Bright lights. Flying cars. The glare from god rays piercing the screen. Unrivaled visual fidelity. I stared in awe at the scenes that unfolded in front of me while I demoed Neo Berlin 2087, an upcoming cyberpunk crime thriller from developer Elysium Game Studio.
Elysium CEO Ivan Mirkovikj walked me through the upcoming title’s features when I visited the studio’s booth during Tokyo Game Show last month. The demo included stealth sections, the use of abilities from modifications and implants, and all-out action. In a weekend full of exciting games, it was easily one of the most impressive I saw in Tokyo.
Tearing down a wall and building a new one
In Neo Berlin 2087, I took on the role of a detective named Nolan. After the police chief is murdered, Nolan is tasked with finding the chief’s missing daughter, Natalie. From this point, I was given a rundown of three separate areas that served to highlight a particular feature or mechanic.
The first took place in a crowded street in the middle of Berlin. Mirkovikj tells me that this futuristic scenario has seen the rise of a new Berlin Wall. A war has devastated the rest of Europe, and a wall had to be erected to safeguard the capital. That’s why Berlin still looks and feels relatively far-removed from the conflict, with numerous towering skyscrapers and dazzling establishments dotting the streets. The visual fidelity and photorealistic graphics make everything striking from a glance.
From there, I entered the headquarters of a syndicate, where I was asked to provide my credentials. Here’s the kicker: Nolan didn’t have so much as a search warrant on him. Fret not, since Neo Berlin 2087 gave me a wealth of options. I could either sneak up on a guard to take them out and steal their keycard, or I could use a terminal that had a passcode. And, if I was really up for it, I could just go in with guns blazing. This wasn’t the only way into the interior, as there were ventilation shafts and side passageways that led to the mission objective, too.
Right from the get-go, I was reminded of other franchises that masterfully blended both action and stealth gameplay, such as Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, and Hitman. Due to the futuristic setting, sci-fi cyberpunk themes, and playing as a detective, the scenario generally evoked Deus Ex most of all. Having myriad ways to complete tasks was certainly a welcome feature.
The next area, the sewers, primarily focused on combat, though there was a portion that had a mini-puzzle of sorts. Then, just as I reached the last room, several zombies appeared. These ghoulish beings had pasty white skin and glowing red eyes. They seem to be afflicted with a curse, though I wasn’t told of further details.
Regardless, I knew I was in for a fight. At the time, Nolan was only armed with a trusty pistol, though I was able to switch seamlessly between first-person and third-person view. This was also when Mirkovikj told me to activate a couple of Nolan’s cybernetic abilities. The first was a ping-type skill that highlighted all hostiles in the area, giving them red outlines to make them more visible. The second, which was significantly cooler, was a “slow time” or “bullet time” effect, akin to the Matrix films and Max Payne games. I weaved all around my opponents, dashing and sliding past them, before slowing down time to pepper them with a barrage of gunshots. I shouted, “Hell yeah!” in the middle of the show floor.
The last part of the demo took me straight to a snow-covered facility deep in the wilderness. The place was guarded not just by soldiers, but also humanoid mechs. This served to test my mettle since, apart from having to stealthily take out a few enemies at the outskirts of the base, I had to rely on multiple abilities in a run-and-gun affair once I was spotted.
Even after playing games like Dynasty Warriors: Origins at the show, Neo Berlin 2087 became one of the most memorable games that I played during the Tokyo Game Show. The different ways in which I could complete a task, as well as action-oriented skills, make for a highly dynamic experience. Keep an eye on this one; it could be one of 2025’s sleeper hits.
Neo Berlin 2087 is slated to release in 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.
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