Famed game developer Hideo Kojima applauded Netflix's recent Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime series.Writing on Twitter, Kojima called the show "awesome" and praised the Japanese animation studio that developed it in partnership with Polish Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red. Kojima said he had feared traditional Japanese anime producers had been "consumed by the overseas market" but felt Cyberpunk: Edgerunners proved this wasn't the case. He added that the series' visuals and tone reminded him of the 1990 anime Cyber City OEDO 808, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, which follows three criminals enlisted to fight injustice to reduce their sentences in a dystopian future Tokyo.
Edgerunners Connection to Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners debuted on Netflix earlier this month to positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Set in Cyberpunk 2077's corrupt and cybernetic-obsessed Night City, the series follows a bullied teenager called David who abandons his picture-perfect life following a personal tragedy to become an edgerunner -- a high-tech, black-market mercenary also known as a cyberpunk. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners received high praise for its world-building, visual art and numerous connections to CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077.
The anime series' glowing response significantly contributed to a rise in the popularity of Cyberpunk 2077, a game that attracted much attention when it launched in 2020 for its numerous bugs and technical issues. Before its release, the game secured over 8 million preorders and was the year's most anticipated title. However, many fans were disappointed with the game's performance upon release, particularly on the aging Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
Sony deemed the problems with the game so severe that it removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store for over six months while developer CD Projekt Red worked on various patches. The company eventually reinstated the game in July 2021, though warned players not to purchase it if intending to play it on a base PS4 due to poor performance. CD Projekt Red also attracted criticism for Cyberpunk 2077's treatment of women and transgender people, which some fans blasted as dehumanizing.
Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, regularly shares his media recommendations on Twitter and is known for his love of art, music and film. Kojima recently teased a new project at Tokyo Game Show 2022, where his studio Kojima Productions debuted a mysterious poster asking, "Who Am I?" Internet sleuths seemingly cracked the enigma, with many asserting the female silhouette is actor Elle Fanning, a long-time favorite of Kojima's. Experts and fans speculate Kojima might disclose more information about the secretive project at 2022's Game Awards in December.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is available to stream on Netflix now.
Source: Twitter