The ambitious Cyberpunk 2077 is set in a dystopian vision of the world in the near future. Though the game primarily takes place in Night City and the surrounding area, players explore much more through complex technologies like Braindances and Netrunning. Throughout the story, players may find themselves driving through massive solar farms or engaging in some occasionally very disturbing quests.
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The team at CD Projekt Red clearly wanted Night City to be a character in itself, and it's an endlessly fascinating place. While the areas that players are allowed to explore are fantastic, though, there are many more that the story breezes over.
10 Militech HQ
Players are introduced to Militech early on, through the first mission given by fixer Dexter DeShawn. Militech act as one of the mega-corporations of America in 2077. V fights Militech throughout the story, particularly when helping Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos.
As a clearly established threat to both the player and other in-game corporations, it's surprising that the story never takes V into the heart of Militech. They have a clear presence in Night City, with their tower being located alongside Arasaka's in the Corpo Plaza. However, players don't see much of Militech outside the Badlands and their intimidating build-up is never fully realized, as players never explore any major Militech complexes.
9 NetWatch Offices
NetWatch is a corporation formed between Europe and the United States to improve the security of the Internet. The web of 2077 is certainly different than that of 2021, and as such, the powerful people of Cyberpunk: 2077's world needed better security measures. They are made up of expert Netrunners and hackers that bring military-grade security to the Internet.
The story doesn't often reference NetWatch, but when it does, the cybersecurity giant is painted as an extremely dangerous and secretive corporation. Though their primary headquarters are located in London, they surely have outlets and offices in Night City. A fleshed-out story location would've allowed players to explore the reality behind the shadowy myths of NetWatch.
8 NCPD Stations
CD Projekt Red designed the police forces of Night City as their own sort of frightening gang. The NCPD are an ever-present threat towards V and anyone who stands in their way. Under the NCPD umbrella is MAX-TAC, a tactical police unit outfitted with military-grade gear. MAX-TAC are ruthless, caring not for the destruction they cause as long as any perceived threats are completely neutralized.
The story never gives players a chance to explore the force internally and they are mostly treated as just another batch of enemies to fight. This is a shame, as soem incredible setpieces could have been set here.
7 A Samurai Concert
Johnny Silverhand is a massive part of Cyberpunk: 2077's story. He has the second-most lines of dialogue in the game (behind V) and is a voice in the player's head throughout the entire story past the prologue. Johnny is a musician in the story and remains somewhat of an icon in Night City (as iconic as the Keanu Reeves memes he spawned). Though Johnny might be dead, parts of the band Samurai and their music live on in 2077.
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V gets to briefly live as Johnny through a few Braindances in the main story. These sequences are mostly on rails and the player cannot explore their surroundings, though, acting more as cutscenes than anything else. An explorable Samurai concert could've been a great addition, building Johnny's character and giving players a unique environment to explore.
6 The Early 2000s Conflict
At a certain point in the story, players can learn more about Johnny's past as a soldier. Though Johnny is a major character inside the lore and the game, his background is rarely touched on. Johnny doesn't go into too much detail about his past, but players learn that his experience in the wars of the early 2000s was enough to radically change him as a person.
The story never takes the player into this background and it is only discussed in scattered bits of dialogue. Players could've explored a memory sequence through Johnny's eyes as he fought these harrowing conflicts. This could've added to V and Johnny's relationship and answered some more questions about Johnny himself.
5 Johnny's Home
Throughout the story, players may find themselves in multiple peoples' homes. These can be important characters in the story or NPCs the player may only see once or twice. After all is said and done, though, gamers never get to explore Johnny's home or even his hometown. Johnny is a bit of an enigma throughout the story and the player only learns bits and pieces of his past and personality.
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They certainly see the Johnny Silverhand who bombed Arasaka Tower in 2023, but they never learn much from before that. If players complete the intriguing Judy Alvarez's storyline, they'll get to explore more of her past. A similar area and plotline for Johnny would've given the player a more intimate look into the loud-mouthed rocker's life.
4 Out Of State
The majority of Cyberpunk: 2077's story takes place in or around Night City. The city is located in sunny California and players can see the expected weather patterns and environments. Sunny days, scorching deserts and the occasional rainstorm give the game's version of California more of an authentic feel.
Nearly all of the story is contained within these environments, though, and players never get to explore outside the state. Night City was incredibly well built and realized, so it would've been great to see how the design team handled different biomes and environments outside of California.
3 The Welles Family Home
After players complete their origin story, they are given a cutscene where V bonds with their newfound partner in crime, Jackie Welles. There is a time skip from the end of the life path story to the beginning of the prologue, with players learning that V and Jackie have become very close friends.
Before V has their own apartment, they are staying with Jackie and his mother in the Welles family home (presumably in Heywood). At some point in the story, Jackie's mother lets V know that they are welcome to her home still, yet players never get to go and explore the family home. They get to explore Jackie's home and his garage, which gives insights into the Welles family life, but the family house that is referenced throughout that prologue cutscene is never explored during the story.
2 Tokyo
There's no doubt that Arasaka is the largest and most powerful corporation in Cyberpunk: 2077. It is controlled by the seemingly immortal Saburo Arasaka, influencing V and the story of the game more than any other mega-corporation. Arasaka has firmly planted its roots in Night City, but before its move to America, it was originally a Japanese company.
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Many characters reference mainland Japan in the story, with Goro Takemura even insulting Night City for trying to emulate Japanese cities. Arasaka's power and control is visible all over Night City and throughout the entire story, yet players never get the chance to visit where the company's city of origin: Tokyo. The true headquarters of the terrifying Arasaka Corporation is often referenced but never visited in the story.
1 Off-World Colonies
Off-world colonies are referenced in the story of the game through ads and dialogue. The rich elite can escape the horrors of the world below by visiting space (this isn't possible in the real world, but like some other technology in Cyberpunk 2077, it may not be far away) while all the major megacorps are already battling for galactic space. Players learn that there are moon colonies and ships in orbit for all kinds of reasons, but they never have a chance to visit one in the story.
There is a brief moment where V is shown on a research base in space, but this scene is contained in one room and a hallway, which players cannot fully explore. Though the incredible technology of the future is always front and center, fans can never willingly explore space or any off-world colony in the story.
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