Close Menu
    Cyberpunk RED

    2 Years Later, CDPR Finally Listened To My Best Cyberpunk 2077 Suggestion

    mikyael0001By 007 Mins Read
    2 Years Later, CDPR Finally Listened To My Best Cyberpunk 2077 Suggestion

    I am happy to see that CD Projekt Red and R. Talsorian Games have finally done some proper cross promotion with the inclusion of the Cyberpunk Red “Easy Mode” PDF for those who own Cyberpunk 2077, the video game based on the tabletop RPG. While Cyberpunk 2077 drew attention based on CDRP’s reputation built through The Witcher video game series, at the time of its release it did not overtly draw attention to its pen-and-paper RPG source material. I wrote a Screen Rant article suggesting this very idea in 2022, and it’s nice to see it finally happen.

    When I wrote about how Cyberpunk 2077 has hidden TTRPG roots, I noted how it, and other video games, represented missed opportunities to support and grow the considerably smaller hobby of tabletop roleplaying. For perspective, Dungeons & Dragons, easily the market leader in TTRPGs, is estimated to have sold between 3 and 5 million copies of its 5th edition Player’s Handbook, which is DnD’s most successful edition of all time. Cyberpunk 2077 has sold roughly 30 million copies. Cyberpunk Red certainly benefited from the video game adaptation, but there remains a numbers gap between video game fans and TTRPG hobbyists.

    Better Late Than Never For Cyberpunk Red

    Offering A TTRPG Starter Kit PDF Still Matters, Years Later

    David Martinez from Cyberpunk Edgerunners standing next to V from Cyberpunk 2077 in front of a screenshot from the game

    As reported by Polygon, Cyberpunk 2077’s December update added quick start rules for Cyberpunk Red, the latest tabletop RPG edition of the game, along with a PDF of Cyberpunk 2020, the second edition of the Cyberpunk TTRPG. Cyberpunk Red had an Edgerunners expansion, capturing the vibe of the Netflix anime adaptation of the TTRPG, and it has certainly already benefited from the IP’s multimedia exposure. Some metrics had it as the number three TTRPG in 2023, behind Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, which is an impressive benchmark for the previously niche game, certainly the height of its success to date.

    I think it’s fair to say most TTRPG fans play video games, but numbers confirm that only a small portion of the video game audience plays tabletop RPGs.

    There were already numerous cyberpunk genre tabletop RPGs available at the time Cyberpunk 2077 launched in 2020, with more being released every year, like Cities Without Number, or the TTRPG adaptations of Altered Carbon and Blade Runner. Getting a free quick start PDF added four years after the game’s release (and two years after my article) is certainly better late than never. Still, there was massive buzz surrounding the game at the time of its release (albeit some of it negative) compared to now. It is sad to think that moment could have done more to build new TTRPG converts.

    I love the cyberpunk genre, and it lends itself remarkably well to TTRPGs as an alternative to the high fantasy of DnD. I wrote about Timothy Leary’s planned Neuromancer video game adaptation previously, a fascinating bit of gaming lore. William Gibson’s genre defining Neuromancer is one of my favorite novels. I was already a D&D fan, but Neuromancer made me want to play games like Shadowrun and R. Talsorian’s Cyberpunk TTRPG. Starting with cyberpunk might even be better than the more typical use of DnD as an introduction to tabletop role-playing, and Cyberpunk 2077 can help create future role-playing fans.

    Baldur’s Gate 3 & Other Adaptations Should Follow Suit

    All Video Games Based On TTRPGs Should Include Basic Rules PDFs

    Cyberpunk 2077 was not the only game in which I advocated for the inclusion of a TTRPG quick start. The Shadowrun trilogy of video game RPGs should have promoted the Shadowrun tabletop RPG more overtly, and Baldur’s Gate 3 could easily include a PDF starter set for DnD. Nothing stops a player from enjoying Baldur’s Gate 3 and then seeking out a copy of a DnD starter kit. Putting a tabletop RPG starter set directly in a video game fan’s hand (or hard drive) adds more likelihood that they will try it out and potentially discover a new favorite hobby.

    I Wish Any D&D VTT Came Close To Solasta - Art from Solasta depicting a battle with enemies crawling along horizontal walls

    Related

    I Wish Any D&D VTT Came Close To Solasta

    Solasta showcases vertical movement and complex terrain in its Dungeons & Dragons battles. VTTs should replicate this experience, but they fall short.

    Video games and tabletop RPGs are extremely compatible hobbies. There are quite a few tabletop RPGs inspired by video games, and a video game is just as likely to give Game Masters ideas for their next campaign as a novel or a television series. I think it’s fair to say most TTRPG fans play video games, but numbers confirm that only a small portion of the video game audience plays tabletop RPGs. There have been video game adaptations of RPGs for decades, ranging from mega-hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 to obscure releases like the Rifts game for the Nokia N-Gage.

    While I doubt my article was the deciding factor, I am thrilled to see Cyberpunk 2077 finally offering access to Cyberpunk Red, hopefully starting a trend.

    The long-delayed Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 trailers have kept me excited about the game, but as much as I love the original Bloodlines, I have even more fondness for the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop RPG, along with the entire World of Darkness TTRPG line it spawned. Bloodlines 2 could play a critical role in promoting Vampire’s 5e tabletop RPG, currently published by Renegade Games, by including a quick start PDF with the video game on its release. Pathfinder’s video games could offer a taste of Paizo’s revamped second edition of the fantasy tabletop RPG, among many other missed opportunities.

    Tabletop RPGs Need Less Gatekeeping, More Open Doors

    TTRPGs Can Be Intimidating For Newcomers, But Video Games Can Aid Growth

    Blades In The Dark title on left with drawn assassin character in a hood carrying knives on right

    Tabletop RPGs are a fantastic hobby, and I have loved playing and acting as Game Master in numerous campaigns with various systems and genres, over more than two decades of play. Some TTRPGs are easier for new players than others, but the hobby itself can be strangely unwelcoming and impenetrable to many. This could be due to the social pressures of role-playing, or the unique form of collaborative storytelling it entails, but unfortunately, gatekeeping is also a major problem. Many veteran fans become calcified in their tastes and ideas about tabletop RPGs, and are less than supportive of new players.

    The full PDF rules of Cyberpunk Red are available through DriveThruRPG.com. A physical version is available at rtalsoriangames.com and the game is also supported through the Roll20 virtual tabletop.

    Video games, conversely, are a nearly ubiquitous form of entertainment today. The RPG genre of video games owes its roots to tabletop RPGs, and RPG elements have bled across into nearly every type of video game. This connection makes video games a natural gateway to TTRPGs. I would argue that the video games literally based on tabletop RPGs don’t just have an opportunity to promote their source material, but a responsibility to do so. While I doubt my article was the deciding factor, I am thrilled to see Cyberpunk 2077 finally offering access to Cyberpunk Red, hopefully starting a trend.

    Source: Polygon, R. Talsorian Games/YouTube

    Share.

    Related Posts

    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply