Ripper said:
I would say that the original works that defined what became known as cyberpunk did not necessarily have the dark, neon imagery - that really came later as it was kind of merged with film-noir.
I think that's true to a point. A lot of the earliest works came from books, and a lot of that imagery had to be, well, imagined, unless it was just flat out described. I usually pictured dark settings with less neon lighting until Blade Runner came along.
Originally, it was really just science fiction that moved away from the fantastic visions of the future, or Martian invasions, and brought it back the gritty realities of what fallible human societies would probably be like with such technological advancements. Also, a focus on the ordinary "punks" in the street, rather than great heroes.
Indeed.
Cyberpunk moved away from the utopian settings that we came to expect from sci fi. And you're 100% correct. It featured punks, life in the slums, that sort of thing. The trailer capitalized on that, and I think that was the intended purpose. Technology had no doubt improved, but I don't think it was the primary focus. It probably just goes without saying.
I think a lot of the complaints I see have to do with atmosphere, mostly (again, night life, city lights, etc). And I can understand that, it's a
very appealing theme. I adore Blade Runner for that reason. The idea of the collapse of society never disappeared, but the aesthetic did (again, based on the trailer), and I think that's what people are missing.
Additionally, the trailer wasn't focused on someone in a unique position or someone in a place of power where it typically does, like Deckard. Instead, it generalized the
life of a cyberpunk world by shifting the camera toward random groups of punks and thugs. I think the players wanted to see a hero or hacker or something, and they didn't get that.
I like that CDPR is going against the grain of the established norm. However, Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't entirely grab me yet. Although admittedly, it never did. Maybe that will change, maybe it won't. I'll continue to follow it in the meantime.