Should I watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners before or after playing Cyberpunk 2077? A Cyberpunk Fan‘s In-Depth Guide

Hi friend! As a fellow cyberpunk superfan, I‘m here to provide my insider perspective on the best experience for enjoying both the phenomenal anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and its acclaimed source material – the blockbuster video game Cyberpunk 2077. Let‘s jack in and explore their cyberpunk worlds together!

What Defines the Cyberpunk Genre?

Before diving into Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077, it‘s worth covering what exactly "cyberpunk" is as a sci-fi genre. Traditional cyberpunk features high-tech dystopian societies where advanced technology both enables and imperils humanity. Some defining aspects include:

• Futuristic urban settings like Neo-Tokyo or Cyberpunk 2077‘s Night City
• Pervasive and transformative cybernetic augmentations
• Omnipresent, oppressive megacorporations
• Rebellious antihero protagonists, often "cyberpunks" themselves
• High-tech, low-life worlds rife with violence and struggle

Both Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077 nail these cyberpunk motifs – from their chrome-obsessed characters to the monolithic Arasaka Corporation. Let‘s explore how they each realize their dystopian futures.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Brings Anime Action to Night City

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a 10 episode anime series produced by Studio Trigger, the acclaimed studio behind kinetic hits like Kill La Kill. Edgerunners tells an original story set in the neon-bathed streets of Night City, following a young street kid named David Martinez.

After tragedy strikes, David pursues the mercenary life of an "edgerunner" – highly illegal cybernetic mercenaries. To compete, he undergoes rampant "full-borg" conversion to become a chromed-out killer.

Edgerunners fully embraces its cyberpunk roots with plenty of action, augmentation, and a killer synthwave soundtrack. But it also centers emotionally grounded stories about its characters. Alongside David is a compelling cast, including his childhood friend-turned-ripperdoc Lucy, the hulking cyborg Maine, and the ruthless Kiwi hitwoman Rebecca.

I found David‘s turbulent journey from lowly street rat to cold-blooded edgerunner especially gripping. His strained bond with Lucy and Rebecca‘s complex motivations also provided standout character moments. And the anime‘s fluid, hyper-violent animation realizes Night City‘s dangers beautifully.

Cyberpunk 2077 Immerses You in Its Dystopian Future

Of course, Edgerunners is far from the first Night City story. It spins out of the classic tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2020 and its cult hit video game adaptation Cyberpunk 2077. Developed by CD Projekt Red, known for The Witcher trilogy, Cyberpunk 2077 puts you in the shoes of V – a customized mercenary fighting to make it in Night City‘s criminal underworld after a big heist goes south.

After a rocky launch in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 has ironed out its kinks to become one of the most immersive open-world games ever made. The FPS gameplay provides thrilling firefights augmented by cyberware and hacking. And Night City itself is an absolute triumph – I‘ve spent hours just exploring its seamless districts and soaking in the sights.

Beyond its worldbuilding, 2077 also spins an engaging central narrative. Keanu Reeves turns in a stellar voice performance as Johnny Silverhand, the digital ghost stuck in V‘s head. Their tense friendship anchors the game‘s branching storylines that can range from triumphant to tragic depending on your choices.

Connections Between Edgerunners and 2077 Run Deep

Now, to the core question – which should you experience first? I believe watching Edgerunners before playing Cyberpunk 2077 makes for the richest experience.

That‘s because Edgerunners isn‘t just loosely inspired by the game – it‘s woven into Cyberpunk 2077‘s lore and story. Here are some key connections:

• Supporting characters like Kiwi, Falco, and Maine appear in both titles. Their backstories in Edgerunners provide context for their 2077 roles.

• Lore like the fourth Corporate War, cyberpsychosis, chrome addiction, and ruthless mercs called "solos" directly overlap.

• The show expands on corporations like Arasaka and Militech integral to Night City‘s power struggles.

• Iconic weapons and locations also crossover, like Maine‘s pump-action shotgun and David‘s sweet jacket eventually being acquired by 2077‘s V.

Notice how these connections all flow from Edgerunners into Cyberpunk 2077? That‘s because Edgerunners is considered a canon prequel to 2077, set over a year before Johnny Silverhand‘s bombing of Arasaka Tower.

Watching the anime first provides all the context needed to fully appreciate callbacks and references in 2077. I got way more excited finding David‘s jacket knowing its history from the show!

Edgerunners Complements and Improves Cyberpunk 2077

Beyond lore connections, Edgerunners enhances Cyberpunk 2077 itself in several ways:

• Its kinetic combat and chromed-out visuals bring the cyberpunk aesthetic to life. After seeing the show, roaming Night City‘s streets feels like stepping into the anime.

• It further fleshes out the city, gangs, cyberware, and history – I understood the world so much better starting 2077 after watching Edgerunners.

• The anime invigorated interest in Cyberpunk 2077. The game saw a huge spike in players following Edgerunners‘ September 2022 launch.

• Reviews and sentiment for 2077 markedly improved thanks to patches and the excitement generated by Edgerunners. It was a crucial rehabilitation after the game‘s rocky launch.

Overall, Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077 form perfect companion pieces. The anime provides backstories that enrich playing Cyberpunk 2077, while the game lets you fully immerse yourself in Night City. Both are stellar cyberpunk titles, but watching Edgerunners first unlocks the optimal experience.

How to Watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

If I‘ve convinced you to dive into Cyberpunk: Edgerunners first, here‘s a full watch guide:

• Edgerunners is exclusive to Netflix, released on September 13, 2022

• The anime contains 10 episodes ranging 24-26 minutes long

• I recommend watching the episodes sequentially in order of release for the proper story experience:

  1. Let You Down
  2. Like a Boy
  3. Smooth Criminal
  4. Lucky You
  5. All Eyez on Me
  6. Girl on Fire
  7. Stronger
  8. Severance
  9. My Moon My Man
  10. Goodbye, Night City

• The original Japanese audio with English subtitles and English dub are both excellent options

Ready to Dive into These Cyberpunk Worlds?

Well choom, that covers my essential advice for getting the best of both Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077! While you can start with either, I highly recommend watching the anime first to get the full experience.

Edgerunners provides backstories and lore that enrich playing Cyberpunk 2077 afterwards. And the show‘s kinetic style complements the immersive open world perfectly. Whether you‘re a veteran fan or new to cyberpunk, this one-two punch is sure to provide hours of enjoyed chrome-infused action. Just beware glitching out on all that stimulation, we still need you here in meatspace!

Let me know if you have any other questions choom! I‘m always happy to gab about my favorite dark future worlds. Just ping me online – we can talk cyberpunk anytime.