Back in 1986, Walter Jon Williams released a book called Hardwire, one of the earlier known pieces of entertainment centering around the cyberpunk theme. Two years later, Michael Pondsmith was inspired by the book, creating an RPG tabletop adventure game called Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop as a tribute. Fast forward 30 years, now CD Projekt Red is making a video game based on that tabletop game.
Since CD Projekt Red will be basing a lot of the lore for the game around Cyberpunk 2020, there are a bevy of different easter eggs hidden throughout the recent gameplay reveal. Here are just a few of the ones we were able to catch from the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay reveal.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
Corporate Logos
If you’ve got a keen eye, you’ll be able to spot some familiar company logos placed throughout the districts that make up Night City in Cyberpunk 2077. Of all of them, Arasaka, Orbital Air, and Kiroshi stand out.
In Cyberpunk 2020, Arasaka is well known for their corporate security guards. Orbital Air is a company that specializes in cargo and passenger transport to Earth orbit, and maintenance of commercial orbital facilities. Kiroshi is a company that specializes in cybernetics and seems to have grown the most of the three.
It will be interesting to see how V can interact with each company, as well as the roles they will play in Night City.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
High Collar Jackets
While focused on too heavily, Cyberpunk 2077’s gameplay reveal showed off just how much style the game will have. Alongside being able to implement augmentations that will affect V’s abilities and looks, clothing was shown that will help earn Street Cred.
One of those pieces of clothing is a stylish jacket, featuring a neon light laced popped color. Avid Cyberpunk 2020 fans know that creator Mike Pondsmith’s character, Morgan Blackhand, rocked one of these bad boys in Cyberpunk 2020, showing that high jacket collars are back in style thanks to Cyberpunk.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
Trauma Team
Near the beginning of the gameplay reveal, V and Jackie find a woman near death in an ice bath. After pulling out a chip, they walk outside and are greeted by a group known as Trauma Team.
In Cyberpunk 2020, Trauma Team was a company that would provide armed air ambulances if you were injured or killed. Players could be resuscitated up to 10 stages after death, worsening roughly every 30 seconds.
It’s likely that Trauma Team will play a large role in assisting you in Cyberpunk 2077, either as an ally or someone who will save their customers like V.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
Combat Cabb
Ever wanted a taxi that would move you and your precious guns to and from a war zone? Then Combat Cab has got your back.
While they may have dropped the extra B, Combat Cabb was a cab service in Cyberpunk 2020 that players could use to transport them to the Combat Zone. In the gameplay demo, plenty of yellow cabs are featured, meaning that V will likely be able to pay for one if she doesn’t feel like driving around, similar to GTA IV.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
Johnny Silverhand and Samurai
Throughout the gameplay reveal for Cyberpunk 2077, a cool callback can be both seen and heard for a specific band that is well-known to Cyberpunk 2020. Led by bio-augmented singer and guitarist Johnny Silverhand, Samurai was a band that Cyberpunk 2020 players wished was real, simply because of how cool they sounded conceptually.
The Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay revealed that fans will finally be able to hear them, as shown by the song on the radio midway through the video. The band’s logo can also be seen on a poster in V’s room, as well as on a jacket in the first reveal trailer CD Projekt Red showed off for the game.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
Character Creation
CD Projekt Red has stated multiple times that there are many different ways to play Cyberpunk 2077 and that almost every person will play a different story, possibly with varying story outcomes as well. One feature that will play a big role in each unique playthrough will be the choices each user picks in the character creations screen at the start of the game.
Alongside being able to choose gender and looks, players will be able to choose background events for V as well. One look at the screen shows heavy influences from Cyberpunk 2020. Choosing a reason why you are in Night City and a key life event are identical to how you’d create a character in Cyberpunk 2020.
7 Cyberpunk 2020 Easter Eggs Hidden in CDPR’s Gameplay Reveal
Humanity Cost
When V hops into the chair of her ripperdoc halfway through the demo, we are able to see a couple of different available options for purchase from the vendor. While the gameplay runs through this quickly to select the two preordained items, a close look reveals that choosing to augment your body will have “Humanity Costs.”
“Humanity Costs” was something that Cyberpunk 2020 players had to factor in when designing their character. Choosing specific augments would eventually have effects on dice rolls in the game. Cyberpunk 2077 looks to be implementing a similar system, something which will likely have gameplay and story ramifications.
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