Dreaming of Something More

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that's gone through some tough times. From being released earlier than it should've been to the mass amount of bugs and then updates, it's gone through it's fair share of criticisms. Now, most gamers willing to give the game one last try will say it's actually pretty good. Me included. Recently, Netflix released it's own adaption of the game called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Currently sitting at a solid 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show, unlike the game, was instantly loved. Let's talk about why.

The show, like the game, is set in Night City. Fans of the game can find familiar scenery and faces from the game. Edgerunners does a great job of connecting both players and new faces to the city by not relying too heavily on already-known lore. You don't need to have played the game to know what's happening though there are a few easter eggs for those who are fans of 2077.

Now let's talk about what makes the show great. First is the plot itself. Being incredibly character driven, the story follows David who, spoilers, recently lost his mom in a tragic accident when the two of them were caught in a gang fight and she was left on the street by paramedics because she wasn't insured. David takes the stolen cybernetics she'd been stealing and selling for extra cash and makes a life for himself. Weirdly enough, the best part about the plot is that it feels incredibly real. David is just trying to get by in a harsh city by himself and taking whatever opportunities he can to better his life. This is something a lot of people have been through and can relate to. Not that everyone has to use stolen cybernetics to make it happen.

David goes through everyday trying harder and harder to make ends meet and ends up losing people close to him. This is Night City, after all. HIs power, while it drains him and pushes him closer and closer to the edge of cyberpsychosis, a disease that spawns from overusing cyberware, is also the thing that pushes him forward. All he wants is to do what his mom and his friends couldn't: make a life and a name for himself. He pushes himself to the point of exhaustion to try and achieve not only his goal, but the goal of his love interest Lucy, who'd always wanted to visit the moon. The idea of working yourself to the bone is so painfully relatable that watching him try harder and harder while wearing himself thinner and thinner is painful. The show makes you love and root for the characters as if they were ourselves.

The most well done part of the show is, of course, as with any character driven show, the characters. While David is our struggling, relatable protagonist, each and every one of the characters is just trying to carve out a life for themselves in the unforgiving city.

Image Credit: Studio Trigger/Netflix

Lucy, David's love interest, is one of the most painful characters to watch. She's someone who's struggled more than anyone and can only dream of walking on the moon - something considered too far to reach by today's standards. The idea of dreaming for something jus out of reach isn't just relatable, it's all too really for too many people. Before that, she always seems terrified to move forward and try, stuck watching from below. The fact that she makes it the moon bust has to do it alone is even more heartbreaking.

My personal favorite character is Rebecca and, if you've seen the show, you can probably guess why. She's the embodiment of chaos and fun, though she struggles to get by just like anyone else in Night City. She works with David and the crew, doing mercenary work through Night City. She's loud and vulgar, but also kind in her own way. While Lucy is David's primary love interest, Rebecca cares about him almost if not just as much. She's always there for him, always supporting him and pushing him forward and, in his final moments, just wants to see him happy. The fact that she's just there for him until the end, even when she watches him destroy himself, makes her the most loveable character. At least, for me. She, more than anyone, deserved the world.

Image Credit: Studio Trigger/Netflix

We couldn't get through this list of wonderful characters without mentioning David's mom, Gloria Martinez, sacrificed everything to give her son a better life. From working late hours to stealing cybernetics to make ends meat, she did whatever she could to send him to the best school and give him the best chance at life.

Finally, we have to talk about David himself, and his unfortunate end. Like I said before, David spent the show working himself to the bone to make a name for himself and pull himself out of the poverty him and his mother struggled in for so long. In the end, he gave himself over to cyberpsychosis in order to save his friends and Lucy and give her a better chance at life and freedom. Watching him slowly sink into insanity for that moment of a chance is everything in the show and shows him as a parallel to his mother who was willing to risk everything for her son. It goes to show that a kind face in Night City is something rare and valuable.

All-in-all Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a phenomenal show with a mix of amazing storytelling and relatable characters. The show makes you feel for the characters as you watch them struggle for a better life, even knowing that there are no happy endings in Night City. If you haven't seen it yet, the show is a solid 10/10 and I would recommend starting as soon as you subscribe to this blog.