Night City’s different districts offer a variety of environments and aesthetics - today we get a better look at the barren Badlands and the decrepit neighborhood of Pacifica. The Badlands region is the game’s “odd one out” regarding environment design and its role, since instead of being a district in Night City, this is the outskirts, largely untouched by urban development. Skyscrapers and slums are replaced by oil fields, junkyards, landfills and barren wastelands ruled by roaming nomads and small clusters of exiles, criminals and anyone hiding from the dangers of the city.
One of the three origins players can select for V, the Nomad, is uniquely tied to this area. As a Nomad, you start your story out in the Badlands, where V drifts around before reaching Night City to begin the adventure.
The Wraiths exert some measure of control over this region, though the gang is opposed by all kinds of unaffiliated folks. While Night City merely uses the Badlands as a dumping ground for its refuse and, begrudgingly, a host for its energy infrastructure, there are plenty of opportunities here for those who know where to look - and are brave enough to face the dangers.
The other district in the spotlight is Pacific, one of the more tragic areas in Night City. Before the economic collapse, all the corporations were pumping fortunes into developing Pacifica into the hottest tourist attraction in the world, designed as a top of the line resort paradise.
When the collapse happened and luxurious vacations plummeted from priority lists, investment dried up and Pacifica was left unfinished. Today, it is a lawless and anarchic district full of small-time gangs, petty criminals and all sorts of other undesirables. The Voodoo Boys turned Pacifica into their home, and are doing their best to protect the people living there - since the NCPD has utterly abandoned the area. Stay tuned for more artwork and screenshots leading up to Cyberpunk 2077’s release!
