Ah, yes, the gameplay here is made of gameplay.
I also had a series of pretty much lucid dreams of playing a game very similar to Cyberpunk 2077 but with some major differences [SPOILER ALERT]:
• It is not the main character that's doomed, it's the whole globe. Why? Because there's the last sunshine to be expected. Atmosphere and surrounds are becoming so littered sun barely punches through it.
• Personal cars are quite scarce. Regular citizens are not allowed to have them. All transportation for them is metro, trams, and specialised buses. Also not illegal to own a bicycle, or a very basic motorbike.
• The personal trait system. Just like in the Fallout series. For example, you might have a sprinter trait that makes your character run faster but they suck at long distance running. Or a trait that makes your character immune to poison at the cost of being more likely to have their limbs injured.
• Cyber implants are very rare and not as powerful. Technology advanced in terms of curing debilitating diseases, however, as the cancer, for example, only kills the poorest. Virtually impossible to die of a prion disease, either. Most deaths come from violence and no, it's not because crime rate is through the roof. It's considerably lower than in the real US. Suicide in late 80s is a common thing.
• The main protagonist never catches Johnny Silverhand. But you still have a "voice in your head," which isn't gonna do anything to your system, it's just a mental disorder. Sometimes your character does things you never asked them to do just for the sake of it. For example, they might refuse to shoot because the voice wasn't happy with that. Could be fixed with anti-schizo meds but these impact your character's physical strength and not in a pleasant way.
• Corporations are major players but the government is more powerful, unlike in Night City where corps own everyone. During some time before the main event, corporations faced gruesome crises. All of them. They just cannot overpower the governor office and the army.
• The city itself doesn't look like history porn mixed with some neons and shiny reflections. It's very reminiscent of industrial cities with a lot of brutalism going on.
• There is less gang activity in general but you still might run into some Italian mafia here and there. Wiseguys, however, are perfectly reasonable and don't do harm for no reason.
• Average civilians don't panick like crazy after you doing something suspicious. Some of them might even get interested in what you're doing. But they mostly don't give a crap, unless it's getting personal.
• The police are perfectly funded and for some reason, also pretty much just. Police brutality happens of course but there's no union that could make bad cops immune to punity. And they don't teleport to your location, things are much more in line with what happens in real world. No MaxTac, either. Instead, the army connects to the party and you're screwed. Because they will NEVER back off. And yes, instead of actively trying to kill you they will try to put you in jail first.
• The main storyline is centered on anything but your character. "Who you were, don't matter. Who you are, don't matter. Who you become... Don't matter." What matters is that everybody but the gov't is trying their best to let the Sun shine. You included. No matter your lifepath, you are doing quests that are meant to save the planet. For some reason, other cities and countries are clueless to the whole situation. Probably because the area you're located in "doesn't exist."
• Weather sucks. Foggy, rainy, cold (40 to 60 °F, or 5 to 15 °C), your character might lose their cool to it (just like in RDR2). And it's the middle of August! The further you go into it, the colder it becomes, up to -40 °F or even worse in January. Pantyhose on men isn't gay, it's a necessity... Luckily getting dressed isn't that big of an issue in this town. Also possible to improve cold resistance in your character by undergoing various procedures in medical facilities, or just consuming specialised substances which are, unfortunately, likely to damage your system. Side effects are real.
