The Academic Blog Post 08
Identity and Representation in Cyberpunk 2077
Figure 1: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 presents a stimulating meaning of identity and representation in the upcoming future, where the players guide a world that advances technologies but is socially cracked. Also, the game enables for personalization of in-depth characters, which gives players the space to define their uniqueness through visual references such as tattoos, personality, items of clothing, and improvements. Also, this personalization is also utilized for culture to comment on energy changes and uniqueness which is social. Because of its various patterns of characters, Cyberpunk 2077 emphasizes the problems of class, gender, and ethnicity, which shows a society where marginalized bodies guide for oppressive structure (Leonard, 2020). For instance, the character with cybernetic improvement may symbolize class stratification or a loss of humanity, while those that are more in ethical or real forms may mean opposition to the corporate society.
Figure 2: Character Customization in Cyberpunk 2077
The visual depictions of cybernetics, for example, highlight power dynamics in a society that commodifies human bodies, illustrating the relevance of John Berger’s thesis on the politics of the image (Gray, 2021).
References:
CD Projekt Red. (2020). Cyberpunk 2077. Official Website. Retrieved from https://www.cyberpunk.net/us/en/.
Gray, K. L. (2021). Intersectional Tech: Black Users in Digital Gaming. Louisiana State University Press.
Cyberpunk Fandom Wiki. (n.d.). Cyberpunk 2077 Character Customization. Retrieved from https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Cyberpunk_2077_Character_Customization?file=Deep_Dive_Video_-_Character_Customization_002_CP2077.jpg.
Leonard, D. (2020). The Future is Now: Cyberpunk 2077 and the Politics of Representation. Games and Culture.