“Hey V, got a minute?”
On a stretch of futuristic tarmac, something clicked.
Yellow quest markers hadn’t built my relationships inCyberpunk 2077.
When a job needed doing, then they’d steer me in the right direction.
But for those initial sparks of story, my cellphone had been key.
Chats and texts buzzed into my brain at all hours.
“Hey V”, “V, got a minute?
“, “V!”
Characters would get in contact with me, not the other way around.
And I liked that.
More than, perhaps, any other big RPG I’ve played over the last couple of years.
Phone calls aren’t exactly new in games.
“HEEYYY NIKKOOOO!”
still echoes in my ear canal on quiet nights.
But NPCs and virtual friends have been around for a long while, slinging texts and calls your way.
And yes, they can be irritating.
It doesn’t take long to find op-eds on how Cyberpunk’s endless calls can wear you down.
Sometimes your phone bleeps in the middle of critical conversations, blocking text and drowning out important chatter.
Most of the time it’s some gang leader offering you a great deal on a secondhand motor.
We Buy Any Car clearly isn’t punk enough in 2077.
I’ll forgive this, though, as my phone messages keep Night City turning.
That sense your mates live their lives alongside yours.
I particularly love it when an unknown caller springs up, having got your number from someone else.
You get this feeling that your name’s being yelled over pounding electro or whispered in neon-lit back alleys.
These calls paint pictures of your reputation filtering through the cracks of a city that never sleeps.
My favourite moments come from small texts.
An image of a close friend who’s relocated far away from Night City.
They are doing well and wish you were there to see it.
Another thanks you for all the help.
His brother is on the road to recovery and he couldn’t be more grateful.
Attached is an image of them as a family reunited.
You don’t seek these moments out, either.
Many of the game’s most meaningful quests start on the road as you travel to and fro.
Sometimes, you chat to a person’s small hologram as much as you meet them face to face.
When time passes they don’t stand in pre-determined spots, waiting for you to find them.
They have places to be and brain dances to waltz around in.
That’s not to say I don’t like the traditional yellow marker method.
I know, Iknow, video games aren’t real, mate.
