From surprising references and celebrity cameos to the creation of cars and characters, here's the untold truth of Cyberpunk 2077.
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00:00Despite its troubled launch, Cyberpunk 2077 is a meticulously crafted dystopian RPG,
00:06one that's chock-full of surprising references, celebrity cameos, and so much more. It also boasts
00:12some interesting behind-the-scenes trivia. This is the untold truth of Cyberpunk 2077.
00:18Any game as complex and massive as Cyberpunk 2077 is bound to be rife with issues on its way to
00:24After announcing it would be released in April 2020, CD Projekt Red realized they'd need more
00:30time, delaying the release until September, then November, before finally launching to an
00:35impatient public on December 10, 2020. Despite these delays, the game was still launched with
00:40a host of issues. Base models of the PS4 and Xbox One have been played with choppy frame
00:45rates, weird physics, texture pop-in, and screen tearing. These issues prove so widespread,
00:50in fact, that Sony, in cooperation with CD Projekt Red, decided to remove the game from
00:55the PlayStation Store on January 17, offering full refunds to players who have purchased a
01:01digital copy of the game. CDPR plans to retroactively fix the game's issues through a
01:06series of patches, but is willing to give refunds to dissatisfied customers. Sadly,
01:11not all of Cyberpunk's release issues can be solved with refunds. Some players have reported
01:16experiencing seizures from gameplay specifically due to flashing lights experienced during
01:21braindances, a futuristic form of virtual reality allowing users to experience other
01:26people's digitized memories. Normally, manufacturers place warnings in-game,
01:30so photo-sensitive players know to avoid potentially triggering scenes,
01:34but Projekt Red failed to properly warn gamers in this regard. Some players suffered as a result,
01:40including Game Informer Associate Editor Liana Ruppert, who was one of the first people to bring
01:44public attention to the issue.
01:46"...if you're watching this and you're an epileptic, be very, very, very careful and
01:50be very aware going in, because this is a very dangerous game for epileptics."
01:55Thankfully, CDPR added a seizure warning at the start of the game on December 9,
01:59promising a more permanent solution in the near future. Still, the fact that this whole
02:03situation unfolded didn't bode well for Cyberpunk's early impressions. We're
02:07approximately 100% sure that was not what Keanu meant when he said,
02:11"...seize the day, then set it on fire."
02:16One of the many colorful characters encountered while playing Cyberpunk 2077 is rock star
02:21terrorist Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves, who goes full Keanu for the role,
02:25and is absolutely delightful. His excitement over the collaboration is nearly palpable,
02:30from his enthusiastic acting delivery to comments made in interviews and reactions
02:34behind the scenes. Senior level designer Miles Toast fondly recalled a moment during the pitch
02:39process when Reeves got really into the role, and began fervently working through potential
02:43character traits right then and there.
02:45"...so you get to see Johnny as the rock star, you know, you hear about his military past,
02:51you know, and he's fighting for his survival."
02:54The actor was a relatively late addition to the cast, which is interesting considering it's hard
02:58to imagine the plot without Reeves once you've become immersed in the game. It wasn't until
03:02Microsoft's E3 2019 that his participation in the project was revealed, when he announced
03:08Cyberpunk 2077's then-targeted release date of April 2020. When asked why CD Projekt Red
03:14targeted Reeves over other action stars, Toast described him as the ideal fit for the role,
03:18thanks in large part to his Cyberpunk-esque story-studded resume,
03:22most notably films like The Matrix and Johnny Mnemonic.
03:25Although it hasn't been mentioned as one of the Cyberpunk 2077 team's motivations for
03:30collaborating with Keanu Reeves, the actor has experience in being part of sci-fi and
03:35cyberpunk-themed video games as well as films. His career in gaming started way back in 1991,
03:41when Nintendo launched an NES game based on Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Dubbed Bill & Ted's
03:46Excellent Video Game Adventure, this RPG action-adventure picks up where the film left
03:51off. Players are able to switch between the two titular dudes while rescuing various historical
03:55figures stranded in incorrect time periods. Since that time, Reeves' video game resume has expanded
04:01alongside his acting experience. His likeness has appeared in several video games,
04:05including Bram Stoker's Dracula and John Wick in Fortnite, and he voiced Neo in Enter the Matrix.
04:11Although Reeves has experience with motion capture from working on the sets of films like The Matrix,
04:15his role as Johnny Silverhand marks the first time he has performed mocap for a video game,
04:20making his collaboration with Cyberpunk 2077 that much more special. Or should we say…
04:26"...breath-taking."
04:27Come on, you knew it was gonna pop up somewhere, right?
04:30As it turns out, CD Projekt Red had even more reasons to collaborate with Keanu.
04:34The actor is also co-founder of Arch Motorcycles, a Los Angeles-based shop specializing in
04:39drool-worthy high-end custom American motorcycles. Per Reeves, some of the employees at Project Red
04:44were fans of his acting as well as his motorcycles, and once you've seen the glorious choppers over at
04:49Arch, you can't blame them. Considering personal rides play as big a role in Cyberpunk 2077 as
04:55they do in titles like GTA, it's easy to see how CDPR viewed this collaboration as a match made
05:01in heaven. Players can even ride an in-game motorcycle inspired by the Arch Method 143,
05:06a 170-horsepower beast fueled by a massive 2,343cc V-twin engine.
05:13CD Projekt Red's sound design team went as far as traveling to Los Angeles to capture
05:17raw sounds of the 143's engine, drivetrain, and other auditory characteristics.
05:23Today we're capturing sounds, getting some actual sounds of a power plant and drivetrain
05:28and characteristics of the motorcycle, which I'm sure they will, you know, have play with and stuff."
05:33The in-game version has been modified for the futuristic streets of Night City,
05:37but its pure sourcing lends visceral reality to the virtual riding experience.
05:42CD Projekt Red's obsession with organic sounds didn't stop with the Method 143.
05:47Their sound design team recorded more than 40 vehicles for the game,
05:50a novel feat considering Cyberpunk 2077 isn't a racing game. However, driving is
05:56a visceral experience, especially when cruising through a bustling megalopolis like Night City,
06:01and the gearheads at CDPR wanted time spent driving in-game to feel as real as possible.
06:06They even used rally mechanics to place multiple microphones in the engine bay,
06:10exhaust, and interior of each model so as to fully capture the character of the engine,
06:15something car enthusiasts everywhere will appreciate.
06:18Johnny Silverhand's personal ride, a 1977 Porsche 911 930, got extra special treatment.
06:24CDPR recorded as many sounds as possible of a real model placed on a dynamometer,
06:30including the sound of the doors closing. By taking the time to use organic sounds
06:34while complementing them with futuristic sound effects,
06:36Projekt Red has layered another level of realism into Cyberpunk 2077.
06:41Crossovers are arguably one of the greatest things about gaming. Unlike other forms of
06:45entertainment, players get to see characters from various brands interacting in ways Marvel
06:50and DC movie fans can only dream about. Except for incredibly rare exceptions,
06:55like who framed Roger Rabbit, audiences are limited to living out their crossover
06:58fantasies through video games like Fortnite and Mortal Kombat.
07:02This cape's in your future. That's not a uniform I'll ever wear.
07:07One such crossover event was announced by Xbox shortly after Cyberpunk 2077's release
07:13with their latest Forza Horizon 4 update. Via a free DLC made public on December 11th,
07:18players have the chance to unlock the legendary 2056 Quadra Turbo VTEC,
07:23aka the iconic gray-and-yellow sports car first glimpsed in Cyberpunk's 2018 E3 trailer.
07:29Whoever proves lucky enough to get their hands on the update will get to experience CD Projekt Red's
07:34obsessively sourced organic sounds uninhibited on a Forza track, rather than being distracted
07:39by the hustle and bustle of Night City. A game is only as good as the character's facial
07:43animation. If it's poorly done, it can be a distraction at best, and pushing extreme
07:48edges of the uncanny valley at worst. Remember the horror show that was Mass Effect Andromeda?
07:53Cyberpunk 2077 contains massive amounts of dialogue. More than 1,000 non-playable
07:58characters roam the streets of Night City, waiting to be engaged in some manner.
08:02You ever feel like the city doesn't give you a choice? You either burn alive in it,
08:07or you never existed at all.
08:08That's a whole lot of facial animation that could go wrong, and yet CDPR managed to pull
08:13off realistic-looking expressions and emotions in Cyberpunk's numerous cast of characters.
08:18It's impossible to perform facial motion capture for that many individual people.
08:22The logistics alone, especially during a pandemic, would have been insurmountable.
08:26On top of that, each character has to be animated for every single language
08:30the game has been localized for, which is pretty mind-blowing considering Cyberpunk's
08:34language support spans the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Oceania, and South Korea.
08:41Rather than being limited by the traditional route, a revolutionary facial performance
08:46software called JALI provided a solution by employing machine-learning-based software
08:50for automated facial animation. Facial performance automatically generates for
08:54a character based on the audio, dialogue, and speech of the voice actor.
08:58Even better, the technology allows animators to retain full control over the automated result,
09:04so they can edit it as they wish.
09:06In order to support languages in multiple countries for Cyberpunk 2077,
09:10CD Projekt Red employed hundreds of voice actors to accomplish the massive undertaking.
09:15Considering CDPR is a Polish company, it only makes sense they would ensure their
09:19latest game has a Polish voice cast representing their home language.
09:23Luckily for them, the Polish voice actors for the masculine version of V
09:27and a pertinent NPC, Judy Alvarez, came together quite naturally.
09:31After playing a character in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Blood & Wine,
09:35CDPR recast Polish actor Kamil Kula as male V for Polish language support.
09:40Once he landed the gig, Kula's enthusiasm for Cyberpunk 2077 spread to his wife,
09:45fellow Polish actress Marta Dziumder-Trybietowska, who also became interested in the project.
09:51Through her husband, Marta was able to set up an audition for the role of Judy Alvarez,
09:55allowing the couple to share the experience of working behind the
09:58scenes on such a revolutionary video game.
10:00They say work and relationships don't mix, but this power couple proves the opposite
10:04can be true with the right people and form of work.
10:08In addition to Keanu Reeves' leading NPC role, Cyberpunk 2077 features several celebrity cameos.
10:14Grimes makes an appearance as cyborg pop star Lizzy Wizzy,
10:17while Hideo Kojima appears as a movie-loving NPC named Oshima.
10:22In addition to mainstream celebrities, YouTube and Twitch stars also make appearances in
10:26Cyberpunk. It's a dream come true for any gamer to see themselves depicted in a promising IP,
10:31especially one whose livelihood revolves around the gaming industry.
10:35Popular Twitch gamer CoCarnage depicts alleyway soothsayer Gary the Prophet,
10:40and fellow streamer Jesse Cox plays a character with the same moniker in a humorous side mission
10:45called Burning Desire. Even journalists got in on the cameo action.
10:49Alana Pierce, a.k.a. Chara Lanizard, a noted YouTuber, streamer,
10:53and video game writer, plays an NPC in part of the Nomad questline.
10:56Hey, what the — hands off my car!
11:01What? No, it's my car.
11:04No, why would you leave it rusting in a yard?
11:07Even her hair seems to have a cameo all its own as hairstyle number 31,
11:11in the main character customization menu.
11:13That could literally actually be my hair in the character creator. It totally is! Oh my god!
11:23All other details on Pierce's character have been kept quiet, so as to minimize spoilers,
11:28you'll just have to play Cyberpunk 2077 for yourself to unravel all its mysteries.