Preface: I never played the game and have no intention of ever playing the game so game spoilers or connecting threads to the game will not be included. Spoiler free outside of some episode one information.

Cyberpunk is built upon human nature’s dependence on the forging of bonds amongst familial and social circles. These bonds all impose their will to mold and shape the user. It has been this way when time began and will persist into the distant future. Cyberpunk paints this unknown future for us, the crowded and vibrant confines of Night City. From the opening scenes of episode one, the viewer witnesses this city's wealth disparity and how unforgiving the class hierarchy can be. The unparalleled challenge of summiting this mountain amongst the millions of others who set out with the same desire.

Gloria Martinez worked tooth and nail to make that dream a reality for her son, David. Her involvement in all aspects of this city weaved an intricate web that ensnares David, becoming the catalyst for his move into underground crime while also being the crown jewel for Arasaka, a megacorp housed in Night City. This begins a snowball that doesn't stop rolling until the denouement. The underground builds a tight-knit group of fleshed out characters. The rowdy and rambunctious Pilar and Rebecca. The muscular and domineering pairing of Maine and Dorio. The cold and stoic Kiwi. And of course, the beautiful yet distant Lucy. Meanwhile, the few glimpses of the megacorps showcase less so characters and more world building and societal constructs. They control everything and have eyes in all places. They as an entity are cruel and calculating with the sole purpose of ascertaining as much capital as possible. If any personality in a character shows in this setting, it is solely to demonstrate the avarice that is ingrained in denizens of Night City.

The first half of the series builds up countless connections within the ever expansive underworld, establishing a compelling cast that our protagonist slowly amalgamates into along the way. The hopes and dreams of his late mother; the newfound admiration of Maine; the turbulent friendship of Rebecca; the budding romance of Lucy; all of this conveys the innate desire to belong somewhere and this is the place David needs to be. As the series progresses, more and more of Night City's hierarchy becomes apparent. Conflict arises, demanding David to mature amidst the nonstop action of a life a crime all while the highest possible floors of the megacorps know his name. The last few episodes shine a grandiose and awe-inspiring spotlight to the main cast. All the bits and pieces of every character we met, every dream they dreamt, every step they took all clash in this one final vibrant and dramatic conflict. The fleeting seconds of the final episode leave us with this beautiful image to remember everything that has transpired throughout the journey.

A well-written story such as Cyberpunk means little without a dedicated staff to bring the characters and scenes to life. The color composition in each scene is among the best in the industry. The reflective neon lights always coded well with what was occurring on screen and benefitted from the sharp contours that are a trademark of many Trigger shows. Subtle gradients are added to provide extra temperature to each scene whether it's the radiant glow of a fire or the cool and lonely lighting of streetlamps. Trigger managed to keep its bold style while leaning into modern techniques, propelling the medium as a whole. Often, these bold and brash art styles leave a more cartoony impression that would pull the viewer out of the darker atmosphere of a series like Cyberpunk, but the art managed to keep itself grounded just enough to keep the grit that is to be expected from the underworld of Night City while still bombastic enough to properly express the insanity of the violence.

I watched it entirely in English but popped back in to check on the Japanese voice acting, particularly because I've appreciated Tomoyo Kurosawa's work in the past. I'll stick to English voice acting though for this review. The whole cast's delivery grew on me as time progressed, as there was always a passion when lines were delivered. The array of feelings from Lucy (Emi Lo) varied from these cold and callous moments where she wanted to be this mature edgerunner for David to admire to these warmer moments when you sensed love and joy towards the crew that would switch some shrill moments when the anger bubbled out. The repeated pitch cracking from Rebecca (Alex Cazares) fit extraordinarily well when scenes were fast and epic. The distortion on Kiwi's voice (Stephanie Wong) provided a nice that added to the distance of her enigmatic personality while still hearing particular quirks in her voice depending on the scene. Then you get to some distinguishable and rich voices from supporting characters like the thick Jamaican accent from Ripperdoc (Borge Etienne) or the cowboy twang of Falco (Matt Mercer) or even the goofy fighting sound effects from Katsuo Tanaka (Aleks Le) in episode one. Probably the most exemplary of all would be Faraday (Giancarlo Esposito) whose delivery and enunciations commanded every scene he was a part of.

The charisma and the variety encapsulated in the soundtrack is something to be praised. During quiet scenes, songs like Retrogenesis or Undertow Velocity (both done by Private Press) kept these quiet synths that kept the atmosphere heavy while still not commanding the scene. Then there were the obvious punk tracks to keep edge with features from The Armed and Ugory. Or you can have a mixture of both with tracks like Kevin (Antigama) which utilizes heavy blast-beats and distorted vocals to mash together cyber and punk. My standout track was Acid Breather by Mastiff who made one of the chase scenes in this blistering action sequence that was so heavy and unrelenting for maybe 90 seconds tops. Did not overstay its welcome but definitely provided every ounce of energy that was needed for the moment.

Cyberpunk sits upon the zenith for what can be accomplished in a 10 episodes series. The world that was constructed, the characters that were introduced, and the plot threads are all expertly crafted and delivered by some of the most talented individuals in the industry. The narrative for both David and Lucy felt well-rounded and complete. The ways they built their own dreams as well as the ambitions inherited onto them were thoroughly explored and tied together into one of the most aesthetically gorgeous and dynamic pieces in recent memory.