Thanks to the recent release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, my obsession with CDPR's dystopian RPG has returned. I'd like to go back to my old playthrough and rewatch the first season, which I've been putting off for almost five years. But I've also been thinking about the future of this universe, and how it could be built not only through eagerly anticipated sequels, but also through comics, anime, and even spinoffs that don't even exist yet.
It's similar to League of Legends' ill-fated experiment in creating smaller games within the MOBA universe like Mageseeker, Ruined King, and Convergence. What if cyberpunk experimented with different genres? It's unlikely that something like this will ever happen in real life, but you can already imagine how Cyberpunk 2077 could make a living as a nuanced visual novel, an old-school point-and-click adventure, a pixel-art arcade shooter, or even a simulation of life outside of Night City.
Some of these spinoffs have been major successes for Riot. That's why this article is more of a pipe dream than a call for theoretical agricultural simulations to become a reality.
Live the nomad life
Here's how I imagine a completely plausible Cyberpunk 2077 farming life simulation. If Panam or V choose such a life path, you are a nomad. You begin each playthrough with the news that your clan's previous leader has passed away, and as his closest heir, you are tasked with leading the clan into a new era. Like Stardew Valley, you create a character, choose one of several starting biomes around Night City, and then begin learning how to live on the land.
Nuclear war, climate change, and numerous other environmental factors have turned most of the land around Night City into arid desert, but perhaps some areas were generously helped by enhanced fertilizers or were somehow able to escape devastation. Which land you choose and how much of it you actually have available for farming will determine exactly how you make money and whether you'll rely on farming, fishing, or taking on a much more risky means of making a living.
Instead of going caving in a dungeon, you can organize a raid on a nearby hideout or embark on a dangerous adventure into Night City to complete missions and gain valuable resources that can help your farm grow.
Maybe you need to recruit ripperdocs, netrunners and other valuable members to your village and develop key relationships with them. I love how games like Stardew and Coral Island have a ton of systems that complement each other, and I hope that's the case here as well.
stranger in a strange land
But you're also a nomad, so rather than choosing a single land and sticking to it for the entire game, you'll probably be able to jump between those lands each season, giving you access to new gameplay mechanics and strategies that didn't exist before. This not only shakes up the diversity of the environment, but also reveals new mechanisms with each cycle. The nomad's choice is to keep moving and never settle. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to create a simple place of belonging wherever you go.
Despite how bleak and tragic the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is, the most beautiful parts of both the game and Edgerunners are when the characters learn that love, hope, and living a life that isn't trampled under the heavy boots of capitalism are worth fighting for. As a nomad, you are committed to this lifestyle and are not governed by corporations. Although this may make everyday survival activities more difficult than they need to be.
A farming life sim where you become the leader of another tribe just trying to get by has not only engaging gameplay, but also rich potential for story and characters that rival epic RPGs. I'm busy thinking about the different farming methods, dungeon designs, and unique personalities that I can encounter through this imaginary experience, and each and every one of them excites me. Damn, if you want to make something like this, contact me.
cyberpunk 2077
- released
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December 10, 2020
- ESRB
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M (Mature): Blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, excessive sexual content, drug and alcohol use.
