US$328m Cyberpunk invites gamers into dystopian world

Cyberpunk 2077, a video game reported to be one of the most expensive ever made, launched worldwide on Thursday, after its release had been delayed twice this year.

Marcin Iwinski, director and co-founder of the game's Polish developers CD Projekt RED, told AFP that gamers could expect a "new quality" of experience when they enter its dystopian world.

Iwinski said the studio had created an "immense" online world. The English language version has 450 hours of dialogue voiced by 125 actors.

The main character of Cyberpunk 2077 is the gun-toting "V", who makes his way through Night City – a conflict-ridden American megacity.

The game also features the face and voice of Hollywood star Keanu Reeves, best known for the "Matrix" trilogy and "John Wick".

The budget for the game is estimated at 1.2 billion zloty (US$328 million), according to analysts at Polish bank BOS, which would make Cyberpunk 2077 one of the most expensive video games ever made.