Everything we know about Cloudpunk, Cyberpunk 2077's chill cousin

Cyberpunk 2077 has garnered quite a bit of indisputable hype, and while the long wait for that game is nearly over, there's another neon-drenched dystopia in gaming to look forward to. Enter Cloudpunk, a fluffy cyberpunk delivery game that depicts the serenity of a high-tech metropolis within a compelling neo-noir adventure.

Unfortunately, Cloudpunk won't also feature Keanu Reeves like Cyberpunk 2077. Don't worry, there's still a bunch to be excited about in Cloudpunk.

Here's everything we know about Cloudpunk.

When is the Cloudpunk release date?

Cloudpunk was released for PC on April 23, 2020. The console releases on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch will happen on October 15, 2020.

Is there a trailer for Cloudpunk?

There are a few trailers. Here are two that will help you get an understanding of Cloudpunk.

The trailer gives us a good look at Cloudpunk's storytelling via characters on the lower left-hand screen that call the protagonist Rania to communicate as she's out making deliveries in her flying car in the city of Nivalis.

The lower-left area is also used to talk to NPCs in more direct encounters like when the player might purchase a bowl of ramen, for instance. Additionally, we get a look at how the protagonist navigates Nivalis via either foot or hovercar. When traversing via the hovercar, the city has a certain verticality to it, enabling in-depth exploration either much above or far below the player.

Here's a second trailer, released on September 3, 2020 to announce the console release date.

From this trailer, we get a better idea of Rania as a character.

At one point she speaks to someone called "Camus," who has been loaded into her vehicle's "automata slot." This is an AI dog that Rania would love to procure a body for, but she explains that this is all she can afford, therefore making it seem like money is a bit tight for her.

The trailer concludes with an ominous moment of Rania realizing that she may have been given a delivery that's a ticking bomb. Perhaps she's been caught in the crossfire between two opposing forces?

What is the story in Cloudpunk?

Cloudpunk takes place in the city of Nivalis and focuses on a courier named Rania. It offers a window into the city’s happenings during a single night. You’ll interact with all sorts of humans, cyborgs, and robots, each with a different stake in the city.

The main narrative is Rania’s first night as a delivery person employed by Cloudpunk, a delivery company for Nivalis' seedy underbelly. With each successful delivery, the world rapidly expands. You meet Nivalis’ denizens, who essentially manifest 100s of micro-stories. These micro-stories can be interacted with as side quests. For example, there’s BlockFourOh, a robot gang pursued by the authorities because of their "urban renewal projects.”

There’s no combat in Cloudpunk. All you do is drive a hovercar, walk, collect items that expand the world’s narrative, and deliver collected items.

Nivalis is a character onto itself, drawing inspiration from famed bustling metropolises like Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul. This isn’t unlike William Gibson’s Night City, which is based in Tokyo as well.

What is the gameplay like in Cloudpunk?

Your goal is to make it through to morning, surviving your first shift. Opposite Cyberpunk 2077’s action-intense environment, Cloudpunk shows a more working-class perspective to the supposed future.

As Rania, you’re constantly delivering packages, meaning you’re always driving or walking somewhere. When you're driving, you'll have a third person top-down perspective. While walking, this will shift to side-camera similar to what you might see in a sidescroller. Rania is accompanied by an AI dog named Camus.

Cloudpunk is far more narrative-based than gameplay centric. Don't enter expecting a game mechanical marvel, and you'll leave delighted.

Are there other games you might compare Cloudpunk to?

The developer says they were inspired by intimate indie titles like Firewatch, Disco Elysium, and Kentucky Route Zero.

Is there anywhere I can get a feel for Cloudpunk's writing?

Yes! Cloudpunk's lead writer, Thomas Welsh, has released numerous books, short stories, and articles.

Welsh's entire body of work can be found on his website.

Cloudpunk comes to PS4, Xbox One, Switch on October 15, 2020.