Although the two games may seem completely unrelated, a connection was illuminated between Keanu Reeves' appearance promoting Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2019 and Spiritfarer during a recent interview with the Director of ID@Xbox Chris Charla. Both games have become critically-acclaimed titles for their respective genres, despite Cyberpunk 2077 being initially plagued with glitches. In their own ways, each feature unique and impactful narratives and world exploration, albeit through very different mechanics.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action-RPG that was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated AAA games of the past several years, promising stellar graphics, a detailed dystopian open-world, and unique branching storylines. Hype for the game had always been immense, but it soared to new heights after a presentation at E3 2019. During the Xbox Conference, Keanu Reeves took the stage with the announcement that he would be lending both his voice and likeness to in-game character Johnny Silverhands. His appearance is cemented as one of the most iconic E3 moments in recent history, particularly after a fan went viral for calling Keanu Reeves breathtaking.
Spiritfarer differs from Cyberpunk 2077 in almost every way, from its graphic style to its plot and gameplay mechanics. Players assume the role of Spiritfarer Stella, and are tasked with helping ferry souls to the afterlife. However, before she can do so, she must first care for the spirits aboard her ship, tending to their needs and learning their stories. Spiritfarer weaves an incredibly emotional tale that has earned it much-deserved praise for the unique way it approaches the concept of death, and likely would've reached its acclaimed status today regardless of when it was announced - however, it's possible that Keanu Reeves helped the game gain player interest.
How Cyberpunk 2077's Keanu Reeves Presentation Helped Spiritfarer
In a recent Screen Rant interview with Director of ID@Xbox Chris Charla that discussed how the program helps indie developers publish their work, Charla recounted some of the most memorable moments for indie games rising to prominence, one of which occurred soon after Keanu Reeves announced his Cyberpunk 2077 character at E3 2019, which can be seen in a video on the Gamespot Youtube page. After one of the most highly anticipated games of the summer had been covered, the follow-up game had to be a strong contender - and that game was Spiritfarer. Charla commented on the event and indie games being increasingly featured at events, stating:
My personal favorite E3 moment is, "What game could follow Keanu Reeves? Spiritfarer." That is by far my favorite game transition at any game show ever. It's not a question of if, it's always a question of what - and I love that level of support for games from independent developers at Microsoft. I think it's just a testament to how great the games are, and how much the hard work of the independent developer community has paid off, that they're now an essential part of the platform mix on Xbox. And on every other platform as well.
Although in 2019 E3 was already a highly-viewed event for video game fans everywhere, the anticipation of Cyberpunk 2077 undoubtedly led to more fans watching live, particularly after word spread like wildfire that Keanu Reeves had taken the stage. In the same vein, Xbox had to be aware that this particular Xbox Conference would become one of their most popular events to be viewed in clips online afterwards. With players still coming off the wave of Keanu Reeves-induced endorphins, Spiritfarer being the next game to hit the screen was an incredibly bold choice by Microsoft that made one thing clear: these games are on the same level. In retrospect, it's easy to see why the superb management sim Spiritfarer was featured at such a key point in Xbox's presentation on its own merit, but its placement at E3 also helped the title gain traction and helped set the stage for it to become the incredibly popular indie hit it is today.
Keanu Reeves' appearance in particular added a tremendous amount of clout to the entire presentation, in a way signaling that every other game announced that day deserves special attention - particularly the one directly following Cyberpunk 2077. This transition marked that there was no longer a separation between AAA titles and independent ones, which used to be featured at their own separate presentations. Additionally, the incredible amount of extra viewers garnered by Reeves meant many more eyes were on the gorgeous Studio Ghibli-inspired Spiritfarer art style and creative gameplay, which surely generated a lot of buzz amongst fans of the Japanese animation studio as well as management simulation fans. Although Spiritfarer was likely destined to be a hit from the start, it probably wouldn't have skyrocketed in popularity so quickly were it not for its coupling with Cyberpunk 2077's Keanu Reeves-led presentation, forever linking the two games in an unexpected way.