Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunner Ep 2 “Like A Boy” Review

This is a mature series, so lot's of gore, nudity, violence. Put the kids to bed choomba and settle in for a ride. Confused by the slang? Check out the Review of Episode 1 for a primer on it.

This is a mature series, so lot's of gore, nudity, violence. Put the kids to bed choomba and settle in for a ride. Confused by the slang? Check out the Review of Episode 1 for a primer on it.

 

Let's add a little more:

Ghost: Leave unnoticed

Gonk: Dumb/Dumbass/Idiot

Preem: Premium (think Cool)

Nova: Awesome

 

This episode starts intense. The Sandevistan (the military chrome that Gloria snagged) David got installed on his own body. David is awake for the procedure and the Ripperdoc really didn't do much for the pain. Given this is installed on the spine, running the length of it, it is something to endure. Doc makes it clear he'll do the job, but he'll take the chrome when it's too much for David. Still bloody and healing from the procedure, David gets to Arasaka Academy and gets a bit of revenge. Doc definitely short changed the kid. Didn't tell him anything about maintenance or what he has to do with the chrome.

 

We also see the Arasaka interest here. David being flashy and delivering that punch to Katsuo, reveals the Sandevistan to the Corp, so, there's a bit intrigue beginning there. This is likely going to be the main antagonistic side. The hard part though is with this Corpo, they're going to run it sleek, some at David sideways. Very much try to get him back into the Academy and test out the next “Product.” We also got the line, “it's high time [my son] learned what it is to serve the company's best interest.” So, mini lesson for those less familiar with Arasaka. This corp works as a Dynasty. They're insular, so getting in can be a challenge. They take very good care of their people, but expect loyalty to the company in change (but that's common place throughout any Corp in Night City).

 

We also meet someone else, the mysterious white-haired woman from the first episode David's been crushing on a bit. She's got monofilment wire and very good at it. She sees the potential in David, and they team up for some klepping (stealing/picksocketing) work on the train. He passes out and this leads to the best scene in ages in a tunnel. A roadside ripperdoc almost kills him for the augment that Lucy called in to check him over after he bled out of his nose and passed out. This part was equally thrilling and informative. David's got limits to what he can do with this augment.

 

With Lucy, we learn that she wants to get to space, to the Moon. She has a BD of just walking around on the Moon itself. Plus, the track of “I Really Want to Stay At Your House” by Rosa Walton and Hallie Coggins it just a great fit. This is a good way to just see the pair bond a bit. They do start working toward an actual partnership. Then it starts to look like a set-up when some others get into the apartment and yank David out of the BD.

 

David, we get to see be listless in Night City. He needs to survive and figure out what he's going to be doing. Teaming up with Lucy goes a long way toward him being an Edgerunner, a mercenary for hire. That or just petty crime with Lucy, grabbing credsticks from people on the train. This does give him a way to manage the Sandy and keep up with the pills he'll need to keep using it.

 

There was also just the short while of him looking at his Mom's ashes before falling asleep. Just the plain bit of him thinking about what his mother wanted of him to whatever he's going to be interested in. So far, all we've got for David is he's got a bit of a temper, but level headed enough to not get into a fight over his head. Still, he'll find work where he can and go for a decent score.

 

The grades and kinds of Chrome are something I didn't talk much about. There are a lot of grades effectively, everything that's just street level knock offs, Commercial Grade, going all the way up to Military Grade. Military Grade is the hardest on the body, but it also is generally the most powerful chrome you can get. Anyone running Military Chrome usually works for a Corp, the Military, or is a bad day away from being a Cyberpsycho. You usually get what you pay for, but there is plenty of a base (economy) that you can start from and build up from there. But let's take a second and talk about the basic kinds of Cyberware. There are 8 overall, and they cover just about everything:

 

Fashionware, the tattoos and other cosmetics of Cyberpunk, this can be EMP threading along your skin (glowing line effects think the grooves you can see on V), Biomonitors (health readout), or other completely cosmetic augmentations. These won't help directly in combat, but they can give little boons here and there.

 

Neuralware, the name on the box says it all. These augments interface directly with the human brain. Allows you to literally hack with your brain. This is also how someone can record a BD, augment their skills, senses of smell and feel, and some speed stuff too.

 

Cyberoptics, this is the first category with (generally) full replacement of the organ. These can allow different spectums of light to be seen, enhancing an image, a dart gun, or just to see Cyberspace with about in the world itself. V's zoom is a great example of a Cyberoptic augmentation. Also, just be able to record anything you're looking at. Also, some offer the ability to read lips.

 

Cyberaudio, this is usually working with the body's natural set-up. Of course, anything you're hearing, you can record, with the right set-up. You can tune into the radio, detect radar, read into someone's emotional state and so on.

 

Internal Body Cyberware, all the cyberware that goes on the inside. You want gills to breath underwater? That's this category. Have your nose become a toxin filter, get sonar, have sharp fangs to bite with (and the option for it to inject poison!). Also just get more raw muscle and so much more.

 

External Body Cyberware, these are seen as smaller changes to the body. Not always the easiest to notice, but something very useful all the same. Getting Subdermal Armor and take even bigger hits, or a literal hidden pocket/holster inside your own flesh.

 

Cyberlimbs, these can either be subtle or very obvious. This are either small augments to an organic part or just full limb replacements. The Monofiliment whip, mantis blades, these are full arm replacements. You can also have a small toolkit a, or few kinds of claws as a single option into an organic arm. These give a lot of power and tend to be very useful. And some of them do literally cost an arm or a leg.

 

Borgware, these augments are for going beyond human. The red dots replacing eyes, allowing for even more eyes. A shoulder mount for additional arms, think the Borg (Cyberpunk or Star Trek) and you're getting the idea. They're ugly, but they do one hell of a job.

 

There's a price to anything above the most basic cyberware though: Immunosuppresants. The more chrome you got, the more your body is going to try to fight it. You got to take Immunosuppresants, literally suppress your body's immune system to keep the augmentation working right with your body. Both TTRPG's I know well with extensive augmentations tap into this. The human body is VERY GOOD at repairing itself and wants to be whole. Grafting something onto that which isn't intrinsically compatible is just going to end poorly.

Let's talk music. The track pulled from from Cyberpunk 2077, “I Really Want to Stay At Your House” by Rosa Walton and Hallie Coggins, was excellently placed with the Moon BD. While Lucy is getting David out of the ambulance, we're jamming to “Friday Night Fire Fight” by Aligns and Rubicones.

There are a few more songs in here from 2077: “Acid Breather” by Mastiff, “Blurred” by Earth Trax, “Sustain/Decay” by Piotr Maciejewski/Drivealone, “Retrogenesis” by Private Press, and “Lithium” by SLG. Lithum is almost Ambiance for its chill. “Acid Breather” is excellent thrash, “Blurred” while David and Lucy talk on the bench. Also, just like Cyberpunk 2077, all the episode titles are songs. Some are from Cyberpunk itself, but some are just awesome songs. I just dig the music overall for the game and this series.

 

Definitely enjoying this show, and likely to keep up a faster pace of article on it. This show is very addictive for its pacing and action. Been watching with the original Japanese Voice cast and really digging it. The music doesn't change between the versions, but who you're hearing.

Later Choom!


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