Category Archives: Cyberpunk

The provocative 80s movement, studded with the neon-slick works of Sogo Ishii, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Shozin Fukui, paved the way for a new filmic wave in Japan

In the mid-80s, the Japanese film industry was at an all-time low. Several of the major studios had gone bankrupt, and the ones that remained had either focused their attentions to softcore pornography or suspended production entirely in favour of distributing Hollywood imports. Even the most well-established directors struggled to secure funding. And independent cinema just wasnt economically viable.

The Japanese cyberpunk movement was a product of this filmographic impotence, and a total rejection of the traditions of Japanese cinema that had preceded it. The period dramas of Yasujiro Ozu, the samurai epics of Akira Kurosawa, and even the documentary-style yakuza dramas of Kinji Fukasaku had no place in a 1980s Japan that was experiencing a world-renowned technological revolution. Instead, a new generation of filmmakers with a critical view of the hyper-modern world were picking up video cameras as a means to attack the countrys shifting identity, creating wild dystopias that foreshadowed the economic crash that would hit Japan in the 90s.

Throughout the 80s, this provocative school of filmmaking was helmed by three renegade directors: Sogo Ishii andShinya Tsukamoto, film students at Tokyos Nihon University, and Shozin Fukui, a one-time crew member for each. But the short-lived cyberpunk movement was effectively over in Japan as soon as it emerged from the underground. When Tsukamotos avant-garde explosionTetsuo: Iron Manunexpectedly scooped the Best Film Award at Romes FantaFestival in 1989, it single-handedly revived international interest in Japanese filmmaking. The films success prompted serious investment in the countrys V-Cinema indie filmmaking system, laying the path for a new wave of filmmakers to thrive in the 90s.

This Maymarks 40 years since the release of Sogo IshiisCrazy Thunder Road the film that started the entire movement, and therefore the revival of Japanese cinema as a whole. On its ruby anniversary, Dazed traces the history of Japanese cyberpunk through its three most important directors.

Sogo Ishiis upbringing in Hakata, Kyushu, a mecca for Japans burgeoning punk scene in the 70s, would shape his attitude towards filmmaking when he was a student in Tokyo. He often attended lectures solely to appropriate school equipment, and this delinquent attitude would be the crux of his success after his 1980 graduation project Crazy Thunder Road was unexpectedly bought by Toei Film Studio for release in theatres.

Crazy Thunder Road, the genesis of the Japanese cyberpunk movement, set early precedents for what would become essential tropes of the genre. A raw and chaotic biker movie set between desolate urban wreckage and the neon streets of Tokyo, its roaring engines, and vicious gang warfare was the Japanese embodiment of rollercoaster thrillers like Mad Max and The Warriors. Cast almost entirely by the spiky-haired, leather-strewn band members from his punk circle, Ishiis movie offered an ominous vision of a society in turmoil through hordes of armed thugs and erratic night-time brawls.

The visual and thematic similarities to Akira, the 1988 biker-punk sci-fi that would be considered the apotheosis of cyberpunk anime, are uncanny. And while the goblin-masked, metal-clawed acolytes of Crazy Thunder Road only hint to the themes of bodily metamorphosis that would follow, the films in-your-face camerawork and brash rockabilly soundtrack established a riotous template for cyberpunk to build on.

Ishii would expand his own blueprint two years later with Burst City, a chaotic action-punk-musical hybrid that catapults the bleak world of Crazy Thunder Road into a dark and cold dystopian future. From the opening shot, wherein a vehicle-mounted camera loudly tears through a cityscape at Mach speed, the film sets off like a rocket. It remains explosive right up until the climax a showdown between warring cops, gangsters and guitar-shredding punks amidst the smoke and rubble of a long-since decimated society.

Disorientating mosh pit footage spliced from concerts performed by films cast (peroxide-haired Tokyo punk bands The Stalin, The Roosters, and The Rockers) do plenty to interrupt the standard narrative format. And even the dilapidated, scrapheap world these characters live in feels palpable, not least due to the fact that the majority of the cast lived on set for the entire shoot. But perhaps the most important practice put to use in Burst City, would be Ishiis abundant use of undercranking.

A technique whereby film is initially shot at a lower speed and later manipulated in playback to create a hyper-kinetic visual effect, undercranking would serve as one of the stylistic cornerstones of cyberpunks expressionism. Alongside jagged jump cuts and jerky handheld camera, these methods would be adopted by one Shinya Tsukamoto, a freshman while Ishii was in his senior year at Nihon University who had already begun crafting his own subversive shorts.

The Phantom of Regular Size, the 18-minute, 8mm film that kicked off Tsukamotos career in 1986, was effectively a dummy run for what would be the defining film of Ishiis movement three years later. While the plot of Phantom is moot, the entire cast plus several of the shorts most vivid scenes would all re-appear in Tetsuo: Iron Man in 1989. Among the most notable is a sequence wherein a bespectacled salaryman is terrorised by a malformed woman in the Tokyo subway. The climactic image of a man with a roaring power drill bursting from his nether regions, meanwhile, would end up being one of the most defining images of the entire cyberpunk movement.

The Phantom of Regular Size also offered a first look at Tsukamotos vital evolution of Ishiis undercranking into what would become his signature shot. His hybrid stop-motion technique would create the appearance of a subject traversing an environment at impossible speed; an unnatural and jarring movement of characters and objects across a given scenography. In Tetsuo it is used to make seas of metallic cables and wires writhe like snakes, and to make the movements of the films tortured subject, a man who is gradually, excruciatingly transformed into metal, all the more unnerving.

Commonly referred to as the Japanese Eraserhead for its grainy 16mm black-and-chrome industrial setting and surreal, nightmarish atmosphere, Tetsuo: Iron Man takes the intense expressionism of its predecessors to their limit. It offers a world corrupted entirely by junkyard scrap, with the enduring sounds of television static and Chu Ishikawas relentless, chiming soundtrack mirroring the films singular theme explicitly. Your future is metal! offers the antagonist in one of the films few pieces of dialogue a statement that underpins the anarchic vision of the cyberpunk movement in totality.

Shot over a painstaking 18 months marred by crew walkouts, Tsukamotos crowning achievement is abrasive, disorientating, and violently sexual. But the merit of its inventiveness was enough to prompt not only a cathartic festival win in Rome, but also a distribution deal in the USA, and later Europe. Tetsuo was truly the zenith of the movement, a sensory overload that introduced the world to a renegade style of low-budget filmmaking in Japan. But it was also the death knell for live-action cyberpunk; a filmmaking kamikaze that left its successors in its mercurial wake.

Shozin Fukui had offered some of the most hyperactive examples of the cyberpunk oeuvre in the years that preceded Tetsuo. The three-minute black-and-grey attack-on-a-stranger Scourge of Blood features some of the most exhilarating examples of editing in a canon of intensely cut films, while Gerorisuto, a grainy snapshot of a possessed woman on a train would demonstrate Fukuis passion for guerilla filmmaking. Caterpillar, a 1988 short film made while Fukui was working as an assistant director on Tetsuo, would recycle the same sets used in Tsukamotos film. It was his final exercise in perfecting cyberpunks stop-motion, shakycam manifesto before moving into full-length cinema.

But by the time Fukui got round to directing his own feature-length cyberpunk film, Tetsuo had already served the double-edged strike that simultaneously legitimised and upended the movement. It is for this reason that Fukuis 1991 film 942 Pinocchio (also known as Screams of Blasphemy), while of great enough quality to be screened at Rotterdam Film Festival and to receive a US video release, remains criminally under-seen in the West.

A loose, twisted translation of the classic Disney story, 924 Pinocchio finds a lobotomised sex slave cyborg abandoned in a hallucinogenic neo-Tokyo with no concept of his identity. Adopted by a similarly ostracised woman named Himiko, he learns to speak, and even to love, before a strange power is awakened with him that leads him to a bloody showdown with both his adopted mother-lover and his creator.

Set in a vividly-coloured 2064, the future setting of 964 Pinocchio is a departure from the cold, desolate worlds of Fukuis contemporaries. Blue skies, bustling streets, and an ethereal electronic soundtrack offer an almost utopian spirit to this tangible sci-fi world. But the tragic Pinocchio is destined never to fit in, as illustrated in the films most distinguished sequence: in a fit of despair, the cyborg runs screaming through the streets of Tokyo, the camera neurotically cutting and jerking as thousands of horrified real-life onlookers look on.

Through its developed narrative and revised aesthetic, 964 Pinocchio offered a natural progression for the cyberpunk genre, without disposing of the hurricane filmmaking style that made it so intoxicating. But it would take Fukui five years to deliver his next film, a perverse and unpalatable number would ultimately represent a nail in the coffin for the original cyberpunk movement.

Set entirely in a crude, industrial laboratory called The Unit (a clear reference to Japans notorious Unit 731, an experimental research unit responsible for some of WW2s most heinous war crimes), Rubbers Lover is a nightmarish exercise in sadism, torture, and BDSM that concludes the cyberpunk movement in a disturbing fashion. While as stylistically emphatic as its prestigious precursors, it pushes the boundaries of taste far beyond what had previously been attempted, foreshadowing the rise of extreme Asian cinema and splatter horror films like Ringu and Audition at the turn of the century.

Filmed in black-and-white from all manner of disorientating angles, Rubbers Lover deserves credit for delivering some of the most creative and striking images of Fukuis catalogue. One scene, wherein a patient is secured to a hospital bed by wired metal headgear, foreshadows the designs used in The Matrix by several years. The spinning eyeballs that flicker on a wall of computer monitors in the background, meanwhile, feel like they are plucked straight from A Clockwork Orange. But despite such artistic flair, the film virtually borders on avant-garde snuff. Scenes of prolonged and violent sexual assault, shot in intrusive and unforgiving close-up, push the boundaries of taste and make for particularly uncomfortable viewing.

A closing scene featuring reels of celluloid video film falling from the ceiling appears to signpost the demise of live-action cyberpunk in 1996. With director Takeshi Kitano winning the prestigious Golden Lion award at Venice the following year for poignant crime drama Hana-bi it was all but confirmed that a different kind of Japanese cinema was now in vogue.

By the turn of the century, cyberpunk had been relegated to the memory of Japans thriving indie filmmaking community, now headed by the likes of Hideo Nakata, Takashi Miike, and Takeshi Kitano. After Rubbers Lover, Shozin Fukui wouldnt return to filmmaking in any capacity for another ten years. Tsukamoto, the cyberpunk director, basically abandoned the movement after the release of Tetsuo and its diminished 1991 sequel-remake (2009 threequel Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, being the only exception). Ishii, though, would return to the genre for one final hoo-rah in 2001 with Electric Dragon 80.000V, a 55-minute pet project that served as a love-letter to the movement he had spawned two decades prior.

A black and white comic-book style caper about a pair of electrically-charged super-heroes in a near-future metropolis, Electric Dragon 80.000V is a blitz of super-charged filmmaking flair that lifts as many cyberpunk tropes as it can handle in its pristine runtime. Many scenes and characters feel satisfyingly familiar. Punk protagonist Dragon-Eye Morrison dwells in a metal-strewn warehouse, discharging the electricity that flows through him by plugging into his electric guitar and noisily letting loose in front of hundreds of bemused onlookers in the streets of Tokyo. Steel-masked antagonist Thunderbolt Buddha, meanwhile, looks as if hes been plucked directly from the thuggish ranks of one of Ishiis earliest projects. With a general lack of plot or dialogue, relentless staccato editing, and an armful of light-speed tracking shots, its a cyberpunk classic one generation removed.

Electric Dragon 80.000V debuted at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2001 a feat unimaginable for a film of this style when Ishii started his filmmaking career. But its palpably high production values, untainted photography, and comic-influenced animation also represent a departure from the classic cyberpunk texts of the 80s and early 90s. And as the image of Thunderbolt Buddha tracking his rival via GPS on a modern desktop computer confirms, the breakdown of technology (and therefore society) has not taken place, after all; in 2001, Ishii and cos vision of the future was already outdated.

Somehow it seems almost fitting that, despite their cultural significance, many of these rebellious films remain underground obscurities, banished to the realm of out-of-print DVD copies, midnight art screenings, and foreign VHS imports. But the sonic boom of Japanese cyberpunk can still be heard in all kinds of creative cinema. Cyberpunk laid down the gauntlet for a new kind of filmmaking in the 80s and 90s one that revolutionised Japans industry and allowed it to become what it is today.

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A guide to Japanese cyberpunk cinema with three of its visionary directors - Dazed

When Cyberpunk 2077 was originally slated to launch on April 16th, its lore book from Dark Horse, The World of Cyberpunk 2077, wouldve hit stores a few days thereafter on April 21st. Since the games delay, however, not a word has been uttered about the lore books new release date. Now, an updated listing on Dark Horses website indicates the lore book will launch early this summer on June 17th.

Check out a screenshot of the books updated listing below:

Priced at $39.99, The World of Cyberpunk 2077 is comprised of 192 pages. Within those pages, fans can expect a deep exploration of the sci-fi titles lore, world, characters, cybernetics, other technologies, and politics. Needless to say, those who pick up this companion tome are bound to find it teeming with interesting content.

Theres more than one version that will go on sale. The hardcover edition noted above will launch alongside a digital version, which costs $19.99. Dark Horse has a Deluxe Edition in the works, too, featuring a number of physical extras. For the list price of $99.99, fans can expect the Deluxe Edition to additionally include an exclusive Night City map cover, Night City graffiti slipcase cover, set of temporary tattoos, Johnny Silverhand poster, as well as a set of vehicle-centric postcards.

CD Projekt RED hasnt shown off much of Cyberpunk 2077 since last year. Though it was to appear in some capacity at recent events, such as Taipei Game Show and PAX East, those plans were nixed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Its currently unclear when the studio will share more information about the title, but CD Projekt RED counts among the first exhibitors signed up to take part in gamescom this August.

Cyberpunk 2077 will launch later this year on September 17th for the PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One platforms.

[Source: Dark Horse]

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Step Into the World of Cyberpunk 2077 When the Lore Book Launches in June - PlayStation LifeStyle

The PS5 is releasing later this year, and with it will come a whole roster of incredible games!

With the PS5 set to release later this year, we are beyond excited to get our hands on some of the new titles that are expected to come with next-gen.

With the upgrades in both software and hardware, there is likely to be some outstanding graphics weve never been able to experience before on a console.

Not only are there games set to release on all platforms, but Sony has some hidden gems up their sleeve just for the PlayStation 5.

Continue below to read more on our top picks for the PlayStations 5, as well as an honourable mention!

The first Horizon Zero Dawn released over 3 years ago, leaving fans desperate for more cyber-hunting action!

HZD2 is set to be a PlayStation exclusive, so any Xbox fans will have to wait for a possible, but unlikely, Xbox release.

The new PS5 will allow the developers to create an even more in-depth world. With better hardware, the game will look and feel more realistic.

READ MORE: Horizon Zero Dawn 2: Release date, platforms, trailer, characters, enemies, gameplay, news & everything you need to know

The PS5 is also using an SSD instead of a hard drive, meaning games will load much faster. With HZD, this will create a much more fluid and natural experience.

The God of War series is notorious for its elaborate storytelling and overabundance of badass fight scenes.

The reboot continued with this formulae and gave us one of the greatest games of all time.

We follow Kratos through the new Norse mythology realm, where he journeys to deliver his wifes ashes to the highest point in all the realms.

READ MORE: God of War 2: Sequel to Santa Monica Studios Fourth GoW game teased by Developer!

At the end, we get a sneak peek into the next game with Thor coming to get revenge on Kratos for the deaths of his extended family.

We cant wait to get our hands on the next chapter of Kratos journey, with more Gods, Monsters and epic moments to experience!

The next Call of Duty is set to release in the Autumn of 2020. This means it is likely to come out before the release of the next console.

This will mean the game will release on both the PS4 and the upcoming PS5.

From the current information we have, we know the next COD will be set in the Cold War and will continue the Boots-on-the-ground feel that the series has been following for the last few years.

READ MORE: Modern Warfare 2019 Pre-Order: Captain Price Playable Character Leak In Blackout Black Ops 4 DLC 4, Cross platform, Maps & more

The story will continue on from the first Black Ops games, with possible original characters such as Mason and Reznov.

Although the current COD game, Modern Warfare, has amazing graphics, we can expect the new title to look even better.

Cyberpunk has found itself delayed from April to September 2020. This is unfortunate, as this means it will release just before the next-gen consoles are available.

CD Projekt Red had no plans to release the game on the PS5, but due to this delay, they are now considering a next-gen release given the circumstances.

From what weve seen, the graphics look stunning! With its ultra-realistic lighting and immersive story, Cyberpunk is at the top of everyones watchlist.

READ MORE: Cyberpunk 2077 Release Date: Trailer, Gameplay, Pre-order Bundles, Weapons, Leaked Map, Characters, PS5, Xbox Series X & everything else you need to know

Fans of The Witcher and other RPG games are hyped for Cyberpunks release, but we have a little way to go yet. Click here to read more about our coverage of Cyberpunk.

Set in Feudal Japan, Ghost of Tsushima takes an eastern spin on your standard RPG.

The combat and swordplay look amazing. It seems gritty and realistic allowing the player to pull off combos and deadly executions.

The story is in-depth and presented with beautiful cinematics and dialogue. Alongside a genuine Japanese score, it seems Ghost of Tsushima will be an extremely immersive experience.

READ MORE: PlayStation 5 Specs: PS5 is a huge step above PS4, but might be behind Xbox Series X

Since its reveal at E3 2018, weve been on the edge of our seat to get a better look at the core mechanics of the game, as well as more story details.

GOS is set to release on PS4 on the 26th June 2020, meaning well see a re-release of the game on PS5 later down the line.

Elder Scrolls VI was teased at E3 2018. Its reveal trailer simply showing the name and logo as well as some scenery.

With The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim become one of the biggest games of all time, there are high hopes for the next big Elder Scrolls game.

With Bethesda able to take advantage of the new system, we hope to see a much larger world to explore, as well as better graphics.

READ MORE: Elder Scrolls 6 Location: Leaked internal memo may have just revealed the location of the next instalment

There is currently no set release date for The Elder Scrolls VI. If you wish to read more about the ESO VI, click here.

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PS5: 5 Games we're playing on the PlayStation 5 God of War 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn 2 & more - RealSport - RealSport

File this one under Kickstarter products we cant easily explain: a fabricated cybernetic lynx skull that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. The Kranio X, as its called, is currently raising money on the crowdfunding platform for what seems like a very limited run of the product just $1,288 was the funding goal, and its already surpassed that with just 19 backers.

So what, exactly, is going on here? Well, according to Hong Kong-based industrial designer Alan Wong, he created the speaker casing in the shape of a lynx skull because he wanted to contrast a feral, organic feature with the cold, synthetic mechanical parts. It is not a real animal skull, of course; its 3D modeled out of various components and then hand-painted.

But its meant to evoke cyberpunk themes like the blurring lines between man and machine or, in this case, animal and machine. Technically speaking, the device is supposed to be a lynx with cybernetic implants (under the assumption that is a thing that will exist in the future) that has had its skull repurposed as an electronic device (in this case, a speaker). I could reasonably imagine something edgy and bizarre like that showing up in, say, Borderlands or perhaps Cyberpunk 2077, and that appears to be what Wong is going for.

For what its worth, the Kranio X is intended to be a hi-fi plug-in speaker, costing $269 under the first of two pledge tiers, with the other costing $359 alongside a poster, an engraving, and a copy of the stereolithography file the device will be manufactured from. It comes with a 4-inch, 10-watt inside, weighs just over 4.4 pounds, and has dimensions of 240 x 160 x 153 cm. It has Bluetooth 5.0, and Wong also lists the signal, sensitivity, and distortion metrics for those interested in a more detailed breakdown on the campaign page. The campaign is live until April 16th, 2020.

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The Kranio X is a Bluetooth speaker in the shape of a cybernetic lynx skull - The Verge

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Could Cyberpunk 2077have Multiplayer?

Heres what we think about the multiplayer aspect of Cyberpunk 2077, and what we can expect from it.

Engineer CD Projekt Red announced back in January that the discharge date for its up-and-coming RPG Cyberpunk 2077 was postponed to September 2020. Since then on, fans have been wondering how this can, if by any way, affect the multiplayer section of the game. Below, were going to go over what we know about Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer so far with the intention that you remember whats in store when the game dispatches in the not-so-distant future.

Could Cyberpunk 2077have Multiplayer?

Off chance you havent been aware of all the late 2077 Cyberpunk subtleties, you might think about whether the cutting edge RPG will have multiplayer and what that aspect of the game would look like. Indeed the short response is, Cyberpunk 2077 should have a portion of multiplayer. In any case, the programmers view multiplayer mode as their own undertaking which will discharge independently of the primary game. It is not yet clear what multiplayer mode would similarly look like.

The official CD Projekt Red Twitter page back in September 2019 confirmed that multiplayer was underway in a tweet hoping to contract game developers. After the release of Cyberpunk 2077 and its DLC content, the tweet went on to say the arrangement is to welcome you for some multiplayer action.

Since then, Cyberpunk 2077 has been postponed, but so far its safe to say that this is still the plan and players shouldnt expect multiplayer to start. In reality, we probably wont see the multiplayer part of Cyberpunk 2077 until more than a year after release of the game. CD Projekt Red publishing lead Micha Nowakowski confirmed during a recent conference call with investors that they are treating the multiplayer part of the game as its own triple-A release.

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Could Cyberpunk 2077 have Multiplayer ? - Gamer Turn

The next entry in CD Projekt Reds highly successful video game adaptation of TheWitcher series is already in the planning stages. The developers CEO, Adam Kicinski, broke the news while speaking to Polish press and said the developer already has a small team working on a concept for another single-player title that is awaiting further development.

Once the studio finishes work on Cyberpunk 2077, which is set to release on September 17, it will reorganize to start work on the next game in The Witcher franchise. CD Projekt Red will divide into three internal teams with the largest group working on a multiplayer mode of Cyberpunk 2077 and another creating additions to the base game. The smallest of the three teams will start work on the developers next role-playing game.

Kicinski stresses that the next title is notThe Witcher 4 as the adventures of Geralt of Rivia was always meant to be a trilogy. He also reiterated that the studio wants to continue creating stories within that universe in addition to what it is currently doing with Cyberpunk 2077. All planned games are either Witcher or Cyberpunk, the studio head said.

Despite the latest title in The Witcher series entering development later this year, fans will still have to wait quite some time. Kicinski quickly shot the idea of a quick turnaround of its next ambitious RPG down when asked. He added the studios projects always last four to five years and that itd be difficult to imagine it releasing any sooner than that as they want to prioritize quality. CD Projekt Red Vice President of Finance Piotr Nielubowicz also chimed in on the next titles development by saying that it will take less commitment than Cyberpunk 2077 as theyre working in a world theyve already established rather than crafting one from the ground up.

CD Projekt Red originally releasedThe Witcher in 2007. Based upon the Polish novels of the same name, the RPG received critical praise upon release. The company followed it up with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings in 2011 and The Witcher 3: Wild Huntin 2015 to even more commercial and critical acclaim. Cyberpunk 2077 will mark its firstgame outside of the fantasy universe.

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New game in The Witcher world to be developed after Cyberpunk 2077 - Infosurhoy

This review is spoiler-free

Season 2 of 'Altered Carbon' wasn't the last we saw of the dystopian cyberpunk drama. Three weeks after the release of the Anthony Mackie-starrer, comes an animated version helmed by 'Cowboy Bebop' writer, writer Dai Sato.

It also makes sense to bring in a more Samurai version of the series as the plot is set in the events between season 1 and 2 and deals with the introduction of Tanaseda Hideki (Played by James Saito in the series, and voiced by Kenji Yamauchi in the anime).

'Reseleeved' encompasses all the elements from the live-action series the generous splattering of blood, the explosive action, raunchy sex and cutting edge-tech. The 90-minute film also makes an attempt to join the storylines from Season 1 and the ending might either spawn a sequel for another animated series.

The plotline is simple: Takeshi Kovacs is given another state-of-the-art combat sleeve and is tasked with protecting a teen Yakuza tattoo artist from CTAC and some really badass ninjas.

Deception has always been one of the elements behind Altered Carbon's success and when Kovacs takes the mission, he realizes there is more to the reason behind the tattoo artist, Holly Togram (voiced by Ayaka Asai) who's hunted by two parties.

In Gena, a CTAC soldier, Kovacs finds an able ally as the duo face-off against a horde of enhanced ninjas to save the girl. Multiple storylines come into play with Gena having her own past as a storyline.

Her story will be a revelation and raises some serious questions about some of the recurring characters in season 2 of the live-action series while Hideki is shown to be one of Kovacs mentors after the supposed death of Quellcrist Falconer.

'Resleeved' may not have the wry humor or the rage-filled broody character of Mackie's Kovacs, but its version of the lead character is heavily modeled on Kinnaman. Be it the insanely jacked physique that clearly defines the hard-worn string musculature or the swagger, it gives an honest shot in showing Kinnaman as an anime character.

Chris Conner's Poe was a revelation. The AI was instrumental in both seasons and in the anime, we get to see Ogai (voiced by Jouji Nakata) who is the owner of the hotel, The Wild Geese. Again, another attempt where we see a Japanese version of Poe who's got some top-notch weaponry as part of the hotel's defense systems.

As far as the antagonists go, the film really keeps things tight and simple making 'Resleeved' a predictable affair. But, it does make up for the mainstream plot with some blitzkrieg action. The fight sequences bring in the feeling of being an active part of an FPS game and almost every ten minutes sees an action sequence.

'Altered Carbon' was ranked highly on Rotten Tomatoes and while the second season did see a dip in the audience score, the animated version promises to win back some fans who were disappointed with the second installment. 'Reserved' is breezy, bloody and aggressive.

Cyberpunk fans can pretty much give this a whirl for the visual treat it is.'Altered Carbon: Resleeved' is available for streaming on Netflix.

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'Altered Carbon: Resleeved' Review: Breezy, bloody and raunchy, the anime is a visual treat for cyberpunk fans - MEAWW

Augmented reality is cool and all, but its hard to shake the idea that staring at our smartphone screens isnt the optimal way to experience AR. Thank goodness, then, for startup Mojo Vision, which has developed augmented reality contact lenses that promise to make viewing AR content a whole lot more seamless. And far more sci-fi in the process.

The companys forthcoming Mojo Lens AR lenses pack the worlds densest 14K pixels-per-inch micro-displays, wireless radio, image-recognition tech (which it claims will be able to understand the activities youre engaged in, so as to not disturb you when its not wanted), and motion sensors all in a minute form small enough to fit onto your eyeball. Mojo Vision believes its Invisible Computing tech has the potential to be a major game-changer when it comes to augmented reality, with the ability to transform how people interact with AR.

Through the use of [AR], useful information can be presented on displays built into glasses or a headset, the company notes on its website. You can see turn-by-turn directions while walking, important steps for replacing an unfamiliar machine part, or talking points for a presentation all without holding a device or looking down at a screen. By using a wearable display, AR helps you keep your concentration by providing information heads-up and hands-free. However, todays AR headsets are too awkward to be worn in social and professional situations, and many AR solutions try to create immersive experiences that can clutter reality. Thats why Mojo has pioneered the concept of Invisible Computing a display that never gets in the way.

Promotional images for Mojo Vision depict users having constellations highlighted in the night sky and hint at things like the aforementioned turn-by-turn directions on the street. Realistically, provided that the tech is as good as the company promises (and its $108 million in previous funding suggests), the number of use cases for this tech is almost limitless. An announced partnership with the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired could also make Mojo Vision particularly valuable as a piece of accessibility tech for the Blind community.

Theres still more work to be done, including the securing of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval since contact lenses are considered medical devices. There is also the question of whether AR contact lenses are going to win over a public that thought Google Glass was a bit too creepy.

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AR contact lenses are here to usher in the cyberpunk future of our dreams - Digital Trends

As we wait for the release ofCyberpunk 2077, we're all trying to anticipate what the game will be like. To do this, we look at the features the game offers, try to compare it to games by the same developer, or other games in the same or similar genres. Butif you want to know what the game will really feel like to play, you must pay attention to another aspect of the game, too, its soundscape.

RELATED:Castlevania: 10 Best Soundtracks, Ranked

Developers have released information on who is playing music for the soundtrack,and this tells us a lot. Here're ten feels you can expect from the game based on the soundtrack.

A$AP Rocky is a rapper from NYC who has experienced firsthand what the street life can be like. At a young age, he lost his older sister to a drug overdose, and in addition to rapping he has sold drugs on the street. His music can be thematically heavy, but it can also be light in feeling.

RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077: 10 Cool Features to Look Forward To

A$AP Rocky's music will add feelings of stepping into the shit and coming out clean. This will put you in the mood for conquering Night City. A great feeling for gearing up before a mission or getting down with friends afterward.

Rat Boy is a British rapper who also cites indie rock as one of his key influences. He's been compared to The Beastie Boys, and certainly there is a similarity in his early music. He's had experience as a disposable worker in the service economy, and his personal experiences form the basis for his music. For theCyberpunk 2077 soundtrack, he promises music that blends punk influence with an exploration of where electronica can go. This music will likely be good for listening to when things don't go your way; very comforting music for a loser.

Richard Devine is an electronic musician who has produced some amazingly complex sounds. The thickly layered music he produces is very different from the type of music we've encountered before on this soundtrack, and it broadens our understanding of what this soundtrack could be. Devine brings somethingalmost like what Vangelis did for theBlade Runner soundtrack, and this could lead to some very interesting feels for the game. Quiet, deep moments. In the music based trailer, he talks about making "rugged, rough, edgy" music, which isn't the type of sound he's normally known for, so it could be a bit of a wildcard here.

Nina Kraviz is a Russian DJ, producer, and singer. Trained as a dentist, she worked many jobs before she finally found success at her calling. In the music trailer, they quote her as talking about music that is "psychedelic, trippy, yet uplifting, engaging."

RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077: 10 Reasons Why Cyberpunk Still Matters

This goes along with her style of music, which can separate an audience from their surroundings and put them into a headspace that she creates. We can see her music as being ideal for club scenes, of which we expect there will be several.

Deadly Hunta combines many disparate influences in his music, including dancehall and reggae. It's nice to see him on the soundtrack, because it helps to bring a more international feel to the game. Deadly Hunta is an African artist who moved to Jamaica before establishing himself as an energetic performer and thoughtful musician. In the music trailer he talks about the music being industrial and connoting a feeling of revolution.There are a lot of places this music might fit, either as background for a drugged-out scene, or perhaps as a call to action for an uprising, the latter is of coursehearkens most to his recent song "Chemtrails."

Gazelle Twin describes her music as being "quite rebellious, and it's quite noisy and aggressive." That certainly fits the style of this British-based electronic music composer, producer, and musician. The heavy beats anddeep themes of her music will make for a very oppressive atmosphere. Adding Gazelle Twin to the soundtrack will create a sensationalmost like being trapped under the weight of the world, but like the cockroaches she uses in her "Anti Body" video, the game's heroes are resilient and still capable of escaping the pressure.

While it might initially seem strange to add a cellist to the soundtrack ofCyberpunk 2077, Tina Guo is no ordinary cellist. This Chinese-American musicianhas come a long way from her training as a classical cellist. She has a long history in pop music, performing with the Foo Fighter as far back as 2008. She has entire album themed to video game music, calledGame On!, and she has a number of amazing performance videos out there, including theGod of War main theme and an outstanding live performance of the theme from theWonder Woman movie with violinist Caroline Campbell.

RELATED:God Of War: 10 Most Heartbreaking Moments In The Series, Ranked

She talks about the range of music she's performingfor the soundtrack, including some heavy, dirty tracks, but also some mellow, ambient music. So, I guess we have to expect some mellow scenes?

Refused is a veteran punk rock band from Sweden that debuted just a year after the classic Cyberpunk 2020 RPG printed. They combine driving guitars with a wide range of influences, including jazz. The band has changed dramatically. Their anti-establishment stance makes them a great tonal fit for the game, but Refused isn't actually appearing as themselves. They are portraying the band "Samurai," in the game. This legendary chrome rock band served as the launch vehicle for rocky Johnny Silverhand voiced by Keanu Reaves when he's not singing.Several tracks by "Samurai" have been released, and this gives you your best way to sample the true sonic environment ofCyberpunk 2077.

Grimes is a Canadian dream pop musician who has already released songs related to Cyberpunk 2077. This includes "4 M," which she also performed live at The Game Awards in a spectacular stage show promoting the game. This song is consistent with some of her other recent work. She says of her music, "I think it fits with Night City because both are scary and pretty at the same time."

RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077: 10 Amazing Cosplays That Have Us Hyped For The Game

In the case of this song, the music has a dreamy, distant feel, like reality is slipping away. This could be in a good way, or it could be in a very bad way.

Perhaps the simplest inclusion on this soundtrack,Run the Jewels brings a heavy foundation to theCyberpunk 2077 soundtrack. Ahead of their highly anticipated new album this year, they are bringing their characteristic hardcore rap sound to the soundtrack, as well as their combination of fun, engaging lyrics. And the feeling they want to convey? That's simple. Killer Mike explains, "We wanna provide you with the soundtrack for f***ing shit up." There is definitely going to be a lot of that, Mike. And it will be a lot more fun with your music.

NEXT:10 Amazing Games You Should Play While You're Waiting For Cyberpunk 2077

NextThe Witcher 3: 5 Video Game Protagonists Who Could Beat Geralt In A Fight (& 5 Who Couldn't)

Matthew literally has a PhD in science fiction and has been a professional writer since 2007. He fell in love with games when they were simple, like Risk and Gort. He grew up with D&D, Paradroid, and Axis & Allies. Now he's delighted to enjoy fun times gaming with his kids and all the new options. Current favorites: Astroneer and Terraforming Mars.

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Cyberpunk 2077: 10 Feels We Can Expect Based On The Soundtrack - TheGamer

Its said almost every year: This year is looking to be one of the best one for games ever! The prospects of each new year are analyzed and stock is taken on what can be expected from console manufacturers and publishers. While some deliver in spades 2018 was a killer year for the industry others often tend to be notable but not necessarily huge. Thats all about to change this year. With a string of high-profile tent pole game releases, the growth of cloud gaming, and the beginning of an all-new console generation, 2020 is set to be pretty explosive.

For starters, Final Fantasy VII Remake arrives in March. Its not the entire game, but fans are actually getting the full-scale remake theyve dreamed about for decades. Receiving even a piece of this remake is a huge deal.

Then Cyberpunk 2077, first announced back in 2012, releases on April 16. Anticipation is through the roof for CD Projekt Reds new epic action RPG. Each trailer, gameplay demo, and piece of media cements the notion that were in for an incredibly detailed world to explore. CD Projekt Red has proven itself to be a studio that has its finger on the pulse of what many core gamers desire: narrative-driven action adventure games focused on delivering high-quality stories. Whats more, the developer is still riding high on the goodwill built from The Witcher 3, which recently received renewed interest thanks to a Netflix series.

The big hitters dont stop there by any means. Doom Eternal and Resident Evil 3, scheduled for March and April respectively, are both expected to do extremely well critically and financially. Resident Evil 3 launching just over a year after Resident Evil 2 in particular comes across as ambitious and exciting (especially since Resident Evil: Resistance is included). Capcom has been on fire lately, and if Resident Evil 3s announcement trailer is anything to go by, were in for another great time.

Perhaps most shocking of all games releasing this year is Half-Life: Alyx. Many Half-Life fans had all but given up on ever getting another entry in the franchise, with Valve showing much more interest in its position as a platform (Steam) than narrative-driven games. While Alyx is admittedly VR-only, that doesnt take away from the fact that were getting a new Half-Life experience one thats long, suggests high quality with its trailer, and dishes out more story surrounding Half-Life 2 and potentially beyond.

When looking to the console manufacturers, we see a ton of movement. Microsoft has been incredibly busy as of late, heavily pushing Game Pass, laying the ground work for xCloud, and setting the stage for the next generation with Xbox Series X.

Xbox Game Studios appears to finally be picking up steam this year with first-party titles releasing almost every month. Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Bleeding Edge are two to watch for in March. Gears Tactics and Minecraft Dungeons will definitely have their share of players in April, and games like Grounded, Wasteland 3, Tell Me Why, Battletoads, Psychonauts 2, and Flight Simulator round out the list.

The biggest elephant in the room is of course the recently revealed Xbox Series X. Xbox easily stole the show at The Game Awards with its announcement. Touted as a very powerful and dedicated gaming machine, the Series X is Microsoft throwing its full weight behind console gaming. We have yet to learn details on launch date, price, and the full extent of its hardware innards, but gamers have shown theyre definitely hungry for it.

A new console launch is a big deal. Its the culmination of years of research and development, and Microsoft is smart to release a game many have been eagerly anticipating for years right alongside it: Halo Infinite. Not only is this subconsciously symbolic Halo was a launch title for the original Xbox its a calculated move, and one Microsoft hopes will push Xbox Series X units into living rooms this holiday. If 343 delivers a home run, it will be a system seller.

Microsoft is also gearing to finally launch Project xCloud into the public domain. The companys push into cloud gaming isnt hard to see. The preview program has been regarded as a success to a majority of players, and its rollout signifies a potential turning point for many gamers worldwide. Its going to be a massive year for Xbox.

Nintendo is more of a wild card at this point. We dont know much beyond releases like Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, both slated for March, and Grasshoppers No More Heroes III. But you can be sure that a company like Nintendo has some cards up its sleeve. Nintendo Directs are always on the horizon, often holding surprises that seem to pop up out of nowhere.

Will the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild actually launch this year? Will we finally see Bayonetta 3 in our hands? Can we expect to hear more about Metroid Prime 4? These are all possibilities, just like a rumored new revision of the Nintendo Switch itself. The handheld-console hybrid has continued to ride a wave of momentum since its launch almost three years ago, and I have no doubt the company will continue that trend this year.

Sonys 2020 on the other hand is fairly transparent relatively speaking, and its looking like it will be a monster. A slew of first-party games and exclusives are set to release on PlayStation 4 this year. In development for the entire generation, Dreams is finally set to release on Feb. 14. Players have created some absolutely stunning works of art, not to mention actual functional games. Its an incredibly unique and ambitious project and could possibly open up something entirely new for game creators and gamers alike.

Nioh 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Iron Man VR are marquee exclusive titles to keep an eye on as well. Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punchs all-new open-world action adventure IP, will also be released at last later this summer. Expectations for the developer are high after the long gap since 2014s inFamous Second Son and its expansion, First Light. Demo footage and trailers have continued to tick all the right boxes, and PlayStation fans definitely love what they see.

But its The Last of Us: Part II, arguably one of the most anticipated titles in recent memory, that has PS4 owners foaming at the mouth. Naughty Dog can seemingly do no wrong at this point, and thanks to the highly lauded Uncharted series and The Last of Us, people are just dying to get their hands on the game. Its right behind Cyberpunk 2077 as the game Im most looking forward to this year. Sonys focus on highly focused narrative-driven games is continuing full steam ahead, and if Uncharted 4, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Spider-Man are anything to go by, we might even see the best-selling first-party SIE title on PS4 to date.

All of that alone makes for a busy year for the company, but its also throwing its hat into the next-gen ring with the PlayStation 5. With over 106 million PlayStation 4 systems sold to date, its not a stretch to say that many gamers will be excited as all hell to grab the next PlayStation. We still havent seen the physical console itself, let alone details on price and launch date, but we know its coming this holiday.

Like every PlayStation before it, the PS5 launch will be massive. Expect a heavy marketing campaign and a wide range of launch titles big and small. Thanks to Gearbox Software and developer Counterplay Games, we already know of one launch game. Announced at last years Game Awards, Godfall is a new looter-slasher thats set to release alongside the new console.

Even with everything said so far, we still havent taken into account several other big third-party releases like Watch Dogs: Legion, Dying Light 2, and Marvels Avengers. There are bound to be a bunch of unannounced titles ready to go too. Will Warner Bros. Montreals new Batman game, frustratingly teased with logo after logo for the past four months, finally see the light of day? Will the long rumored Viking-inspired Assassins Creed become a launch title for next-gen consoles? Whats Bluepoint Games PS5 game going to be? Could a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn theoretically be ready as a launch title? Well almost certainly see Forza Motorsport 8 for Xbox Series X.

With everything we know so far, its easy to see just how big this years bound to be. Indeed, people do say every year in games is huge, massive, or epic! But hey, when we actually stop to look at everything thats coming this time, it actually does look that way.

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The Last of Us 2, Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077 & More Have Set 2020 Up to Be an Epic Year in Gaming - The Escapist