On October 20, Netflix began streaming the anime “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2,” produced by CD PROJEKT RED and TRIGGER. Media reviews and viewer reactions have already started appearing on international review aggregation sites such as Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes.
While the visuals and action are praised, the story has drawn some harsh criticism
IGN’s review on Metacritic gives it a score of 90. While noting that it lacks the same impact as its predecessor, the review highly praises it as a sci-fi action series that depicts the evils of a massive corporation, features a revenge plot, and includes intense combat and depictions of violence.
Additionally, reviews on Rotten Tomatoes praise the story’s use of multiple protagonists and its striking animation. Some reviews also highly commended the story’s conclusion.
On the other hand, Ready Steady Cut gave it a harsh score of 40 on Metacritic. While acknowledging that the intense action has its highlights, the review points out that cramming in multiple storylines results in a lack of cohesion, making it difficult to connect with the characters or the narrative.
Even in positive reviews, the large cast and the time it takes for the multiple storylines to converge were noted. However, some viewers praised the compelling developments that follow, noting that the film’s conclusion was deeply moving.
The user score is 7.8. How does it compare to the previous film?
As of this writing, the user score on Metacritic is 7.8 out of 10. On the film review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the “Tomatometer”—which measures the percentage of positive reviews based on 9 critic reviews—stands at 78%, while the “Popcornmeter”—based on over 100 audience ratings—is at 63%.
In user reviews, the fact that each of the multiple protagonists plays a key role in the story, as well as the subtle details that evoke a connection to the video game, have been well-received. Some viewers, though initially confused by the differences from the previous season, watched until the end and praised it as “the best second season I could have hoped for.”
On the other hand, some viewers felt it wasn’t as moving as the first season, while others felt the story and characters lacked depth. Regarding the pace of the story, some felt that “the pace slows down in the middle,” while others praised it, saying, “There were new highlights in every episode, so I wasn’t bored.”
While some viewers enjoyed the visuals, action, and the story’s portrayal of multiple protagonists, others seemed to find it lacking compared to the first season.
The anime “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2” is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Game*Spark has also published a review of this series. The review praises the characters’ humanity and the visual style that skillfully alternates between quiet moments and intense action, awarding it a perfect score of 10 out of 10. Be sure to check it out as well.
