A story-driven, open-world RPG of the dark future from CD PROJEKT RED, creators of The Witcher series of games, Cyberpunk 2077, set to release on 17th September on all platforms, involves aesthetic and racial stereotypes. The
Tyger Claws rock glowing tattoos, katanas, and street bikes are the three hallmark aspects of Japanese culture. With their emphasis on martial arts, swordsmanship, and other melee-based sorts of combat, it seems as if the go-to strategy for taking down Tyger Claws opponents is to bring a gun to the katana fight.
The Claws are rumored to be backed by Arasaka, an in-universe Japanese mega-corporation specializing in banking, corporate security, and manufacturing. Although Projekt Red and their new billionaire CEO won’t have a grasp on what cyberpunk actually entails, Cyberpunk 2077 will likely see players butting heads with Arasaka and their Claws fighters at some point within the game.
Projekt Red’s media posts about the game’s various gangs and factions haven’t been very informative. But one thing’s for sure. They do not have a sensitivity reader in their employ. Cyberpunk 2077’s less-than-stellar caricature of a facet of Japanese culture stands alongside its completely abysmal portrayal of the Animals, also as other representation issues.
The gang is primarily made from Black and brown characters. Animals are named “the Animals” and are primarily known for doping and using “animal supplements” to push themselves to peak physical, that is to mention, bestial—conditions. Its portrayal paints a questionable picture of Projekt Red’s intentions. An excellent deal of the game’s content is drawn from the 1988 tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2013. This could explain the tone-deaf narrative choices involved in Projekt Red’s computer game remake.
Cyberpunk 2013 has received quite its justifiable share of content updates. While a number of the more unsavory aspects were cut in its transformation to the version, Projekt Red states its game is predicated on Cyberpunk 2020. It had been ultimately on Project Red to change bad source material in its remake, which it evidently did not do.