You might not know if you don’t dabble in tabletop games, but CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 was based on an RPG module of the same name released way back in 1988. While Cyberpunk hardly invented its trademark aesthetic (Blade Runner beat ‘em by a good six years), it is the property that popularized it in the realm of gaming, as well as give it the name it’s commonly recognized by today. It’s for this reason that, whenever new cyberpunk-styled properties show up, their origins can get a bit lost in the mix. On that subject, what is Vigilance 2099? And perhaps more pressingly, is Vigilance 2099 part of Cyberpunk 2077?
Let’s answer that second question right off the bat: Vigilance 2099 is a completely new game currently in development by Envoidant Studios. Aside from its cyberpunk aesthetic and naming convention, it has absolutely nothing to do with CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. Though, considering some of the obvious similarities, one can’t help but assume this is Envoidant’s effort to make a quality cyberpunk style game where CD Projekt Red tripped up. The game’s Steam store page even bills it as “the cyberpunk game you’ve always deserved.” Ooh, them’s fightin’ words.
What is Vigilance 2099?
As for what actually differentiates Vigilance 2099 from Cyberpunk 2077 and its contemporaries, based on promotional material and prototype footage, there seems to be a greater emphasis on free-flowing exploration and combat. The game is from a third-person perspective rather than a first-person one, you can climb up buildings and shimmy along ledges like in Assassin’s Creed, and hand-to-hand combat is built around countering and reacting like in the Batman: Arkham series. Though, you can also just pull out a gun and aim over-the-shoulder if you prefer. Also, all the cars in this game fly like in Blade Runner, as opposed to Cyberpunk 2077’s cars that all run on the ground (and control like shopping carts).
Beyond those basic details, not much else is known about Vigilance 2099, as it’s still deep in development. But who knows, maybe they’ll be able to make good where CD Projekt Red stumbled.
