Everything in Night City is surface. You can tell by looking at a person what gang they're affiliated with, what corpo they work for, what cyberware they're carrying.
Cyberpunk 2077 has been subjected to a tsunami of criticism. Much of this is legitimate and fair—the bugs and technical issues, the antiquated open world design, and the underwhelming RPG mechanics are all clearly identifiable flaws. There is one accusation being made of the game, however, that I find completely baffling, and this is the notion that Cyberpunk has nothing to say.
Watching a multibillion-dollar company make a game about how capitalism sucks is always going to come with a side of cognitive dissonance. When you walk out into Night City and see the oppressive crush of buildings, the kooky-looking NPCs, and the neon billboards trying to sell you various flavours of depravity, it's easy to roll your eyes and write Cyberpunk off as another shallow virtual satire.
It's this question Cyberpunk's story seeks to answer. This is most evident in the game's protagonist, V. In the first half of the game, V's only goal is to make a name for themselves, to become more than just an Edgerunner doing small-time jobs for the city's various fixers. V's wish is granted by the chance to pull off an ambitious heist, stealing a slice of that soul-sucking tech from the Arasaka Corporation.
Some of the criticism aimed at Cyberpunk is based on the fact the game isn't more expressly anti-capitalist as cyberpunk fiction 'should be'. But cyberpunk is rarely so straightforward. While the genre does generally revolve around rebels and outsiders, in most cyberpunk fiction, the house usually wins. In fact, often the house barely registers the protagonist was inside in the first place.
Takemura represents the ideal capitalist worker. Diligent, loyal, hardworking, and receiving a fair exchange for his labour. Money, status, and self-worth. His argument is a familiar and compelling one. But none of Takemura's admirable qualities stopped him from being thrown down the ladder entirely by circumstance and the dog-eat-dog nature of Night City. The system may have enriched him, given him access to privileges most never experience.
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