Book Review: Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence by Rafal Kosik

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence by Rafal Kosik

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Cyberpunk 2077

Publisher: Orbit Books (August 8, 2023)

Length: 417 pages

Author Information: Website

Whatever you feel about Cyberpunk 2077, there’s no denying video game tie-in fiction has gotten a lot better as a whole in recent years. This has also led to a change in the way I review the genre, holding them up to a higher standard so that we may continue to get quality reads for a long time to come. As such, while 3.5 stars might come across as a middling rating for the first official novel of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, the truth is I enjoyed No Coincidence more than I thought I would, and it was actually quite impressive for a video game novel.

Plotwise, it is essentially a heist story. While it is set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077, playing the game is not a prerequisite, nor is watching the Netflix animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The plot of the novel stands alone, following a crew of misfits who are reluctantly roped into a dangerous job by a mysterious employer who holds something over each of their heads. All the characters are as different as they are interconnected; we have an army veteran turned mercenary, a rookie netrunner (a cybernetically augmented hacker), a freewheeling corporate negotiator, a desperate ripperdoc (a medical professional specializing in cyberware), and a stripper with a child who needs a lifesaving operation. Like any heist crew, each member brings a specialized skill to the table, but they are all united by a singular goal: to rob a Militech convoy of their precious cargo. Of course, not one of them has a clear idea of what it is they’re trying to steal. Still, does it matter as long as it’ll make them a lot of money?

The problem with most heists though, is that nothing is ever as simple and straightforward as it seems. One job always leads to another, often leading to deadly consequences as the situation spirals out of control. Our disparate characters must learn to overcome their differences to not only work together but also depend on each other, or else one by one, Night City will eat them alive.

Again, you can read this book even with no prior knowledge of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise. But would it help if you did? Definitely. From the publisher description alone, you can see how heavily the story leans on references to the game world and lore, simply based on the jargon and terminology. From the very beginning, readers are thrown into the thick of things and unless you are an experienced sci-fi enthusiast or already a cyberpunk genre fan, all the details you’ll need to take in on the fly can get pretty overwhelming. As someone who has played the game though, and actually liked it a lot, my experience admittedly felt somewhat easier as the setting was already familiar.

In fact, being a fan of the game might have biased me against the book a little. Sure, it felt grand to be back in Night City, but that would be the extent of the connection I felt. For the most part, the writing captured the spirit of the characters embodying the gritty and downtrodden mood of the setting—which was a good thing, don’t get me wrong! At the same time though, I wanted and needed more. It simply wasn’t enough to get more of the same; I wanted characters that transcended the game because now I was back in the world in another medium, yet there was nothing memorable or notable about the people I’m reading about beyond what I’d already expected.

But like I said, I’m being picky. If you’re looking for a good heist novel, No Coincidence delivers. Bonus if you feel drawn to the world of Cyberpunk 2077 or can appreciate its aura of bleakness that you can also see manifesting in its desperate populace. This makes the book somewhat unique because there is so much the franchise brings to the table even in the well-established genre of cyberpunk in general while still expanding on the world of the game. Fans will be delighted by how at home this story will feel in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe because of the way the writing captures the game thematically and stylistically. At the same time, it manages to be fun and exciting, which will appeal to newcomers as well.