is a marvel to explore, cut up into distinct districts with their own unique atmospheres. Things are at their most impressive when the sun sets, and the neon lights come on.

Strips of rainbow lighting guide players’ ways as they drive through City Center. Massive holographic koi fish and cherry blossom trees ignite the skies of Japantown. Climb upwards into the wealthiest parts of town, and the city lights flash on the skyscrapers below.

Based on the footage we’ve seen, Edgerunners looks to be filled with vibrant colors and lights, plus an overall sense of spectacle. (Really, we wouldn’t expect anything less from Studio Trigger.) We catch glimpses of those aforementioned koi fish, towering high rises surrounded by neon lights and loud advertisements. Characters with bright clothing and hairstyles zip by in high-speed car chases. A girl with pink eyes cuts enemies down with a thin length of CyberWire, and a pit stop to the Moon is hinted at. If nothing else, Edgerunners is certain to be a visual trip.

Our Protagonist Lives on the Edge

Eagle-eyed fans have identified a connection between released information on Edgerunners and a specific in-game item description. Our main protagonist is David Martinez, the young man in the trailer sporting a mohawk. His name is mentioned in Cyberpunk 2077 when you visit the Afterlife. It’s a club where all the top mercenaries in Night City go to discuss work, collect payment, or just try to have a little downtime. If you ask the bartender, Claire, for a drink, you’ll notice that each choice on the menu has the name of a famous Night City mercenary.

The David Martinez is a drink on that menu, the item description reading as follows: “A shot of vodka on the rocks, topped with NiCola. Aim high and go out with a bang.” Question Clair on how mercenaries get drinks named after them in the Afterlife, and she’ll tell you plainly that you need to snuff it in mind-blowingly spectacular fashion, preferably in the middle of a job. Basically, go out fighting, and your name will be forever memorialized at the Afterlife. It might sound like a pretty bad fate to us, but for any merc working the scene in Night City, it’s the highest compliment you can receive.

So, what does this mean for our protagonist in Edgerunners? Most likely that he won’t make it out okay on the other side. But Night City isn’t made for people who aren’t prepared to risk it all for fame, fortune, and glory. We’re glad to see that Studio Trigger seems to be taking the all-or-nothing mentality of the Cyberpunk universe and infusing it into every possible corner.

We think we’re in for a real treat when Edgerunners drops later this year on Netflix, September 2022.