Reeves talks about Johnny Silverhand, tech marvels of 'Cyberpunk 2077'
What's the story
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action-packed role-playing game based on the Cyberpunk franchise. It will see Keanu Reeves in a major role and is set for a December 10 release this year. Reeves plays Johnny Silverhand, the lead singer of the band Samurai. The game has been in development since 2012 but Reeves was under obligation to keep his part in the game a secret.
Game development
Reeves's past trysts with video games
In an interview with Night City Wire, the official livestream of the game, Reeves revealed that he has been a part of some games in the past but the involvement was minimal. "I've had the opportunity to do voice over a few times, I've worked on a cartoon, I had done some documentaries, but I've never done this much," he said.
Context
Why the hype around Cyberpunk 2077?
Gamers are excited about CD PROJEKT RED's Cyberpunk 2077 as their last game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a tremendous success. The player will have a multitude of options to choose from as his or her character and embark on missions while employing a host of strategies. Its stunning graphics make Night City the place where you would want to be.
Character
What is Silverhand like?
"You get to see Johnny as the rock star, you hear about his military past, and he's fighting for his survival. So he's kind of got all these things leading into the moment of this guy," Reeves said when asked about his insights into his virtual role of Silverhand. He has also compared his motion capture experience to that of the Matrix franchise!
Technology
How realistic is the game?
"I've done motion capture in the Matrix films. So, to start doing motion capture for Johnny [Silverhand], it was all very familiar to me. The only difference I think, technologically, was how close they were going to real time review," said Reeves. Incidentally, the developer has spent 175 hours playing Cyberpunk 2077 but hasn't reached the end yet.