There is a world where Cyberpunk 2077 never bounced back from its failed launch and after everyone requested their refunds five years ago, we never heard from it again. Thankfully, we don't live in that timeline, and instead CD Projekt Red's action RPG set in a sprawling dystopian future has become so successful that it now has an arcade spinoff based solely on its motorcycle combat.
The arcade game is called Cyberpunk 2077: Chrome Rush. Created by UNIS Games, together with CDPR, Chrome Rush puts you on a motorcycle and sends you out into the streets of Night City. Quite literally, at least when it comes to the motorcycle part, as the controller you'll be using to traverse these streets and fight other players is an entire motorcycle.
Introducing Chrome Rush, The Motorcycle Combat Cyberpunk Spinoff You Didn't Know You Needed
Much like Moto GP and Manx TT, to play Chrome Rush you have to sit on and control a full-sized motorcycle. Lean from left to right to steer, use the throttle to increase speed and the brake to slow down. There's also a designated “fight” button, which I assume is the one pressed when the players in the trailer lean over and whack one of their rivals with a baton.
There will also be weapons at your disposal, so you won't have to get up close and personal with rival riders, and it seems that the fight against Chrome Rush is as integrated into the game as the racing and riding. None of the characters shown in the trailer are familiar faces from Night City – although that doesn't mean Solomon Reed and Johnny Silverhand won't make an appearance at some point – but the courses are based on iconic areas from Cyberpunk's massive map.
The only place you can play Chrome Rush is in an arcade
Chrome Rush is purely an arcade experience. There are no plans to port a version of the game to consoles that requires nothing more than a DualSense rather than a full motorcycle controller. It's also still very new, which could mean that if you don't live near a high-end arcade, it might be a while before you can grab a bike and ride around this version of Night City, knocking other people off their bikes as you go.
It's a testament to how hard Cyberpunk has bounced back since one of the most infamous launches in modern video game history that even though we're years away from its sequel, it's still as talked about today as it was three, four, even five years ago. Not only does it now have an arcade spinoff, but just last week a Cyberpunk TCG was announced that blew past its funding goal within hours.
- Released
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December 10, 2020
- ESRB
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M for mature: blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs and alcohol
