Bloomsbury Cyberpunk 2077: Cyborg Bodies, Community, and Culture (Video Games in Focus)

Cyberpunk 2077, the first in the new Video Games in Focus series, examines how the popular game explores bodily cultures in the dystopian setting of Night City, utilizing multidisciplinary and intersectional approaches to interrogate in an area of substantial importance to contemporary games, with a focus on cultures, communities, and depictions of bodily representation in video games. Cyberpunk 2077 is an immensely popular video game title—a transmedia product, spanning boardgames, books and even a Netflix TV show. But what makes the communities of Night City special? How are the communities depicted, and organised? How does player interaction shape perceptions of culture and identity? Cyberpunk 2077: Cyborg Bodies, Community, and Culture interrogates these questions, discussing the ways in which communities in Night City organise around the body and how this shapes the experience and interactions of the role-playing game. The book interrogates theories surrounding the body (and body horror) and how body-politics are fundamental to community formation in Night City. Concepts of bodily purity, body augmentation and social class, and cyborg sexuality help develop theories of how we experience and play interactive narratives. The Video Games in Focus series explores individual landmark video games within their cultural and historical context. Each book focuses on one game’s unique narratives, themes, and innovations, as well as its importance in the evolution of interactive media. The titles in this series explore a variety of aspects, including artistic merit, societal impact, narrative innovation, and role in contemporary culture in order to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and fresh perspectives while showcasing individual games.