‘Cyberpunk 2077’ release date, new trailer, gameplay: Ripper Docs and Braindance revealed in Night City Wire

Night City Wire fulfilled gaming fans’ wishes in revealing more gameplay information along with a new trailer of “Cyberpunk 2077.” Two aspects of the gameplay stood out and were given emphasis during the livestream event and those were the ripper docs and the use of Braindance.

What are Ripper Docs and how would they help V

One of the earlier confirmed gameplay features of “Cyberpunk 2077” is the player's ability to acquire cybernetic enhancements. It is practically modifying their character’s body to boost certain abilities that will help in combat or other activities in the game.

In the new trailers and gameplay previews released during Night City Wire, CD Projekt Red gave fans a sneak peek into how that could be achieved -- one answer is the Ripper Docs. They are Night City’s special surgeons that work on giving their patients metal limbs and could even make a character into some type of “war machine,” as lead quest designer Pawel Sasko described.

Since V works as a mercenary that might need these types of enhancements, it is very likely for “Cyberpunk 2077” players to have many encounters with Ripper Docs. The latest trailer once again featured a particular Ripper Doc named Victor Vector, but Sasko confirmed that he is not the only cyborg surgeon that V will interact with across Night City.

Braindance will help flesh out ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ stories

The Braindance tech has been a huge part of the “Cyberpunk” table-top game franchise, and it is not surprising that CD Projekt Red is giving it the same importance in “Cyberpunk 2077.” It works as a recording device of someone else’s experiences that other people can then relive through an alternate reality set up.

It accurately records what the person sees, smells, and hears that allows another person to analyze it later on as shown in the extended gameplay preview in Night City Wire. Senior quest designer Patrick Mills confirmed that the background of braindance’s development will be the same in “Cyberpunk 2077” as a project that started in UC Santa Cruz for therapy and prisoner rehabilitation.

In 2077, however, the use of braindance becomes so rampant that it is already utilized as a tool for entertainment. In “Cyberpunk 2077,” the developers added an editor mode where the person reliving the braindance recording can watch more to analyze the situation rather than relive it. This means a character can observe what was happening in the surroundings of the person from whom the braindance was recorded that they may have missed when it actually happened.

Developers are still keeping much of the narrative and gameplay under wraps to keep the element of surprise. Players should note that the “Cyberpunk 2077” release date was once again delayed from Sept. 17 to Nov. 19.