REVIEW: Cyberpunk Expendables reveals a new side of Night City

After several delays, a rocky launch, delayed next-gen versions, and slightly tepid post-game content, many have decided to step away from the world of Cyberpunk 2077 for a while. Happily, Cyberpunk Mercenaries came to show that there is still a lot of story to tell in Night City.

I had the opportunity to see the first two episodes of the new anime from Netflix and the Trigger studio, and I can say that it is very good to return to this very chaotic and emblematic universe. The anime brings a new side to Night City and its citizens, revealing characters who live their lives while tangled up in the perils of the "dream city".

Curious to know more? Read on for our review of the first episodes of Cyberpunk: Mercenaries

City of Dreams

The anime starts by introducing us David Martinez, a poor boy who spends his free time having fun with neurodances pirates and studying at Arasaka Academy, a prestigious and practically exclusive school for the children of employees of the company of the same name. To maintain tuition costs, Gloria, David's mother, works extra shifts cleaning up crime scenes that roll all over Night City.

David appears to be a smart boy, but his social and economic difference makes him a target for his classmates, becoming a victim of bullying and social pressure to give up his studies. David, in a touching moment with his mother, discovers that she had been working extra jobs to keep her son in one of the most privileged institutions of education in the country, but a twist of fate caused him to completely change his lifestyle.

Tired, defeated and extremely depressed, David decides to seek help the only way he knows how, and with the help of a ripperdoc (Doctor) he performs a procedure to add a high-class military cybernetic implant, becoming a rational and potentially dangerous fighting machine.

The first episode does a great job of introducing (or reintroducing) this universe to viewers. A combination of backdrops revealing Night City's lows and highs, a heavy, modern soundtrack, and quality animations help deliver fidelity and realism that go hand in hand with what's already been featured in Cyberpunk 2077.

night city is macabre, dirty, violent but it's also mystical, colorful and vibrant, and we are easily transported to this universe in just a few minutes after the anime's frantic intro. The first episode is starts and ends in a sensational way, but its sequel ends up running out of steam to introduce new characters into David's life.

A cyberpunk future

The second episode starts at exactly the same point that the first ends, and right from the start we see David going to face all the problems that had been plaguing him. With nothing left to lose, he finds himself alone and without purpose during a calm train ride in the wealthy neighborhood of Night City. It is at this moment that he meets Lucy, a thief of cyber microchips implanted in rich people in the corporation arasaka, who recognizes David's abilities and recruits him with the promise of earning many "little ones”(Diminutive of Eurodollars, the main currency of Cyberpunk).

Throwing himself into a life of crime, the continued use of his abilities causes David to discover that his new implants are not fully compatible with his body, but he decides to continue using them to make money, even if it's just a few times a day. Lucy, who bought the medicines needed for the implantation not to deteriorate David's mind with the disease cyberpsychosis, invites the young man to his apartment for a drink.

The two share an intimate moment, in which Lucy reveals her desire to leave the city so that one day she can live in the human colonies on the moon. Although the second episode contains more action scenes than the first, it fails to keep the same gas which was created at the beginning of the anime. The episode ends with a hook for the sequel, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Fortunately, both episodes are filled with standard philosophical moments in dystopian works. Cyberpunk. These moments of criticism, self-observation and philosophy are present throughout the anime, causing a greater impact if we compare with the events of Cyberpunk 2077. In Cyberpunk: Mercenaries, Night City is a dystopian and ultra capitalist world, where big companies control everyone's aspects of life down to the smallest details, such as having to pay to use your washing machine at home or having to perform upgrades to remain relevant in society.

Cyberpunk Expendables is new but familiar

It's hard to watch Cyberpunk: Mercenaries and not make direct comparisons with the source material, whether the original roleplaying game or Cyberpunk 2077, produced by CD Project Red. In fact, this thinking is encouraged by the anime's producers as many game references and locations are faithfully recreated for animation.

Whether in the familiar noise of the protagonist's cell phone ringing or in the arasaka with holograms of fish and giant dragons floating in the air, within minutes you are already feeling at home and familiar with this world created by Mike Pondsmith. The anime follows a familiar structure from other anime in the genre, and it also stumbles upon some clichés common in Japanese animation, but its characters, its world and its story are enough to keep the attention of viewers and fans of the franchise.

The anime will be officially released on the day 13 September 2022 na Netflix, and I can't wait to see the rest of this story and characters that captivated me from the start.

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Want to return to Night City or start for the first time? Enjoy the free updates for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S made available earlier this year.