of the Devil Episode 2: his due, picks up a month or so after the events of Episode 1, with our lead lawyer Morgan getting pulled into representing a bodyguard for the Ikariyas, one of the wealthiest families in its dystopian hell. Similar to Episode 1, she has personal ties to the case itself (albeit with a MUCH different context), leading her to wrestle with what she knows about the crime against what she can actually talk about or use in court. This struggle creates an incredibly interesting push and pull as she pieces things together, and really exemplifies the unique nature of the game’s perspective, how it can be utilized to sow misdirections and freshen up what would otherwise be well-trodden tropes.

What stood out to me immediately in Episode 2 was how things fire on all cylinders right from the get-go. Both the prologue and Episode 1 leaned towards treating the nature of Morgan as a serial killer with the gravitas of a twist ending, and I was a little concerned that most of her evil would be committed off-screen and handled as pure reference. Nth circle isn’t shy about their inspirations—unless you somehow missed the referential humor scattered throughout—and I’m glad to see that stays true for gradually utilizing Morgan more and more, the same way a similar character like Makima from Chainsaw Man slowly gains, for no want of a better term, hype and aura moments.

By making Morgan the perpetrator of most of the crime she has to defend someone else for, Episode 2 is able to have the tension of a Death Note “can she get away with it” without sacrificing the core mystery and investigative elements that make up the murder mystery genre. This is a great way of avoiding the common issues in mystery games, where key information has to be kept from the player’s perspective, even if they’re meant to be seeing what a specific character is seeing. A perfect example is Heavy Rain’s killer reveal, where they have to go out of their way to actively misrepresent a situation to the player in order to deliver their twist. By maintaining that Morgan “only knows what she knows”, the story can deliver intrigue in the same way suspense stories like Death Note or the better parts of Danganronpa do without falling apart in the process. 

Equally impressive are the continued updates to animations and the consistent willingness to go off-model without becoming tonally inconsistent. Episode 1 has some really great Monogatari-style cutaways where the screen will change color and deliver a single line; but Episode 2 doubles down with noir-style typewriting, more non-ADV style visual novel sequences, and cute one-off bits like cutting to the old VN classic photoshopped jpeg of something in 4:3. Morgan’s big murder scene is a particular standout, changing the perspective from sprite-to-sprite communication to a more sinister front-facing shot that properly captures the darker and uglier side of the protagonist. 

Every new and returning character is absolutely fantastic. It’s easy to describe of the Devil as an Ace Attorney-like, but where it really succeeds is the way in which it humanizes even the most annoying member of its retinue. Morgan herself is a bit of a fail-girl, but so is everyone, and seeing a little bit of that for the folks you run into helps capture the most important part of Cyberpunk fiction: the humanity subdued by the society. Cyberpunk is a genre that all too often fails because its works’ ideas of humanity are limited to either traditional conservative essentialism, or transhumanistic neo-religion. Here, there’s a distinct understanding that Cyberpunk is speculative fiction; it’s ideally formed from ponderances on where exactly society could go when scientific or societal shifts change the paradigm. All too often, though, (as seen in works like Cyberpunk 2077) these stories become a selection of aesthetic choices and tropes rather than considered analysis and critique. Ace Attorney treats its setting conceit of injustice and absurdity as a means to an end for a video game; of the Devil is intent on showing you exactly what makes its city, and the people in it.

And there are so many people to love! Android Serra continues to be a standout, leaning all-in to her martial-arts fetishism as it (sometimes) relates to the case. DA Emma Rockford works great as a continued rival, and the way the narrative plays with her absolute confidence really sells the way she acts and the intent of her actions. Both detectives Reyes and London return, and gain more interesting layers to their personalities that sets up future threads putting them apart from remaining the incompetent police lackeys to the real investigation. Robotic Adjutant 84 once again demonstrates you can improve on the standard old judge with a big beard by making them a manic blonde woman.

Episode 2’s new characters are also exceptionally well presented.  Every case-specific character in Episode 1 had something interesting to contribute, but they had to work double duty by being the functional introduction to the game’s world and the overall format of power dynamics the player has to acclimate to. Now that things are more or less understood, the characters can get more silly with it, and it really pays off. Every member of the Ikariya family is charming, even if they’re among the more morally questionable characters in the setting (which is saying something). 

It’s easy to fall into tropes, especially when going for the more strict formatting of something like a trial-focused visual novel, but what matters is making the tropes fun to engage with through character dynamics and prose. Yes, new character Diamani is the archetypal Cyberpunk bartender, but his charm comes from the way he’s teaching Serra cringe memes and getting serious with Morgan. Han is half the lesbians I know. Makoto Ikariya is every cloistered rich-kid in an anime ever, but it works because the way he talks is incredibly charming, and seeing the way he bounces off the other members of his family (especially his grandfather, huoh) fleshes out their relation to the setting and what this world makes of its people.

The theme of focusing on humanizing everyone you meet, contrasted against Morgan’s sociopathy, just hits soooooo good. This isn’t a Death Note situation where you’re seeing one weird freak’s specific world view, and a lot of functional characters that serve to maintain a narrative conceit. You get a weird, messy, and inconsistent series of events that match the compromising world under late capitalism. Especially in a story with cops, arguably the most hateable group you could think of, being able to distinctly capture the humanity buried underneath the evil and performance without inadvertently forgiving their existence (a commonality of detective fiction) is an incredible feat.

It’s so hard writing about of the Devil because I genuinely get so effusive every time. I’ve said it in my last two pieces, and here again, but do you know how bad every single Cyberpunk work is? Do you know how hellish it is to play Cyberpunk 2077 or Shadowrun and see such a surface level engagement with politics on such a baffling level that you’d struggle to believe the people writing the game even come from the same world the rest of us do? The intricacies to which of the Devil goes to represent labor, medical exploitation, and economic divides comes across as far more real than the average “here’s the dirty cyber slums where the drug addicts (who are all crazed killers by the way) live”. Most of the plot for this episode revolves around the economic implications of a construction plan in poorer areas and just how big of a deal it would be! It’s real! 

To go further, one particular plot point draws directly from something we’re seeing in our world right now; the way the different crime families engage with the legalization of a recreational drug. One of these organizations utilizes a front-facing pharmaceutical company which allows them to benefit directly from the legalization, while the other is about to lose access to this revenue stream they’ve established over the years, affecting various sectors of impoverished people. In the midst of learning about all of this, you can also read about the continued price gouging impacting sufferers of type-2 diabetes, even 60 years into the future. 

This is exactly what speculative fiction should be doing! It captures a nuanced, obviously fictional take on a concept that we’re familiar with (the gradual legalization of previously criminalized substances changing communities in different ways across the world) and marries it with an even more concrete example of social commentary that’s a natural extension of the same environment, if not a different aspect to it. There is fiction in the concepts and names, but reality in the actual subject matter, which establishes the work’s theory and praxis. This isn’t Cyberpunk 2077’s nebulous and abstracted “cyberpsychosis.” This is a relatable critique that discusses and evaluates the real issues we’re currently facing, getting back to the genre underpinnings of warning at what is, and what could be. 

So yeah, again, really excited about everything happening here. There are 3 more of the Devil episodes planned, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the hell happens, and how the story will balance the prospect of a more focused main plot versus the procedural episodic nature. I’m excited to see whatever sick outfits the fantastically stylized art brings, I can’t wait to see Morgan kill more people, I can’t wait to see how Serra owns Morgan next, I-hey wait come back I haven’t finished telling you about how much I like of the—

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The first of of the Devil’s planned 5 episodes, an idle mind, has not only cemented my faith in nth circle studios’ design, but also demonstrated a love and understanding of its several inspirations in a fleshed out, well considered, and distinct style all its own.

of the Devil takes place in the year 2086, a future where megacorporations have continued to gain more and more control over society through their entanglement with both state powers, and their contributions to near-omnipresent surveillance tools in the form of sweeping security systems and robotic service workers known as Adds. Similar to the world of Phoenix Wright, the court systems have been “overhauled” to ensure quick and deliberate verdicts in the result of the violent crime, leading to a world where almost every criminal trial ends with a guilty verdict.

You play as Morgan, a defense attorney with a darkly cynical but determined attitude who views the world in a series of gambling analogies. The various conversations and situations you’ll run into over the course of the game are contextualized as such; Blackjack when you’re interrogating a witness, or calling poker tells when cross-examining, with your own set of evidence organized as a deck of cards. You’ll earn credits as you guess or bluff your way to success, but just like real gambling you can’t always win, so you have to learn when to minimize your losses by staying your hand.

While the more intensive gambling sequences are iterative of something like a Danganronpa, of the Devil feels mainly inspired by the Ace Attorney series, especially in format. You go around collecting evidence, talk to your silly little companions, and luck your way into figuring things out that even your genius rival couldn’t. Unlike Ace Attorney, however, of the Devil is much more interested in actually painting a picture of its broader world, and the political ideas that underpin it. Indeed, though I love Ace Attorney, having replayed several of them recently through their remasters has clued me in on just how much time ends up wasted on reiteration and attempted character bits, rather than actual tangible concepts about the world or history that could be fleshing those characters out even more.

Everything in of the Devil feeds into something else. I mentioned in my write-up of the demo just how much I loved their in-depth readables; short news stories that do media literacy tests on you after you read them, and Wikipedia-style articles that can either provide genuine information or a reflection of how much control the state has over the dissemination of knowledge. Episode 1 has a significantly larger number of these readables, and I was consistently impressed by just how many aspects of the world had been fleshed out and explained as they’re introduced by framing it as plugging terms into a web browser. 

It’s this specific aspect I think that paints why of the Devil works so well as a cyberpunk work where others have continuously failed; it actually takes time to meaningfully explain how the world works in terms that are understandable today, and feel like a logical extension of the modern oligarchal and fascist systems we’re trapped inside. All too often, especially in games like Cyberpunk 2077, the nihilism and absurdity are amped up to 11 to the point that it doesn’t even feel like a compelling or thoughtful critique could even be made, or that there’s even anything in those worlds that feels “real”. When of the Devil talks about a concept, like laws that exist to anonymize the wealthy, or even something as simple as the fight for right to repair continuing unsuccessfully, they’re contextualized in events, in slopes and time. These aren’t bits created just to demonstrate capitalism’s chokehold in a vacuum, they’re given excuses, the same way it’s happened since time immemorial, and continues to happen right now.

There was one specific moment where the reliance on Wikipedia in a cyberpunk setting worked really well narratively too! Morgan references a large-scale disaster, a corporate based-disaster that killed a lot of people, and naturally it gives you a search term for it. However you can’t actually see what the event is, because the wiki has blocked access to the page due to “external attacks from [variable_UserAdversaryLatest]”. This worked really well as a way of obscuring what that event actually is, if the story wants to afford it meaningful amounts of time later, and also works to show what an evolution of information access looks like further down our more cynical line.

The presentation was a huge step up even from the demo as well! While I always enjoy the style of harsh cutaway used in the demo as a means of expressing Morgan’s darker side mid-conversation, adding in softer alternatives like Monogatari-esque cutaways with stage cards, or the occasional text around the periphery to make jokes reminded me exactly why visual novels can be so good! They’re a medium focused on delivering text to you, but it doesn’t have to be static, it doesn’t have to be direct! A screen doesn’t have to just be a box with text and the character expression sheet, it can be so much more!

A thing I found myself especially enjoying as a cyberpunk fan, was the abstracted 3D environmental backings to most scenes, that immediately brought to mind the 90’s era of cyberpunk in films and animation, where 2D or live action would suddenly cut to an alien panorama of rudimentary cgi to flaunt their high tech world. When Morgan takes a cab somewhere, it usually cuts to either an internal monologue or phone conversation that plays while you just get to watch the outside of a car window as they loop around the city, and it perfectly captures the exact vibe I want out of cyberpunk; an oppressive but meditative dark world.

I’m trying to avoid talking about the main plot too much because, well, it is a mystery, but when it comes to the broad strokes of character writing there’s a really fun and interesting cast being gradually introduced. Most characters from the demo return, and functional (yet fun!) characters like a coroner and judge are introduced, but importantly the required detective sidekick in the form of the robotic Serra is thrown into the mix and provides exactly what any good mystery needs: a silly little lady. 

Whether it’s Mizuki from Somnium Files or Maya in Ace Attorney, comedic women are the backbone of mysteries to me, and Serra works perfectly as a means of engaging with and understanding aspects of the world that exist outside of Morgan’s purview, but also portraying an ignorance that allows the more complex social dynamics to naturally be explained to the reader without feeling forced or stilted. Plus she’s silly and makes little pouty faces and gets undeservedly smug all the time…what more do you need.

Honestly that aspect of figuring out how to naturally deliver information, coupled with the readables and search terms naturally popping out showcase just how well tuned of the Devil is, especially for a first time project. There’s so much thought put into character tone, and what that would sound like via spoken word or text message. The prose flows naturally when it shifts to the interior monologues, and you don’t run into any of the stilted repetition games like Ace Attorney can fall into, just to make sure you Really Get It. There’s an absolutely perfect blend of comedy and sincerity.

I highly recommend of the Devil. I feel like I’ve been overly effusive throughout this review, but I genuinely didn’t have a single complaint throughout my seven hour-or-so playthrough. If you’re a fan of any of the games I’ve mentioned, or are consistently on the lookout for fiction written by people who understand the subject matter they’re writing about and are interested in thinking about all the different facets of what it could possibly mean, I bet you’ll find plenty to love.

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What is Penis 2 in Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is an upcoming action role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. It is scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 10 December 2020. Adapted from the Cyberpunk franchise, the story takes place in dystopian Night City, an open world with six distinct regions. Players assume the first-person perspective of a customisable mercenary known as V, who can acquire skills in hacking and machinery, an arsenal of ranged weapons, and options for melee combat.

Night City is an American megacity in the Free State of North California, controlled by corporations and unassailed by the laws of both country and state. It sees conflict from rampant gang wars and its ruling entities contending for dominance. The city is reliant on robotics for everyday aspects like waste collection, maintenance, and public transportation. Its visual identity is derived from the four eras it underwent—austere Entropism, colourful Kitsch, imposing Neo-Militarism, and opulent Neo-Kitsch. Homelessness abounds but does not preclude cybernetic modification for the poor, giving rise to cosmetic addiction and consequent violence. These threats are dealt with by the armed force known as Psycho Squad. Trauma Team can be employed for rapid medical services. Because of the constant threat of physical harm, all citizens are allowed to openly carry firearms in public.

Fans are incredibly excited to play Cyberpunk 2077, despite numerous delays, with some superfans even going so far as to rendering the experience of playing the game for the first time in CGI rendering software.

A penis is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males do not bear a penis in every animal species, and in those species in which the male does bear a so-called penis, the penises in the various species are not necessarily homologous.

Where is Penis 2 in Cyberpunk 2077

There’s several options for player customization in Cyberpunk 2077, including genitals. There are two options for penis, and one option for vagina customization.

Keanu Reeves stars in Cyberpunk 2077 as Johnny Silverhand. Silverhand acts as V’s guide to the city and will be with him or her for most of the game. Throughout the game, the player will be haunted by the “digital ghost” of Silverhand, suggesting that he is physically dead. The full gameplay scope of Silverhand’s involvement with the character is not fully known, but he will make comments on the player’s actions through voiceover, and will occasionally appear in game as a hologram. Figuring out the mystery of Johnny Silverhand’s digital ghost is a large part of the main plot line.

Keanu Charles Reeves, whose first name means “cool breeze over the mountains” in Hawaiian, was born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. Some of his more well known roles include Neo in The Matrix series and as the eponymous John Wick in the John Wick series. Prior to Cyberpunk 2077, he only did voice work for one other video game, Enter the Matrix, in 2003.

How to Unlock Penis 2 in Cyberpunk 2077

Players can unlock Penis 2 in Cyberpunk 2077 by selecting it as an option on the character creation screen when they first start up the game.

For more information on Penis 2 and everything else Cyberpunk 2077, stay tuned, or comment below on what you think about Penis 2 in Cyberpunk 2077.

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To make matters worse, reaching out to the distant and cryptic Savy proves more and more difficult. Through moving nerves and other arising feelings, Lina realizes Savy might not be all that she seems to be. As political tensions are growing in the backdrop of Los Ojos, Lina becomes more than just another mere driver in a big city, either becoming a potential hindrance to some or a source of refuge to others. With her only lifeline out of reach, Lina puts herself to work in order to figure out what is going on with Savy and this city—with only her passengers and car to depend on.

Neo Cab is a text-based game that features a branching narrative and multiple endings based on the choices you make. You are behind the wheel as Lina, in which her only course of survival is to keep driving for Neo Cab with no real place to stay.

Passengers are selected through the Neo Cab app as you navigate the city grid. Everyone has their own story to tell, and it is up to you to steer the conversation through dialogue prompts in order to get what you want. Do you want more information on Savy? Or are you playing it safe, ensuring the customer’s happiness to guarantee you a 5-star rating?

These choices are also influenced by Lina’s current state of mind. In the beginning of the game, Savy gives Lina a Feelgrid bracelet, which is basically a more advanced type of mood ring. The colors accurately correspond to Lina’s mood at the very moment, and based on your previous actions, Lina’s current mood can hurt or help how you converse with the next passenger. For instance, unless Lina is currently feeling particularly angry, you may be locked out of selecting more aggressive reactions towards a combative passenger. Although it is probably best not to instigate any further, you may lose an opportunity to get vital information. Your rides take place on a night to night basis and time is limited to a week’s worth of work while significant events in Los Ojos escalate in the background.

When it is time to clock out, Lina has to also check in to a place to stay (in another mobile app, called Crashr) given her circumstances. You have a budget you must keep track of, whether it means strategizing between choosing expensive accommodations that can neutralize the day’s mood or prioritizing fuel for your car to keep your livelihood afloat. Going broke can obviously lead you to very bad things, but the number of elements you must balance will definitely challenge you to consider what is most important.

In a setting constantly veiled by a nightlit sky and blown out, with only but the glow of neon and flashy signs, Neo Cab rides on cyberpunk and dystopian elements, yet depicts a setting reflective of our own society. The dreary, but flashy portrayal of politics and social issues are quite on the nose in Neo Cab. Ongoing criticism and the discussion wrapping around the normalization of gig economy culture in the United States is very much represented in Lina’s situation and the stories she uncovers. Through one passenger, for instance, Lina can learn about their rocky, working struggles under Capra if they are able to navigate initially negative first impressions. Lina can recognize a small sense of solidarity with the passenger in their shared experiences as gig workers. Lina constantly has to face the loom of ensuring her driver rating stays high to keep her employment—which is accurate to standard policy for many ridesharing companies—but all the while keeping her mental health and money in check. Lina is further displaced in world dominated by automated services and she is forced to come to terms with her own potential obsolescence akin to our own discourse over the automation of jobs.

Things are not painted on easily defined sides of black and white. While positioning you to rally against an obvious corporate evil, Neo Cab also explores the nuances of social activism, its community, and all the imperfections and very human struggles that come with rebelling against the things that seem so impossible to deter from in established norms.

At some point, Lina unwillingly receives a passenger named Azul, who is trying to escape a protest gone awry. Azul hops into Lina’s car without forewarning and of course, you are tasked with the obligation on how to handle this situation. If things are mitigated and Lina chooses to let Azul stay, Azul opens up about their fears of the judgement and scorn they may face from their fellow activists as a result of the events that forced them to flee the scene. One would hope social movements err on the side of good, but Neo Cab paints their human complexities in an honest way. Through its array of characters and their personal conflicts, Neo Cab carefully depicts and pastiche representations of activism, dystopia, and tech culture that is sound and thoughtful.

Neo Cab features simple but alluringly rendered 3D environments showcasing Los Ojos’ eternal night through the driver’s view. The characters are all illustrated with distinct features and eccentric personalities, each lightly animated with subtle, but expressive ticks that are very responsive to the ever-changing dialogue. Lina’s distaste is more than ready to show with a rude passenger at the intense furrow of her brows and slight frown, Feelgrid bracelet on or not. Tense, but simultaneously reflective, the game’s soundtrack conveys a sense of relaxed driving with the urgency of anxiety potentially creeping up on any point. (The soundtrack was composed by Obfusc, whose previous work can be heard on Monument Valley.) Neo Cab is simply a beautiful game in both sights and sounds.

Unfortunately, for a game about making your own choices, Neo Cab, could do better in providing such flexibility and freedom to its players as implied. The Feelgrid is an interesting feature, but I personally felt as though it was erratic in its use and sometimes felt like it had no real purpose in the course of some conversations I have had with passengers. Other times, the Feelgrid stands in as an unopposable hinderance without any clear window as to how address it. As previously mentioned, Lina’s current state of mind can prove itself to be an obstacle in making certain choices and you will be locked out from selecting them. Sometimes, these changes are not outright clear or visible, and you are only limited to making one choice without any real prelude as to why. The game’s exploration of the importance of getting in touch with your emotions and “staying centered” when interacting with others is a great subject, but the game’s mechanical use of it is inconsistent.

The biggest setback to this is that Neo Cab uses autosaving: you do not have any ability to save the game whenever you want to. These constraints exuberate the inconsistency of the Feelgrid and how to address it, inhibiting the player to only be able to choose a point in which the game last autosaved. Text speed is an adjustable setting, but skipping is not even an option available when replaying previously completed nights. The game also does not provide access to a chat log or transcript of the conversations. Text-heavy games, like visual novels, benefit from having these options. These abilities enable players to have an easier time of replaying games such as these, with branching paths that typically encourage multiple playthroughs. Although I am interested in playing Neo Cab again for a different experience, to not have these very basic elements is pretty dissasusive and to repeat scenarios that will play out exactly the same will prove to be laborious.

The linearity of Neo Cab is also even more apparent with the notice of a few writing holes and errors, in which references are sometimes made to events that may have not necessarily happened. For example, there was a particular passenger I had never given an earlier ride to in my playthrough, yet their appearance later on suggested I did. There were also a couple of times in which Lina references someone in a way that is suggestive of their arc having concluded or developed, even though that may not be the case. The idea of multiverses and playing with fate are major themes that eventually emerge in the game, so these problems are a little ironic.

Neo Cab is otherwise a recommended game that portrays a refreshing perspective of exploring dystopia that isn’t purely riddled with violence and utter dread: but instead, conversation. It harkens to the direction of games like Papers, Please, and Orwell, in which you are thrown into a compromising position amidst a tyrannical environment and decisions based on complacency or rebellion will influence the events to follow. You are not in the role of an activist out rioting on the streets or a cop assigned to keep such people in line like the former, but rather, you are an average civilian committed to a “normal” job. Your job is on the line, but at what cost to keep it if it means preserving the path of dehumanization? In Neo Cab’s case, instead of sitting behind a desk, it is in the form of a car. Neo Cab presents Lina’s situation in a way that isn’t intimidating, but it remains unsettling in its comforts and close calls to our reality.

Neo Cab is a relatively short playthrough with all its intents to be played again for a different turnout. Unfortunately, with Neo Cab’s rigid illusion of choice, that motivation to do so may be difficult. In spite of these crucial, missing components, Neo Cab’s strong visuals and compelling narrative concisely translated to our trying times gives it a very enticing case to try and fully complete at least once. Neo Cab is an unfortunate but necessary depiction of the social issues empowering our current zeitgeist, and its otherwise competent and engaging presentation of a world mirrored to our own is at the very least, a ride worth sitting through.

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