Cyberpunk videogame fans, have you been you looking at the upcoming release schedules and noticing a distinct lack of mirrorshades, corporate espionage and street hackers? Have you already eliminated all the enhanced corporate competition in SYNDICATE and installed all the augmentations, hacked every terminal, (and clambered through every vent) in DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION?

Well help is on the way in the shape of the announcement trailer for CYBERPUNK 2077 (which you see below), a new open world non-linear RPG videogame set in the universe of the pen and paper RPG CYBERPUNK 2020. The game is being developed by CD Projekt Red, the Polish game developer/publisher behind the popular THE WITCHER series of games.

While the trailer does not show any in-game footage (CD Projekt RED are still hiring the team that will develop the game) it does set the tone for their cyberpunk dystopia, with cybernetically enhanced beauties carving their way through civilians, dark BLADE RUNNER-esque cityscapes and cops geared to the nines with heavy high tech tactical weaponry. As the text accompanying the video explains:

“The teaser shows how the Psycho Squad might acquire a new member. The Psycho Squad specializes in combating “psychos” — individuals who overuse implants and substances that boost or otherwise alter the human body. There comes a point when they overdose on these innovations, and their bodies start to rebel against their biological body parts as well as all things organic around them. Simply put, they start killing people, who they now derisively call “meatbags.” When a psycho goes on the rampage, strange things can happen. There’s carnage, and the psycho might be taken down by regular police, but they’re not always able to get the job done. When things spin out of control, they call in MAX-TAC (Maximum Force Tactical Division), popularly called the Psycho Squad.”

Non-gameplay mood trailers like these have received a bad reputation over the years, mostly for the lack of follow through on the ambitious visions promised when the actual game is delivered, 2011’s DEAD ISLAND being a prime example, as it burst into the public consciousness with its similarly stylish and moody trailer but then failed to deliver on its promise with average reviews. The makers  of CYBERPUNK 2077 have at least had some fun with this trailer, inserting references to the original games as well as a “databurst” of text from the developer at the end of the trailer, apparently because “it’s a great way for us to speak right to you instead of burying ourselves in corporate mumbo Jumbo” (full text below).

Eagle eyed online fans have already spotted that an illustration of a woman in the background of one of the shots in the trailer seems to be of Alt Cunningham, a heroine from the original RPG and the image itself may be an updated version of one found in the RPG sourcebook.

While there is currently no formal release date for the game, as the team is only gearing up now it could reasonably be expected in 2014 or 2015, which is fitting, seeing as the original edition of the CYBERPUNK game was called CYBERPUNK 2013 (so where are my mirrorshades and neural jack?)

Here’s the full text of the message from the developer displayed briefly at the end of the trailer:

“Do you like our latest creation? We certainly hope so. You may remember that we sometimes send you guys secret messages like this, it’s a great way for us to speak right to you instead of burying ourselves in corporate mumbo Jumbo, so let’s begin.

First of all have you noticed all the details in our teaser (yes it’s a teaser, we’ll make a proper trailer in the future) If you know the cyberpunk setting there are some things you can spot, like implants – – look for the weapon hands and the real skin – – corporate emblems that should look familiar and more, happy hunting!

You’re probably curious about the release date, it’s currently scheduled a way off in fact but in truth the delivery date is more like “when it’s done” We will release cyberpunk to you when we’re convinced it is nothing but pure, refined unadulterated awesome we want it to be the most kick ass futuristic RPG ever – – OK maybe this sounds pretty bully but it is our actual goal! You judge if we deliver it.

Oh and you may wonder why we announced our game so early before the release the reason is that we’re still building our dev team so if you are a talented dude or dudette willing to work in a really different company (qamers rule and boring corporate stuff drool) in a super ambitious project send us your application right now! [email protected]

So you want to know what kind of game cyberpunk 2077 will be? The short description is that it will be a story-heavy non-linear open world RPG based on the well known cyberpunk pen and & paper system and setting. Building open world  games is something we are mastering right now and we believe that properly joining non linear gameplay with an excellent story telling will bring a new quality MMM We’ll tell some more about it soon.

And that’s not all that’s new We are about the reveal our other project which is much closer to being completed and yes it will be a fully open world game with an intense story. You can probably guess the game we’re talking about. On the 5th of February it will all become clear.

So stay tuned as we will have quite a lot to show and tell you soon.

We are waiting for you on our newly created forum called afterlife – what other name could we have chosen for it CD Projekt Red team”

For more on CYBERPUNK 2077 go to www.cyberpunk.net

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