I don't know if you've played this or not, but if you want more Cyberpunk-ish games, the Shadowrun trilogy (Shadowrun Returns, Dragonfall, and Hong Kong) by Harebrained Schemes are pretty good. They're three disconnected stories so you can play them in whatever order you want. My only advice is don't get Shadowrun Returns by itself, since the story is way too short for its price, which is either the same or very close to the other two
@@Hell_O7 Gamedec, Dex, Observer, Remember Me, all good ones which take radically different gameplay, stylistic, and thematic approaches to addressing a lot of the same core concepts of cyberpunk stories such as the nature and continuity of the self, transhumanism, the ethics of certain kinds of experimentation in human augmentation or digital copying, through a range of first person, third person, side scrolling, and isometric gameplay experiences spanning brawlers, narrative focused RPGs, horror... All well worth basking in to get a balanced cyberpunk diet.
For me what made Cyberpunk 2077 a true cyberpunk gem is the fact that CDRP understood that the cyberpunk atmosphere needs space to breathe. It tells more by inaction than with action. Think Blade Runner and tell me which scenes comes to your mind first Deckard shooting the snake lady through the glass or Deckard doing absolutely nothing drinking whiskey on his balcony. Cyberpunk 2077 absolutely nailed those quiet moments, and even let the player decide how much atmosphere they want to absorb manually prompting them to stand or leave. Weather it's a quiet chat with Takemura on a rooftop, Johnny explaining why corps are evil with the garbage barges in the distance set against Night City's skyline, Cyberpunk reveled in those moments.
I completely understand your obsession with cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is my Roman empire. I consume every bit of cyberpunk I can. I have a cyberpunk inspired tattoo. I think of a future with cybernetic enhancements, not just replacements. But most importantly, I think of the allure of a world where I know nothing ends in happiness yet is so enticing that I want to be a part of it. Cyberpunk is inexplicably important to me, and I'm not sure I'll ever fully understand why, but I love seeing others make content that almost perfectly summarizes my feelings about it
I feel the reason we all love cyberpunk is because of a few reasons. One, the age of exploration is over, any new discovery is far out of the average persons reach, the quality of life is good, but we constantly are living in this weird limbo between a utopian dream, and the constant strive and pain of the climb within modern society.
I cannot leave Night City. I keep trying, the border is right there, Helldivers just got a new update... but I can't leave. I keep coming back. I've spent over a thousand hours across several max-level characters; I can tell you the name of every quest, point you to the songs they reference, and sing Never Fade Away without looking up the lyrics... It's such an obsession.
Have you seen Indigo Gaming's Cyberpunk documentary series? 3 parts so far, 4th on the way (Part 1 was... holy shit, 4 years ago?). I've watched them many times... and then just let them play in the background to soak in the vibes even more times. I am due for another 2077 replay soon too, but most of my cyberpunk expression has been expressed in other ways. I am so glad the game is actually good now though. Maybe not EVERYTHING it was "supposed" to be, but at least good enough that it doesn't get in the way of the truly _breathtaking_ setting.
@@JLM-y5gI’d love to as well but I have the inverse problem. I don’t get sick from vr but I don’t exactly have the setup for something as demanding as 2077 vr
I love the way you talk about things, and how you think about and engage with media. I don't often see eye to eye with you, but I love hearing your thoughts. This video was a rare exception where I agreed with every single thing you said.
I was wondering why your style felt familiar every, and then you mentioned Breadsword and it all just clicked and now I can't unsee it. Man, you have great taste in video essayists. Gurren Lagaan and Getting It has made me cry every single time I've watched it. Thanks for another wonderful video; I do think you bring your own unique style to this craft, and it makes your videos really enjoyable and engaging beyond any similarities they may share to anyone else's.
*Glances at the bookcase behind the computer desk and the rows of books accumulated over three decades of obsession with the genre, by William Gibson, Philip K Dick, Marianne De Pierres, etc.*
And then I look at my Steam library docked on the left of the screen, and how 30% of the games are under the "Cyberpunk" category. Dex, Gamedec, Observer, Remember Me, etc....
Glad to meet a fellow choomba. Started with VA-11 Hall-a, went to TRPG Cyberpunk 2020, The red strings club, Bladerunner, Katana Zero, Sanabi, Cloudpunk and is still an active translator for Trpg rulebook. There's something magnetic about this genre's antiheroes and bleak daily lives that both attracts me and strikes dread in my heart.
To speak on cyberpunk aesthetic vs. story for a sec Idk about examples of cyberpunk style without the story, but I can think of the ur-example for cyberpunk stories without the cyberpunk aesthetic: it's just noir. Noir hits a lot of the same story themes as cyberpunk, except basically just without the technology. There's a reason there's a Raymond Chandler mission in Cyberpunk 2077, cause noir is one of the foundational genres that cyberpunk sprang from.
Citizen Sleeper skirts the line of being almost cyberpunk but you should play nonetheless because the stories it tells are some of the greatest sci-fi narratives of our time
I think when cyberpunk is done well it has great potential to be hauntingly beautiful in its tragedy. Lucy on the moon still lives rent free in my head. My reasoning for it being hauntingly beautiful is that in a world that cares so little for the people in it. It makes what connections the characters find that much more impactful. As it is in itself an act of rebellion against that societal apathy. That sees the loss of your loved on as just another statistic. One thing I love about night city is the way in which it is a character unto itself. Wish more games, novels, etc did as good a job at that. Thanks for the video, keep up the great work.
The way you talk about Sanabi makes me NEED to ask if you've played Stray. While you are a parkour cat on a journey.... it's VERY cyberpunk in terms of the city even more than I expected, and as you talked about, ascending levels. The journey it takes you through the districts and what they show is SO good. Please play it if you haven't. Also, ANNO: Mutationem is a game I think about A LOT. I genuinely loved that game even though I'm not good at platformers and it's not quite cyberpunk enough. What I mostly recall about it is the SCP stuff which I really liked - similar to why I enjoyed Prey (which is arguably less confusing to understand).
One hour is not too long at all! Your videos are really a no brainer as a choice for listening. If I click I know I’m going to have a good time. If I get one hour it’s like christmas! You are up there with the bests as far as I’m concerned. Either because you are very good at what you do or just because I connect with your content. My guess is a bit of both ^.^ And I’m going to make sure to check out Breadsword as well!
hour long Cyberpunk Thane Bishop video LETSSS GOOOOOOO No but, I've listened to a lot of creators talk about this game, and there's a lotta talent out there, don't get me wrong, but a Thane Bishop cyberpunk video just hits different. As someone with a growing obsession with Cyberpunk myself, this is a real treat.
I don’t know how you can do this man. You are one of the only people I can watch all the way through and never loss attention. Your my cyberpunk at this point.
I was a lobrary kid too. We didnt go very often, but every time we did, i got loads of books to read. The way you described that gave me such a sense of nostalgia. Thank you.
Fantastic work. I feel you wholeheartedly. Cyberpunk is something special AND specific. You cant have the aesthetic without the story because they go hand in hand for this particular genre. Great video my friend.
I recommend exploring its literary origins next. The Neuromancer series (or just Burning Chrome its a short story) is a classic for a reason and once you read it you'll see Gibson's influence everywhere. I also highly recommend digging into the original RPG books if you havent already, they all just drip with character.
Just want to say your vids continue to be great! I played Va-11 Hall-A and Sanabi, and love them both, but Sanabi really damn got me! I had very little idea what I was getting into, and thought I'd just be buying a precision platformer for me and a bud, we'd come back the next day and talk about it and see who liked it more and did better. Within a few hours we had called eachother and were manly crying over the damn harmonica like a couple of kids. I absolutely adored the game (though I agree, pulling a round 2 on you was cutting it close with patience).
I love that TH-cam pushes this video just as I started my first replay of Cyberpunk 2077 in a year. I finished it just before the 2.0 update, and never got around to trying the new system. I started it again a few days ago and haven't been able to put it down
Experiencing VA-11 HALL-A was such a nice introduction to cyberpunk and made me fell in love with that theme such that I have this constant craving to get more of it and Cyberpunk 2077 type of plot. Sad to hear that ANNO is actually not that... The visuals +Jill in there almost fooled me. I am looking forward to more Cyberpunk content by you.
I did, indeed, get to the end of the video Cyberpunk is a very eye-catching genre, with defined and recognizable characteristics but gives enough freedom to produce incredible stories and characters, giving opportunity to mix with other genres, as you said throughout the video, opportunity to make the world shine through the characters and vice-versa. Sanabi got me shaking, ofc i didn't play it but what you showed was enough to notice how well written it is, and it's probably my favorite entry of the video (close to Valhalla), i'm honestly a fan of well written plot twists and this game has a couple of those. But the last entry, holy shit when that santa claus spawned from the fireplace i died laughing... i guess Anno was a good try at using the cyberpunk aesthetic... but some genres are just not meant for each other imo, the cyberpunk aesthetic is flexible, yes, but if you bend too much it stops being cyberpunk. I know, long af comment, but this is my favorite genre of them all.
You're a real one. I think Sanabi ended up being my favorite, too, in no small part because I just wasn't prepared for how hard it was going to hit. As for Anno, yeah. I almost think that the Santa scene destroyed any shot of the story landing for me, because any further reveal landed in its shadow. For god's sake, the game ends with a sword fight with a dragon, but also.... Santa. The first exposure to the game's supernatural elements is Santa.
Another Thane masterpiece that makes me want to replay the game I have like four other games I’m playing right now but I know Cyberpunk will push itself in there
Im now ending second playthrough of CP2077 in a row, overall it will be sixth. What keeps me in this game? Mix of everything. Even when game was in not the best shape after premiere. Aestetics, music and multilevel story. And I love games when you repeating them you can find another puzzles, mysteries, nuances, answers. Like in Max Payne 3 when during second playthrough I noticed that 2 black characters leaves the party before attack of bandits at prologue. The best thing about the CP2077 is not that you are playing as V as him/herself, you are playing V as yourself. Dialogues when allow you to do other things without being hooked up in the scene (except important moments).
This is one of the best made cyberpunk genre dissection videos i've ever watched. Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, and you gave me a fresh perspective on what my own views towards the genre are and why i love it so much. thanks for the video, i'm looking forward to your next uploads :] ❤
Happy to hear it! Definitely worth playing through these games for yourself if they look interesting. Even in a video this big so much stuff didn't make it in, so there's still lots to see.
I absolutely love your long form content as I just love to hear someone opinions and how deep they go into a topic they love! PLEASE KEEP MAKING LONG VIDEOS
I was watching the footage for ANNO and thought "a lot of this stuff looks and sounds like SCP stuff" and then you said it was a fan game, and I was like "ah, makes sense." Being someone in the know of SCP stuff, ANNO actually seems kinda fun for me. I might check it out.
hearing breadsword was a huge inspirations makes so much sense. It's been a while since I've seen a video from them and I hope they're doing well. I too love cyberpunk as a genre but one of my biggest icks is when they nail the "Cyber" part but fall apart when it comes to the "Punk" bit. It can still look beautiful but if all it has to offer is the aesthetic without anything to say then I'll always see it as a missed opportunity. Idk but your section on ANNO made me think of that.
It’s really nice knowing there’s other people out there who also can’t get Cyberpunk the Genre out of their heads. The way you talk about these things makes me want to try my hand at my own cyberpunk book or game or something, just to see why I can’t escape the City either.
Katana zero might be worth checking out. It is quite amazing. It only takes mere hours to beat but infinitely more to forget as it resonates deep and does not let go.
dude i loved every second of this video and ooooh mygosh i love love the cyberpunk genre and you summarized many of my thoughts so well thank you for the massive effort put into this
Cyberpunk is a fantastic topic, in truth; and I think you have got the story elements that are important to the genre down pat. I look forward to more conversations about it.
man, getting a Breadsword mention, along with a Steak Bentley line and Hbomberguy line in one video. I am satisfied and fulfilled for the foreseeable month. Amazing
Glad to know you have watched broadsword too! I feel like you bring the same kind if love and passion in your vid's and broadsword does in his! Absolute goat
After watching this and hearing what worked for you, you really need to play Citizen Sleeper. It has really strong cyberpunk vibes and a really emotionally affecting narrative that was deeply moving for me.
Great taste you have! I have had my eyes on Anno Mutation for a long time and have yet to play it. I should get to it ASAP. Sanabi I had heard of and it looks incredible! Vallhala I have played all the way through to completion. Lovely game from start to finish!
If you haven’t had the pleasure, you should ABSOLUTELY play Citizen Sleeper. I’d love to hear your opinions on the world design and cast of characters the devs created. Something about that game will always stick with me.
If it helps at all, I only watch the cyberpunk videos that you make. That is not to say that the other videos are not good (I assume they’re just as good as these ones) but I don’t typically watch videos for games that I haven’t played UNLESS they are cyberpunk related. I love your thoughts on the games and how in depth you go so I will always go looking for your cyberpunk content. I would also suggest watching the Cyberpunk documentary by the TH-cam Channel Indigo Gaming if you haven’t seen it already. It may help with more cyberpunk themed videos in future.
"Two incompatible world designs and narrative styles" I'd say that successful fusion of cyberpunk and SCP was pulled off in 1993, predating SCP by 15 years, by the tabletop RPG SLA Industries, which has increasingly brought the disturbing reality-bending cosmic horror aspects of its original writers bible to the fore with each new publication, particularly those printed in 2007 and onwards.
@@ThaneBishop Surface level: "Oooh corporate dystopia where a single monopolistic company controls most of the known universe, with its capital a giant city that goes as many levels into the sky with its skyscrapers as it descends underground with its warrens, TV constantly focusing on the bloodsports of the gig economy celebrity killers who maintain this order, always walking a tightrope between their next score and certain death" And then you scratch that surface, and the world is... broken in a far more fundamental way. Blood cults summon abominations with dark rituals, things the corporation has tried for centuries to cover up come bubbling to the surface, rending reality. Urban legends spawned from the horrors of day to day existence in this world come to life, and below the sublevels of the city, the corporation discovers dozens upon dozens more levels to the city that *they never built* , an inhuman mind's idea of what the city above is, with all the flaws of something generated by stable diffusion or the like, and which *hungers* ...
You said breadsword is your insppo and i clicked the subscription button. Thats how good breadsword is. XD also love this genre too glad it still has the staying power that it had when i was a kid.
Well, I can't deny this has convinced me, a person who self-identifies as a hater of platformers, to give a platformer a try. Good job. Jokes aside, I've always been interested in the genre myself, but it was during my current playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 that I began to realize I wasn't connecting with it on the same level as other media I'd read. I will recommend things like Neuromancer, Snow Crash and Edgerunners to as many people as I can, but the literal game with Cyberpunk in its name failed to sell me on its setting. The baffling thing is that I can't say WHY that's the case. I found VA11 HALL-A's story far more compelling than Cyberpunk's, and it's a little scary to realize that I can't point out why. But I do have a theory. I think that it might be because as we've grown, Cyberpunk as a genre has become closer and closer to real life. We see megacorps devouring each other in an attempt form continent sized monopolies. Food prices go through the roof as workers are screwed over by their overlords, and shootings happen on a near daily basis. Governments struggle to find a functioning way to deal with these problems as they grow more uncontrollable. Depression and hopelessness rise among the younger generations as their ability to control the world rises constantly above their grasp. The planet itself burns with our apathy, and all most of us can do is try to live on, one step at a time. The only thing we're missing is the high tech augmentations. I think Cyberpunk has become far, far too real now. What was once an escapist warning is now just a step away from reality. The people who could have made a difference ignored it, and now we're very nearly past the point of no return. Once, cyberpunk elicited fascination. Now, it's just a reminder of what we are, and what we've lost.
Oh and you’re a breadsword fan as well! My favorite TH-camr also! Good shit, I can definitely see their voice in your stuff, but you still have your own distinct voice in spite of that!
I hate to be that guy, and there's probablly been 100 comments about scp already, but I digress. Anno should have advertised as SCP first and foremost. That being said, as someone who hasn't played the game but is (probablly too) deep into SCP, SCP is an incredibly fluid canon. It goes from the wild west to space exploration. The *average* canon of it would fit well into a cyberpunk theme as it is defined by several secret organizations controlling everything around us normal people. That being said, it looked to me like anno is deffinately described by the warcraft movie you talked about, more reference than game. On another note, va-11 hall-a is one of my all-time favorite games. I never personally got any of the bad endings, I always had enough money to purchase Jill's desire and pay the bills, so I almost feel like I missed out on the gameplay that missing those gave. I'm also lowkey upset you didn't mention the best character, Dorothy. A
Playing Anno Mutationem, I think I had a much better time with it because it was fairly early (Definitely many hours sooner than the point at which it broke our beloved video essayist) that my brain clicked into the mode of engaging with it that way I did something like Neon Genesis Evangelion. I guess because of the imagery and way it delivered its narrative beats. I think this probably happened sooner for me because I am USED TO games like Flashback, Dex, etc. and this is NOT that. As soon as I settled into treating it as "Evangelion: the Metroidvania", it really clicked with me.
seeing the footage played here in video, I instantly felt it was something akin to Evangelion, which does have an almost cyberpunk-esque feeling in certain aspects of NERV's base design, but mixes it with the pure eldritch horror vibes of each new angel encounter.
I recommed that you get your hands on a book called "The Big Book of Cyberpunk" by Jared Shurin. It is a THICK book filled with over 100 stories. It explains the genre but the stories go in chronological order as the genre progressed. It contains authors that are even considered to be the originators of the idea of Cyberpunk. If you like Cyberpunk like I do, then it is something to add in your collection.
High tech, low society seems like the best way to describe cyberpunk. Beyond the neon gloom, there lies the Groundbreaking technological advancements, but humanity is ridden in crime squalor or submissive to megacorporations and dystopian governments. Transhumanism, the evolution of artificial intelligence and how we’re still unhappy in it. I’d honestly like to see more stories where rebel groups are successfully removing the ruthless governing power of these societies. So far the book series into neon and ghost runner are the only ones I’ve found to do so. Altered Carbon is kinda on the list too but I can’t recall if the Quellcrists are gonna succeed or not.
I really wish we had more good Cyberpunk content. Hopefully 2077 and whatever project Orion are help bring the genre back to the public eye, and we can get some more awesome cyberpunk movies, shows, and games. More Biopunk stuff would be neat too.
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If you want to skip spoiler
1:50 Sanabi
20:34 VA-11 Hall-A
35:44 ANNO: Mutationem
51:43 Conclusion
It's neat that a Cyberpunk video essay ended with a fully natural, foggy scenery. Feels kinda fitting somehow.
I don't know if you've played this or not, but if you want more Cyberpunk-ish games, the Shadowrun trilogy (Shadowrun Returns, Dragonfall, and Hong Kong) by Harebrained Schemes are pretty good.
They're three disconnected stories so you can play them in whatever order you want.
My only advice is don't get Shadowrun Returns by itself, since the story is way too short for its price, which is either the same or very close to the other two
Whohoo, pinned!
@@Hell_O7 Gamedec, Dex, Observer, Remember Me, all good ones which take radically different gameplay, stylistic, and thematic approaches to addressing a lot of the same core concepts of cyberpunk stories such as the nature and continuity of the self, transhumanism, the ethics of certain kinds of experimentation in human augmentation or digital copying, through a range of first person, third person, side scrolling, and isometric gameplay experiences spanning brawlers, narrative focused RPGs, horror... All well worth basking in to get a balanced cyberpunk diet.
Omg where's the Lord of the Rings spoiler warning?!
I'm starting to think this man likes Cyberpunk
I think so too
It's possible
I think I see what you mean. I would need a bit more evidence before making a conclusion for myself though.
He said it at the beginning
Well researched, friend!
For me what made Cyberpunk 2077 a true cyberpunk gem is the fact that CDRP understood that the cyberpunk atmosphere needs space to breathe. It tells more by inaction than with action. Think Blade Runner and tell me which scenes comes to your mind first Deckard shooting the snake lady through the glass or Deckard doing absolutely nothing drinking whiskey on his balcony. Cyberpunk 2077 absolutely nailed those quiet moments, and even let the player decide how much atmosphere they want to absorb manually prompting them to stand or leave. Weather it's a quiet chat with Takemura on a rooftop, Johnny explaining why corps are evil with the garbage barges in the distance set against Night City's skyline, Cyberpunk reveled in those moments.
I completely understand your obsession with cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is my Roman empire. I consume every bit of cyberpunk I can. I have a cyberpunk inspired tattoo. I think of a future with cybernetic enhancements, not just replacements. But most importantly, I think of the allure of a world where I know nothing ends in happiness yet is so enticing that I want to be a part of it. Cyberpunk is inexplicably important to me, and I'm not sure I'll ever fully understand why, but I love seeing others make content that almost perfectly summarizes my feelings about it
I feel the reason we all love cyberpunk is because of a few reasons. One, the age of exploration is over, any new discovery is far out of the average persons reach, the quality of life is good, but we constantly are living in this weird limbo between a utopian dream, and the constant strive and pain of the climb within modern society.
I cannot leave Night City.
I keep trying, the border is right there, Helldivers just got a new update... but I can't leave. I keep coming back. I've spent over a thousand hours across several max-level characters; I can tell you the name of every quest, point you to the songs they reference, and sing Never Fade Away without looking up the lyrics...
It's such an obsession.
Have you seen Indigo Gaming's Cyberpunk documentary series? 3 parts so far, 4th on the way (Part 1 was... holy shit, 4 years ago?). I've watched them many times... and then just let them play in the background to soak in the vibes even more times. I am due for another 2077 replay soon too, but most of my cyberpunk expression has been expressed in other ways.
I am so glad the game is actually good now though. Maybe not EVERYTHING it was "supposed" to be, but at least good enough that it doesn't get in the way of the truly _breathtaking_ setting.
me too. 1329 hours
You need to play Cyberpunk 2077 in VR now
@@AshtonCoolman I'd love to... if I didn't mentally discombobulate from the vertigo.
@@JLM-y5gI’d love to as well but I have the inverse problem. I don’t get sick from vr but I don’t exactly have the setup for something as demanding as 2077 vr
TH-cam put this on my front-page fresh from the Oven lmao, yet another Cyberpunk video essay to add to my list...
Best check out IndigoGaming's Cyberpunk series next then! If you haven't already...
45:40 "being the guy on your second monitor who explains games" I feel personally attacked
So many games are cyber, so few are punk.
I love the way you talk about things, and how you think about and engage with media. I don't often see eye to eye with you, but I love hearing your thoughts. This video was a rare exception where I agreed with every single thing you said.
AUUUGHH NEW THANE BISHOP VIDEO JUST DROPPED
I was wondering why your style felt familiar every, and then you mentioned Breadsword and it all just clicked and now I can't unsee it. Man, you have great taste in video essayists. Gurren Lagaan and Getting It has made me cry every single time I've watched it. Thanks for another wonderful video; I do think you bring your own unique style to this craft, and it makes your videos really enjoyable and engaging beyond any similarities they may share to anyone else's.
*Glances at the bookcase behind the computer desk and the rows of books accumulated over three decades of obsession with the genre, by William Gibson, Philip K Dick, Marianne De Pierres, etc.*
And then I look at my Steam library docked on the left of the screen, and how 30% of the games are under the "Cyberpunk" category. Dex, Gamedec, Observer, Remember Me, etc....
God I love your voice dude, it gets me on essay mood
The Cyberpunk Red TTRPG had a free tie in pdf with VA-11 HALL-A which was neat.
Love the content, been binging your Cyberpunk videos!
Glad to meet a fellow choomba. Started with VA-11 Hall-a, went to TRPG Cyberpunk 2020, The red strings club, Bladerunner, Katana Zero, Sanabi, Cloudpunk and is still an active translator for Trpg rulebook. There's something magnetic about this genre's antiheroes and bleak daily lives that both attracts me and strikes dread in my heart.
Great vid, enjoyed it even though it’s a genre I don’t typically love. Also; stoked to see a Breadsword shoutout.
My love for this genre is indescribable I cannot put into words how much these worlds just captivate and entertain me
To speak on cyberpunk aesthetic vs. story for a sec
Idk about examples of cyberpunk style without the story, but I can think of the ur-example for cyberpunk stories without the cyberpunk aesthetic: it's just noir. Noir hits a lot of the same story themes as cyberpunk, except basically just without the technology. There's a reason there's a Raymond Chandler mission in Cyberpunk 2077, cause noir is one of the foundational genres that cyberpunk sprang from.
And now my brain snaps right back round to Nobody Wants To Die, a "Decopunk" noir story with heavy influences from Altered Carbon.
Citizen Sleeper skirts the line of being almost cyberpunk but you should play nonetheless because the stories it tells are some of the greatest sci-fi narratives of our time
Try Snatcher on the Sega CD, your life will never be the same. Don't tell me I did no warn you.
I think when cyberpunk is done well it has great potential to be hauntingly beautiful in its tragedy. Lucy on the moon still lives rent free in my head.
My reasoning for it being hauntingly beautiful is that in a world that cares so little for the people in it. It makes what connections the characters find that much more impactful. As it is in itself an act of rebellion against that societal apathy. That sees the loss of your loved on as just another statistic.
One thing I love about night city is the way in which it is a character unto itself. Wish more games, novels, etc did as good a job at that. Thanks for the video, keep up the great work.
The way you talk about Sanabi makes me NEED to ask if you've played Stray. While you are a parkour cat on a journey.... it's VERY cyberpunk in terms of the city even more than I expected, and as you talked about, ascending levels. The journey it takes you through the districts and what they show is SO good. Please play it if you haven't.
Also, ANNO: Mutationem is a game I think about A LOT. I genuinely loved that game even though I'm not good at platformers and it's not quite cyberpunk enough. What I mostly recall about it is the SCP stuff which I really liked - similar to why I enjoyed Prey (which is arguably less confusing to understand).
One hour is not too long at all! Your videos are really a no brainer as a choice for listening. If I click I know I’m going to have a good time. If I get one hour it’s like christmas! You are up there with the bests as far as I’m concerned. Either because you are very good at what you do or just because I connect with your content. My guess is a bit of both ^.^ And I’m going to make sure to check out Breadsword as well!
I cannot agree more with what you present here, and I want to thank you for such a delightfully thought-provoking experience!
hour long Cyberpunk Thane Bishop video LETSSS GOOOOOOO
No but, I've listened to a lot of creators talk about this game, and there's a lotta talent out there, don't get me wrong, but a Thane Bishop cyberpunk video just hits different.
As someone with a growing obsession with Cyberpunk myself, this is a real treat.
I don’t know how you can do this man. You are one of the only people I can watch all the way through and never loss attention. Your my cyberpunk at this point.
I was a lobrary kid too. We didnt go very often, but every time we did, i got loads of books to read. The way you described that gave me such a sense of nostalgia. Thank you.
man that moment Sam picks Frodo up is so good, it makes me tear up every time
no clue why you got recommended to me, but I thank the alogirthm god. You got a new subscriber
I adore every single video you do talking about cyberpunk. your ability to convey the stories of these videos brings tears to my eyes. thank you.
Fantastic work. I feel you wholeheartedly. Cyberpunk is something special AND specific. You cant have the aesthetic without the story because they go hand in hand for this particular genre.
Great video my friend.
Thank god I put notifs on for this channel, every single one is a banger
Oh shit there's at least two of us. My fascination with cyberpunk as a genre started back in the late 90s/early 2000s when I encountered Shadowrun.
It's crazy how you uploaded this video literally when I was thinking on watching some of your previous cyberpunk videos
This was a great video essay. You carry yourself confidently and naturally. I look forward to watching more from you
I recommend exploring its literary origins next. The Neuromancer series (or just Burning Chrome its a short story) is a classic for a reason and once you read it you'll see Gibson's influence everywhere. I also highly recommend digging into the original RPG books if you havent already, they all just drip with character.
HE CHECKED OUT VA11-HALLA LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO❤
Just want to say your vids continue to be great!
I played Va-11 Hall-A and Sanabi, and love them both, but Sanabi really damn got me!
I had very little idea what I was getting into, and thought I'd just be buying a precision platformer for me and a bud, we'd come back the next day and talk about it and see who liked it more and did better. Within a few hours we had called eachother and were manly crying over the damn harmonica like a couple of kids. I absolutely adored the game (though I agree, pulling a round 2 on you was cutting it close with patience).
Tripped and fell into your videos last night, but the shoutout to Breadsword convinced me that I would enjoy sticking around!!
I love that TH-cam pushes this video just as I started my first replay of Cyberpunk 2077 in a year. I finished it just before the 2.0 update, and never got around to trying the new system. I started it again a few days ago and haven't been able to put it down
Ay have fun, 2.0 changed it up quite a lot on the gameplay side
Experiencing VA-11 HALL-A was such a nice introduction to cyberpunk and made me fell in love with that theme such that I have this constant craving to get more of it and Cyberpunk 2077 type of plot. Sad to hear that ANNO is actually not that... The visuals +Jill in there almost fooled me.
I am looking forward to more Cyberpunk content by you.
I did, indeed, get to the end of the video
Cyberpunk is a very eye-catching genre, with defined and recognizable characteristics but gives enough freedom to produce incredible stories and characters, giving opportunity to mix with other genres, as you said throughout the video, opportunity to make the world shine through the characters and vice-versa.
Sanabi got me shaking, ofc i didn't play it but what you showed was enough to notice how well written it is, and it's probably my favorite entry of the video (close to Valhalla), i'm honestly a fan of well written plot twists and this game has a couple of those.
But the last entry, holy shit when that santa claus spawned from the fireplace i died laughing... i guess Anno was a good try at using the cyberpunk aesthetic... but some genres are just not meant for each other imo, the cyberpunk aesthetic is flexible, yes, but if you bend too much it stops being cyberpunk.
I know, long af comment, but this is my favorite genre of them all.
You're a real one. I think Sanabi ended up being my favorite, too, in no small part because I just wasn't prepared for how hard it was going to hit. As for Anno, yeah. I almost think that the Santa scene destroyed any shot of the story landing for me, because any further reveal landed in its shadow. For god's sake, the game ends with a sword fight with a dragon, but also.... Santa. The first exposure to the game's supernatural elements is Santa.
@@ThaneBishop it's hilarious, but not funny enough to make it good hahah
Idk what it is but something about cyberpunk is so alluring and your videos put my thoughts into words perfectly.
Another Thane masterpiece that makes me want to replay the game
I have like four other games I’m playing right now but I know Cyberpunk will push itself in there
Im now ending second playthrough of CP2077 in a row, overall it will be sixth.
What keeps me in this game? Mix of everything. Even when game was in not the best shape after premiere. Aestetics, music and multilevel story. And I love games when you repeating them you can find another puzzles, mysteries, nuances, answers. Like in Max Payne 3 when during second playthrough I noticed that 2 black characters leaves the party before attack of bandits at prologue.
The best thing about the CP2077 is not that you are playing as V as him/herself, you are playing V as yourself. Dialogues when allow you to do other things without being hooked up in the scene (except important moments).
still havent finished this video but damn bro I can feel soo much from this, good job.
This is one of the best made cyberpunk genre dissection videos i've ever watched. Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, and you gave me a fresh perspective on what my own views towards the genre are and why i love it so much. thanks for the video, i'm looking forward to your next uploads :] ❤
Great video, Thane. :) Good work.
Sigh. I have games to buy...
Happy to hear it! Definitely worth playing through these games for yourself if they look interesting. Even in a video this big so much stuff didn't make it in, so there's still lots to see.
I absolutely love your long form content as I just love to hear someone opinions and how deep they go into a topic they love! PLEASE KEEP MAKING LONG VIDEOS
I was watching the footage for ANNO and thought "a lot of this stuff looks and sounds like SCP stuff" and then you said it was a fan game, and I was like "ah, makes sense." Being someone in the know of SCP stuff, ANNO actually seems kinda fun for me. I might check it out.
Honestly, if you're deep into SPC, I think you would adore Anno
Such an excellent video. Hope that you don't restrain yourself from talking about Cyberpunk too much, I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on it.
I’m always here for longer videos. You’re a good creator! 👍🏻
hearing breadsword was a huge inspirations makes so much sense. It's been a while since I've seen a video from them and I hope they're doing well. I too love cyberpunk as a genre but one of my biggest icks is when they nail the "Cyber" part but fall apart when it comes to the "Punk" bit. It can still look beautiful but if all it has to offer is the aesthetic without anything to say then I'll always see it as a missed opportunity. Idk but your section on ANNO made me think of that.
It’s really nice knowing there’s other people out there who also can’t get Cyberpunk the Genre out of their heads. The way you talk about these things makes me want to try my hand at my own cyberpunk book or game or something, just to see why I can’t escape the City either.
Katana zero might be worth checking out. It is quite amazing. It only takes mere hours to beat but infinitely more to forget as it resonates deep and does not let go.
dude i loved every second of this video and ooooh mygosh i love love the cyberpunk genre and you summarized many of my thoughts so well thank you for the massive effort put into this
I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed it, I really appreciate all that
Cyberpunk is a fantastic topic, in truth; and I think you have got the story elements that are important to the genre down pat. I look forward to more conversations about it.
watching this while I hopefully wait for the skyrim stream to come back online so I can still be entertained by my favorite video essay youtuber
1:00 Same energy as Blue from OSP with Domes
Can't believe you played us all along.
man, getting a Breadsword mention, along with a Steak Bentley line and Hbomberguy line in one video. I am satisfied and fulfilled for the foreseeable month. Amazing
Surprise Sideways shoutout. I miss those videos... still go back and watch them sometimes...
Glad to know you have watched broadsword too! I feel like you bring the same kind if love and passion in your vid's and broadsword does in his! Absolute goat
Just got out of class you just know that the first I’m doing is watching this video the second I get back to my apartment
After watching this and hearing what worked for you, you really need to play Citizen Sleeper. It has really strong cyberpunk vibes and a really emotionally affecting narrative that was deeply moving for me.
26:06 The plea for Sideways 10/10 I need him back too.
Play citizen sleeper if you haven’t already. Has some of the best writing in gaming.
This introduction is absolutely peak. I totally feel the same way.
Great taste you have!
I have had my eyes on Anno Mutation for a long time and have yet to play it. I should get to it ASAP.
Sanabi I had heard of and it looks incredible!
Vallhala I have played all the way through to completion. Lovely game from start to finish!
If you haven’t had the pleasure, you should ABSOLUTELY play Citizen Sleeper. I’d love to hear your opinions on the world design and cast of characters the devs created. Something about that game will always stick with me.
It's on my list, currently. I'd never heard of it before posting this video, but basically every other comment here has been telling me to play it.
Man listening to this in the rain was great
He’s back! The prodigal son returns 🔥
If it helps at all, I only watch the cyberpunk videos that you make. That is not to say that the other videos are not good (I assume they’re just as good as these ones) but I don’t typically watch videos for games that I haven’t played UNLESS they are cyberpunk related. I love your thoughts on the games and how in depth you go so I will always go looking for your cyberpunk content. I would also suggest watching the Cyberpunk documentary by the TH-cam Channel Indigo Gaming if you haven’t seen it already. It may help with more cyberpunk themed videos in future.
And everyone forgets Shadowrun. Very telling that.
"Two incompatible world designs and narrative styles"
I'd say that successful fusion of cyberpunk and SCP was pulled off in 1993, predating SCP by 15 years, by the tabletop RPG SLA Industries, which has increasingly brought the disturbing reality-bending cosmic horror aspects of its original writers bible to the fore with each new publication, particularly those printed in 2007 and onwards.
I'll take a look at it, I'm really curious to see what something looks like when it nails this particular tone crossover
Maybe Lobotomy Corporation as well?
@@ThaneBishop Surface level: "Oooh corporate dystopia where a single monopolistic company controls most of the known universe, with its capital a giant city that goes as many levels into the sky with its skyscrapers as it descends underground with its warrens, TV constantly focusing on the bloodsports of the gig economy celebrity killers who maintain this order, always walking a tightrope between their next score and certain death"
And then you scratch that surface, and the world is... broken in a far more fundamental way. Blood cults summon abominations with dark rituals, things the corporation has tried for centuries to cover up come bubbling to the surface, rending reality. Urban legends spawned from the horrors of day to day existence in this world come to life, and below the sublevels of the city, the corporation discovers dozens upon dozens more levels to the city that *they never built* , an inhuman mind's idea of what the city above is, with all the flaws of something generated by stable diffusion or the like, and which *hungers* ...
You said breadsword is your insppo and i clicked the subscription button. Thats how good breadsword is. XD also love this genre too glad it still has the staying power that it had when i was a kid.
Well, I can't deny this has convinced me, a person who self-identifies as a hater of platformers, to give a platformer a try. Good job.
Jokes aside, I've always been interested in the genre myself, but it was during my current playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 that I began to realize I wasn't connecting with it on the same level as other media I'd read. I will recommend things like Neuromancer, Snow Crash and Edgerunners to as many people as I can, but the literal game with Cyberpunk in its name failed to sell me on its setting. The baffling thing is that I can't say WHY that's the case. I found VA11 HALL-A's story far more compelling than Cyberpunk's, and it's a little scary to realize that I can't point out why. But I do have a theory.
I think that it might be because as we've grown, Cyberpunk as a genre has become closer and closer to real life. We see megacorps devouring each other in an attempt form continent sized monopolies. Food prices go through the roof as workers are screwed over by their overlords, and shootings happen on a near daily basis. Governments struggle to find a functioning way to deal with these problems as they grow more uncontrollable. Depression and hopelessness rise among the younger generations as their ability to control the world rises constantly above their grasp. The planet itself burns with our apathy, and all most of us can do is try to live on, one step at a time. The only thing we're missing is the high tech augmentations.
I think Cyberpunk has become far, far too real now. What was once an escapist warning is now just a step away from reality. The people who could have made a difference ignored it, and now we're very nearly past the point of no return. Once, cyberpunk elicited fascination. Now, it's just a reminder of what we are, and what we've lost.
I love VA-11 Hall-A, the devs are pretty great too :)
Oh and you’re a breadsword fan as well! My favorite TH-camr also! Good shit, I can definitely see their voice in your stuff, but you still have your own distinct voice in spite of that!
I hate to be that guy, and there's probablly been 100 comments about scp already, but I digress. Anno should have advertised as SCP first and foremost. That being said, as someone who hasn't played the game but is (probablly too) deep into SCP, SCP is an incredibly fluid canon. It goes from the wild west to space exploration. The *average* canon of it would fit well into a cyberpunk theme as it is defined by several secret organizations controlling everything around us normal people. That being said, it looked to me like anno is deffinately described by the warcraft movie you talked about, more reference than game.
On another note, va-11 hall-a is one of my all-time favorite games. I never personally got any of the bad endings, I always had enough money to purchase Jill's desire and pay the bills, so I almost feel like I missed out on the gameplay that missing those gave. I'm also lowkey upset you didn't mention the best character, Dorothy. A
You know what I love about night city? The sound it makes when you leave it
Playing Anno Mutationem, I think I had a much better time with it because it was fairly early (Definitely many hours sooner than the point at which it broke our beloved video essayist) that my brain clicked into the mode of engaging with it that way I did something like Neon Genesis Evangelion. I guess because of the imagery and way it delivered its narrative beats. I think this probably happened sooner for me because I am USED TO games like Flashback, Dex, etc. and this is NOT that.
As soon as I settled into treating it as "Evangelion: the Metroidvania", it really clicked with me.
seeing the footage played here in video, I instantly felt it was something akin to Evangelion, which does have an almost cyberpunk-esque feeling in certain aspects of NERV's base design, but mixes it with the pure eldritch horror vibes of each new angel encounter.
This man just will not let me sleep. Good job 😭
Only thing wild is that your obsession started so recently.
Nothing is so cold and so soothing at the same time.
Great video. I have that hole in my soul for more as well. I can recommend the Blade Runner game on GOG, really old but really good.
Weed + Than Bishop is the perfect way to end the night =']
26:07 the mention of sideways being MIA hit close, however 3 months ago he made a life update community post how he is coming back
You play for the loooong game i see. Respectable
Make aaaaaall the cyberpunk essays you want to
I recommed that you get your hands on a book called "The Big Book of Cyberpunk" by Jared Shurin. It is a THICK book filled with over 100 stories. It explains the genre but the stories go in chronological order as the genre progressed. It contains authors that are even considered to be the originators of the idea of Cyberpunk. If you like Cyberpunk like I do, then it is something to add in your collection.
Vallhalla really reminds me of a game called coffee talk. It was interesting. So guess im getting Vallhala then.
Surprised you haven’t talked about RUINER on this channel yet. It’s less story focused but I think it does a lot with visual style alone.
No sir your not drag me down the Cyberpunk Hole. I'm already down it lol. Great Video.
High tech, low society seems like the best way to describe cyberpunk. Beyond the neon gloom, there lies the Groundbreaking technological advancements, but humanity is ridden in crime squalor or submissive to megacorporations and dystopian governments. Transhumanism, the evolution of artificial intelligence and how we’re still unhappy in it.
I’d honestly like to see more stories where rebel groups are successfully removing the ruthless governing power of these societies. So far the book series into neon and ghost runner are the only ones I’ve found to do so.
Altered Carbon is kinda on the list too but I can’t recall if the Quellcrists are gonna succeed or not.
I really wish we had more good Cyberpunk content. Hopefully 2077 and whatever project Orion are help bring the genre back to the public eye, and we can get some more awesome cyberpunk movies, shows, and games.
More Biopunk stuff would be neat too.
You know what? same. I also spend a long time thinking about the genre
You should play "Minds Beneath Us"! Sounds like it'd be right up your dystopian, neon-lit alley.
Hella well done!
High Tech + Low Life
Style over substance
Attitude over emotion