Turns out my V is a casual.
Cyberpunk 2077 becoming a big TikTok trend wasn’t on my bingo card for 2022, but the power of Edgerunners is seemingly unstoppable. I’ve seen extensive guide videos showing me where to find hidden weapons and surprise Easter eggs, emotional memes that respond to the series’ most heartbreaking moments, and arguably the most impressive-sick gameplay showcases I could only think of. dreams to replicate. TikTok V is a force to be reckoned with.
I’ve previously written about how Cyberpunk 2077 still feels unfinished in its gameplay systems, with its lukewarm stealth mechanics sounding particularly hollow compared to the game promised to us so many years ago. It often doesn’t feel like a robust RPG, but fans have brought it to life in spectacular ways, regardless of its flaws. The characters of Edgerunners have also provided us with playstyles to replicate. Whether it’s David’s Sandevstan cyberware or Lucy’s monowire melee weapon, the game gives us the flexibility to bring these personalities to life in a way that goes way beyond the Netflix show.
CD Projekt Red made sure that Cyberpunk 2077 and Edgerunners would feel like a single universe for the show’s debut with a targeted update that added a number of new weapons, missions, characters and items to the game that don’t just reference the tragic story that we have fallen in love with, but make it that much stronger by justifying its presence in an RPG that we have now spent almost two years with. It could have added a single weapon or paid for downloadable content and called it a day, but it understood the importance of this synergy and how it would bring the property back into the zeitgeist like never before.
TikTok is normally a place of zoom dancing, cringing memes and fading trends – but a few weeks ago it was suddenly dominated by Edgerunners content. It started as reactions to the best moments, but as more and more people started picking up the game that inspired the game, the content started to change. I started seeing elaborate guide videos normally written by websites like TheGamer, or modding compilations where talented creators had recreated characters or spent centuries searching for exact locations and angles of their favorite scenes.
It was a love of Cyberpunk 2077 I’d never seen before, and as character builds began to replicate those of David, Martinez, and Rebecca, this enthusiasm slowly turned into montages of unparalleled skill. I’m Okay at video games, especially for a gamejourno, but TikTok now makes me feel like I’ve totally lost track of a millennial. In one clip, a player took advantage of David’s cyberware to slow down time and jump through an intricate complex, using his knowledge of enemy locations to quietly and systematically kill each of them efficiently. He would pull out Lucy’s monofilament to dismember limbs before the grasshopper blades allowed him to leap into the air and pierce another unsuspecting victim. Finally, he would turn a corner and blow several gang members away with a single shot from Rebecca’s shotgun.
Like most games out there, moments like this require a tremendous amount of practice and skill, but the condensed nature of TikTok makes it seem like everything was performed as part of a reactive dance, with V waltzing around their opponents without any effort. worry as they tore them to pieces. It’s a marvel to watch it unfold, proving that while much of its finer mechanics remain unpolished, Cyberpunk 2077 can leave us feeling unstoppable should we decide to put the work into it. I didn’t, or I’m just not as experimental as players I keep seeing on social media. This has inspired me to go back to my current playthrough and see what else I’m missing.
I don’t have the praying mantis blades yet, but the monowire has already become a mainstay when it comes to clearing rooms of weaker enemies. It’s heart-poundingly spectacular, but since I don’t mix it with other skills, the spectacle is disappointing. I can do so much more and Edgerunners has given me the confidence to take on Night City like never before.
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