All thanks to the recent reveal of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, my hyperfixation with CDPR’s dystopian RPG has returned. I’m eager to return to an existing playthrough and commit to a rewatch of the first season I’ve been putting off for almost half a decade. But I’ve also been thinking about the future of this universe and how it could be built upon with not just eagerly anticipated sequels, but also comics, anime, and even spin-offs that don’t even exist yet.

Similar to the ill-fated experiment by League of Legends to create smaller games within the MOBA universe, like Mageseeker, Ruined King, and Convergence; what if Cyberpunk went and experimented with a bunch of different genres as well? This will likely never happen in reality, but I can already imagine how Cyberpunk 2077 could work as a nuanced visual novel or old-fashioned point and click adventure, a pixel art arcade shooter, or even a life sim on the outskirts of Night City, all about trying to make a living.

A few of these spin-offs were major successes for Riot, hence why this article is more of a pipe dream than a demand for my theoretical farming sim to come to life.

Living The Nomad Life

Takemura wants to live the Nomad Life in Cyberpunk 2077

Here’s how I picture my totally plausible Cyberpunk 2077 farming life sim. You are a nomad, much like Panam or V if she chooses such a lifepath, and you begin each playthrough being told that the previous leader of your clan has passed away, and as his closest heir, you have been entrusted to lead the clan forward into a new era. Much like Stardew Valley, you create a character, choose one of several starting biomes surrounding Night City, and get started on learning how to live off the land.

Nuclear war, climate change, and myriad other environmental factors have turned much of the land surrounding Night City into an arid desert, but perhaps certain areas have received generous helpings of augmented fertiliser or were somehow spared from devastation. What land you decide to go with and how much is actually available for farming will change exactly how you make money and whether you rely on agriculture, go fishing, or resort to far more dangerous livelihoods.

Instead of spelunking in dungeons, you will organise raids on nearby safehouses or even take risky ventures into Night City to complete assignments in exchange for valuable resources that can help grow your homestead.

Maybe you will need to recruit ripperdocs, netrunners, and other valuable members to your town as well, and even develop key relationships with them. I love how games like Stardew or Coral Island have countless systems that all complement one another, and I’d love that to be the case here.

A Stranger In A Strange Land

But you’re also a Nomad, so instead of picking from a single plot of land and sticking with it for the entire game, perhaps you jump between them with each season and then have access to new gameplay mechanics and strategies that weren’t present before. Not only will this shake up the environmental variety, but also unveil new mechanics with each cycle. It’s the choice of Nomad to keep on moving and never settle down, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to carve out brief places of belonging wherever you end up.

Despite how ruined and tragic the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is, the most beautiful parts of both that game and Edgerunners are when characters learn that love, hope, and living a life that isn’t crushed beneath the heavy boot of capitalism are well worth fighting for. As a nomad, you are committed to this lifestyle and not being bossed around by corporations, even if this makes the everyday act of survival harder than it ever needs to be.

A farming life sim where you’re just another tribe leader trying to get by has plentiful potential for not only compelling gameplay, but also stories and characters that rival the epic RPG. I’m busy thinking about the different types of farming techniques, dungeon designs, and distinct personalities I might come across throughout this imaginary experience, and each one thrills me. Hell, if you want to make something like this, please hit me up.

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Cyberpunk 2077

RPG Action Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 76/100 Critics Rec: 66% Released December 10, 2020 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol Developer(s) CD Projekt Red Publisher(s) CD Projekt Red
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