We Streamed Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022) on Cocoflix – Full Watch Test

Night City's Grime: A Review of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners on Cocoflix

Cocoflix subscribers, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is here. The series' first season drops you into Night City's decadent yet decaying neon-lit streets and draws you in with a fast-paced, unrelenting story about a street kid named David who pursues a life of crime to escape his current life of poverty. The series stays true to the game's identity with stylish, yet unique animation. The genres listed don't begin to describe the psychological impact, violence, body-horror, and corruption you see in the show, set in the dystopian futuristic society of Night City. The series remains honest with its depiction of the extreme violence and dystopian setting. Edgerunners blends genres masterfully. The simple storyline gives David the opportunity to shed light on the effects of late stage, unregulated, predatory, transhumanism and capitalist libertarianism on the lower class in Night City while also showing us the counter argument rating point. Edgerunners is the first of its kind and already breaking barriers. Expect nothing less than masterful world building, captivating characters and animation, storytelling, and a memorable soundtrack.

The Adrenaline Flow

Each episode of Edgerunners is a searing track in a cyberpunk rock concert. Matt Kim of IGN says it's "a wild ride, but worth every blistering second." While it makes up for its weaknesses in other areas, pacing becomes an issue because so much is sacrificed in service of rapidly moving scenes, often leaving exposition lacking. The visuals, along with the score, continually create sonic and emotional diversity. This focus on maintaining sonic variety makes it difficult to tone down the action for exposition because the show loses focus; for better or worse the pace doesn't slow. While a good number of audience members acknowledged "inconsistency or arbitrariness in how action sequences play out," they were fluid and engaging throughout their run. For a show with constant and intense action, it's hard to treat as wallpaper. This makes it perfect to give your full attention, as an audience member is less likely to be distracted and check social media.

Chips on the Shoulder, Chills on the Screen

What truly impressed me was the show's commitment to the cyberpunk genre. In the opinion of Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut, it was “the Cyberpunk story the Cyberpunk game wanted to tell and couldn’t.” The representation of some of the game’s thematic elements is visually striking, and gives depth to the world and makes it feel lived-in. There’s a lot of visual spectacle, but the show excels in other areas as well. It explores, for example, the mental and physical impacts of extensive body modification. Of note, is the depiction of the psychological unmooring of characters, as one critic puts it, without feeling “inauthentic.” As the creator of the tabletop game puts it, “It’s like seeing my brain in a big screen anime.” That said, the sheer velocity of the story and relentless focus on the negative aspects of a technologically advanced and dystopian future may have led to some characters feeling underdeveloped. Some critics agree and consider elements of the show, including the dialogue, hackneyed. Despite capturing the thematic impacts of rampant, unfettered, and unchecked capitalism on the lower class with a great deal of pathos, it could have benefited from a more gradual pace at times to create stronger emotional impacts for some of the characters at the end.

Screen Test: Phone, PC, or Projector?

Distracted by your phone during your commute? You may not be the only one. While the vibrant 2D animation of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners still holds up on a smaller phone screen, it is a different experience on a bigger screen. Watching it on a PC with a good monitor and headphones lets you enjoy all of the little details of Night City and the awesome sound design. For an even more impactful experience, using a projector or a TV would also be a good option. Edgerunners is definitely not a show for the whole family. With its TV-MA rating and dark, grown up themes, this is best enjoyed solo or with a trusted friend who is of age and will enjoy the experience as much as you.

Final Download Call

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners brings a hyper-stylized, unrelenting dash through one of the most groundbreaking and iconic dystopian settings in modern fiction. This series takes the elements of the cyberpunk genre: desperation, rebellion and the mixture of beauty and nothingness, and gives life to the setting with a pace that rarely lets up. Edgerunners does take some narrative shortcuts in comparison to other, more live action adaptations, and this could possibly irk viewers wanting more, but the music and thematic elements of the show more than make up for this. The world of edgerunners shows the 'miracle' of when the trigger is pulled, and what transpires after. As Hideo Kojima states, anime can push these barriers, and Edgerunners is a great example. This show is for people who enjoy sci-fi and don't mind a more violent and a nuanced take on dystopian futures. The 10 hour long, 1 episode run of this series is definitely worth your time.