Following the mad success of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Keanu Reeves will be seen in the upcoming video game Cyberpunk 2077. Developed by CD Projekt Red, the game was first unveiled in May 2012 for Microsoft Windows. Its compatibility for PlayStation and Xbox devices, along with three-minute trailer, was announced at the E3 2018 gaming conference in Los Angeles.
Reeves involvement with the game has taken many by surprise, setting off a Twitter frenzy soon after his announcement at Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference on Sunday.
This isn't Reeves' first time in a video game, however—he voiced Neo in Enter the Matrix released in 2003.
Coming back to Cyberpunk 2077, the game is adapted from the 1988 tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020. It is set fifty-seven years later in dystopian Night City, California, an open world with six distinct regions. In a first-person perspective, players assume the role of the customisable mercenary V, whose gender, hairstyles, face, body type, body modifications, background, and clothing are customisable.
The trailer has made the storyline of the game much clearer this year.
In the trailer, the V is about to make a deal for a chip and has a flashback of his friend dying during the heist. When he comes back to present time, he finds himself betrayed and has to use his cybernetic body to take out the bad guys. It's later in the trailer when Reeves shows up—right at the end, saying "Wake the f*** up, Samurai. We have a city to burn." It is still not clear what his role is in the game though.
The game is slated for release on 16 April 2020.
Reeves is not the only Hollywood celebrity involved with a major video game this year. Death Stranding, another upcoming action game developed by director Hideo Kojima for PlayStation 4, will star The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen, better known as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Reedus plays the lead character Sam in the game while Mikkelsen plays the role of the antagonist Cliff. The game's plot is best explained by Kojima himself, who in a tweet said:
People have created “Walls” and become accustomed to living in isolation.
“Death Stranding” is a completely new type of action game, where the goal of the player is to reconnect isolated cities and a fragmented society. It is created so that all elements, including the story and gameplay, are bound together by the theme of the “Strand” or connection. As Sam Porter Bridges, you will attempt to bridge the divides in society, and in doing create new bonds or “Strands” with other players around the globe. Through your experience playing the game, I hope you’ll come to understand the true importance of forging connections with others.
Death Stranding will be released on 8 November this year.
