Recent from its reveal at The Sport Awards 2025, first-person open world shooter RPG No Law is already elevating eyebrows for trying a good bit like CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077. It seems developer Neon Big anticipated these comparisons, but are eager to level out vital variations.
No Law is the following recreation from the developer of The Ascent, the well-received cyberpunk-themed twin-stick shooter that launched in 2021. No Law sees Neon Big shift perspective not simply in phrases of the digicam but tone, to a extra grounded cyberpunk aesthetic that revolves round a single metropolis. And primarily based on the debut trailer, No Law is giving off massive Cyberpunk 2077 vibes.
In an interview with IGN forward of the announcement, co-founders and co-creative administrators Tor Frick and Arcade Berg defined why Neon Big went with a model new recreation quite than, say, The Ascent 2, and even going for a first-person The Ascent follow-up. We speak about every part from the texture of the town to the fight, the influence of dialogue decisions to the fun-looking kick assault.
IGN: How did you decide on this as a venture, in addition to a shift into first-person?
Tor Frick: Really each me and Arcade, but additionally an enormous half of the group, we truly come from a first-person video games background. And for us it was The Ascent that was the brand new and uncharted territory the place we had by no means made a twin-stick shooter, something like that earlier than. So with this recreation we truly really feel like we’re going again to our roots and the issues that we’re extra comfy with as builders. In order that’s an enormous half of it. We needed to make one thing that the group could be very keen about and one thing that matches the people within the group. We now have labored on quite a bit of first-person franchises by the years, an enormous chunk of the large ones, and for us, that is one thing that we simply felt comfy in making an attempt to tackle one thing extra bold. We’re acquainted with making fairly excessive constancy bold first-person video games, particularly single-player video games. So for us it was a pure step. What do we would like to do as a group? It was to take a first-person, single-player recreation and push that additional.
I believe additionally with the first-person perspective, an enormous purpose for that as nicely is that, in The Ascent we targeted quite a bit on the world-building and the lore and the temper, and we actually like constructing video games the place you’ll be able to immerse your self on the planet. That was one thing we actually needed to go quite a bit deeper with this recreation. As a result of in first-person you’ll be able to truly respect all of the little storytelling, and there is simply much more tales to inform. And that is one thing that we missed with The Ascent a bit of bit, to be a bit of bit extra intimate with every part. In order that’s an enormous purpose as nicely.
IGN: I’m wondering if you happen to have been impressed by the unimaginable modding work that went on with The Ascent. I bear in mind seeing footage of the sport in first-person, and it regarded unimaginable, nearly prefer it was born to be that kind of factor. And I’m wondering if seeing that perhaps performed an element?
Arcade Berg: I do not assume that modified it, but we have been very glad when that occurred. There was quite a bit of good buzz surrounding The Ascent for it. And the great factor is that when somebody on the web makes one thing, we do not have to be held accountable. Nevertheless it was a lot enjoyable for us, that and photograph mode are simply two wonderful issues for the sport and for us the studio, simply seeing how a lot folks care and the way it bought longevity thanks to that. As a result of The Ascent has a starting, center and finish, it is not an ongoing dwell service product. So it is quite a bit of enjoyable to see that individuals are nonetheless to at the present time posting stuff.
IGN: The Ascent was extremely detailed. Based mostly on the trailer for No Law, you’re doing the identical factor right here.
Tor Frick: Yeah, for positive. I believe that is one thing we undoubtedly needed to push quite a bit on this recreation. We wish the constancy to be extraordinarily excessive and the density to be extraordinarily excessive. For us it is extra vital to have density than to have measurement. And that goes for every part, not simply artwork belongings but the sport itself. We wish to make one thing that feels intimate, each the small areas you are in but additionally… it is not a sprawling factor. It’s a really intimate element and excessive density world and recreation.
Arcade Berg: It’s additionally enjoyable as a result of while there’s quite a bit of stuff that could be very reminiscent of The Ascent and there are stuff you’ll acknowledge as a result of we like them and it is the identical guys making it, so you will see quite a bit of that very same DNA if you’ll, it is nonetheless a really enjoyable problem. As a result of whereas The Ascent is pure sci-fi, every part is designed to be on this arcology, proper? This recreation is way more grounded. It’s nonetheless cyberpunk, it is nonetheless excessive tech, it is nonetheless very cool. It’s essential for us that every part you do in our video games remains to be grounded inside the fiction of that world. It at all times is smart in that world. But on this metropolis you might be on the bottom, there’s vegetation, there’s life, it is a completely different sort of cyberpunk world. So there’s once more, creatively, issues we now have to have completely different options for than what we selected to do in The Ascent.
So it is not that we’re rehashing The Ascent’s world but now in first-person. It’s a very new setting. I believe it is a very thrilling setting. Hopefully gamers will agree when the sport is out! Nevertheless it’s quite a bit of enjoyable to simply discover and immerse your self in. So we have actually gone to city with that one. So for instance, we do the stuff you’d anticipate, we do have day night time cycles, climate, dwelling world, all of that. So you actually can immerse your self within the metropolis and stroll round and be amazed with the distinct distinction of it being on a park avenue at night time or perhaps in a extra lush, calmer space within the daytime, besides that they are two completely different worlds but every part’s hosted on this metropolis.
IGN: Had been you tempted to put the digicam in first-person and make The Ascent 2 as a first-person recreation? Was it ever a debate internally?
Tor Frick: Probably not. I believe we settled on that we would like to make one thing new fairly shortly, and that is as a result of we’re very eager that the world we create ought to match the sort of recreation we make, and the sort of recreation we would like to make didn’t one hundred percent align with the world of The ascent. So as a substitute of making an attempt to push The Ascent’s world into one thing it wasn’t earlier than, we want to make one thing new the place we will do issues, for instance, which are extra grounded in some instances, and mechanics that simply would not work. It wants to all work collectively. So we did not need to change The Ascent into one thing else, in order that’s why.
Arcade Berg: Having mentioned that, of course we liked The Ascent, and we did have a really, very temporary dialogue which mainly was, if our purpose is simply to run a financially profitable enterprise, we should always simply begin engaged on The Ascent 2 now. That is assured success, cash within the financial institution, that is what we should always do. But once more, that is not why we began the studio, proper? It’s like, no, we’re right here as a result of we’re artistic folks and proper now we have been in all probability a bit creatively spent on The Ascent. That is not the following factor we would like to do. So we began with one thing fully completely different, which once more is a danger. I believe it is going to be a smash hit. I believe individuals are going to love the sport. I am very proud of the sport, but there’s by no means any certainty. But what I believe can also be one of the best truthfully for the followers and for even the non followers gamers out there’s that we try to ship a enjoyable, artistic and impressed recreation. One of the issues that I actually appreciated with the suggestions that we bought for The Ascent, which I have never actually seen in the identical type of vein with all of the video games we labored on beforehand in our profession, was how folks actually learn into there being some persona within the recreation, within the product. And that makes me very heat inside. I actually hope we handle to try this now with this recreation as nicely, that individuals can say, I can really feel this was created by individuals who cared. That is very, essential. And I believe that generally can disappear, proper?
IGN: It’s a cyberpunk recreation, but I’m positive folks will examine it to Cyberpunk 2077. You should be bracing yourselves for that. That is a tricky comparability. CD Projekt is lots of of folks spending years and years and years making an enormous recreation. So how is it completely different not simply in phrases of mechanics and gameplay, but in phrases of scope and tone?
Tor Frick: I believe clearly every single day we’ve to try this internally as nicely. As a result of we all know what Cyberpunk is and we all know folks will examine us. However the recreation could be very completely different and the world could be very completely different. So much of it’s, it is simply the temper and the tone. Cyberpunk is an enormous, sprawling expertise. It’s a mega metropolis. And our recreation is much more intimate each when it comes to the gameplay mechanics but additionally the world. I believe as folks see extra of the sport that might be extra obvious. It’s exhausting to do in a brief trailer like that. I believe you want to see and really feel the sport extra. It is extra of an intimate expertise, just like the world is deep but not so grand. And the identical factor with mechanics and the identical factor with the story. It could be very, very private and really, very reactive round you as a participant, quite than being set on this grand backdrop.
Arcade Berg: And I believe additionally, we’ve been very acutely aware about what references we’re utilizing from fiction, whether or not that be books, comedian books, motion pictures, reveals. We very seldom reference video games as a result of these video games exist already. After all we’re conscious of what’s out out there, we regulate it. But creatively we’re trying quite a bit at eighties, nineties motion motion pictures, or a sure temper there. We’re taking a look at Hong Kong motion scenes. We’re taking a look at inspiring comedian books, it could possibly be American, it could possibly be manga. After all we’ve anime in there. But we’re simply taking a look at quite a bit of completely different items of fiction so far as inspiration goes and we’re simply making an attempt to put all of that in right here.
One thing you noticed in The Ascent as nicely, there’s a slight tongue in cheek, proper? We as creatives, we will not write grim darkish angsty. That is not what we would like. We wish violence as a spectacle. We wish you to have enjoyable while you’re taking part in a recreation. That is a vital feeling for us, to simply have enjoyable. There’s a temper, there is a vibe, there is a sure feeling that hopefully followers of The Ascent will acknowledge regardless that the gameplay is totally completely different.
IGN: It’s described as first-person and RPG. So what makes it an RPG?
Arcade Berg: You are taking part in a written character. It’s a few character named Gray Harker, but you make investments your XP within the abilities, you unlock the talents, you package out the character’s gear. You’ve gotten some visible customization, but nonetheless it is of that character. We’re not giving a clean sheet. So it is quite a bit about saying, nicely my man, my model, I did this. And one of our growth mantras we’ve is that if 100 gamers play the sport, they need to have 100 completely different consumer tales. If you and your colleagues meet and also you speak concerning the recreation you have been taking part in yesterday, it is like, oh, you probably did it that approach? Oh, as a result of for me this occurred as a result of I’ve accomplished this different factor earlier than. And it’ll all tie again into how you have been taking part in the sport, what decisions you have been making, each in pure gameplay and in addition in dialogue decisions. And it ties again to, nicely I invested quite a bit in lock choosing, that sort of factor, so I simply went in. It’s like, oh shit, yeah, no, I blew up the door. Each very legitimate. The participant can by no means play the sport improper. That is one thing we’re at all times saying. So it is that sort of growth.
IGN: Are you able to form the story by dialogue alternative or is the story linear and also you simply have decisions inside it that impacts sure issues?
Tor Frick: The scope is a bit exhausting to describe, but yeah, it is a recreation that has a starting and an finish. It’s not an ongoing factor, proper? It’s a story recreation. It has a starting and an finish. What occurs in between there? The participant cannot play the sport improper. So quite a bit of what unfolds and the way it unfolds is up to the participant.
IGN: How impactful are these selections you make in dialogue? How completely different can the expertise be by one thing like that?
Arcade Berg: Extraordinarily. So dialogue shouldn’t be the place we’re placing all of the gunpowder. I do not need to put out false pretenses. It’s not dialogues the sport. The dialogues are there to assist construct character, to assist arrange scenes to enable you to make sure selections and decisions and penalties or reactions. But that is not the place our strengths lie. But they’ll carry quite a bit of weight, and there are issues I need to inform you, but I am not going to spoil it for anybody, proper? There’s going to be quite a bit of speak about sure issues on this recreation, which I am very excited for. So the results can go from minute to very, very giant.
IGN: Within the trailer we’re in a position to kick somebody off a constructing, which seems like quite a bit of enjoyable. How will the fight work?
Tor Frick: We actually need to concentrate on the participant having quite a bit of attention-grabbing instruments to use at their disposal. So regardless that we’ve weapons, you shoot them, they sound nice, they really feel nice, we would like there to be much more to it. We like that heavy sort of motion, identical as in The Ascent the place issues ought to go growth in a really satisfying and loud approach. But on the identical time we would like there to be quite a bit of instruments and quite a bit of enjoyable issues for the gamers to experiment with. We wish it to be very a lot a toolbox the place gamers can… it is up to the participant how to method issues. Some folks will simply go weapons blazing with a revolver and SMG by the entrance door. Some folks will do a really elaborate plan together with all types of instruments and devices, but it nonetheless leads to explosions. Some folks will play it and it will be quiet as a mouse. So it is extremely a lot up to the participant.
Arcade Berg: If you proceed to play the sport, the characters on the planet will touch upon the methods issues performed out. So in case you are the ghost, proper, in case you are that tactical man, folks will say, clear work, man, nicely accomplished! Or they’re like, what the F simply occurred? We heard it from over right here. We mainly measure the influence you are having, the playstyle that you simply’re selecting, how that has effects on every part. So we’re not saying that one is best or worse or extra proper or most well-liked, but we’re at all times making an attempt to reply to the sort of character you are taking part in. So that’s not at all times the identical, nicely accomplished soldier it doesn’t matter what you probably did, as a result of generally it wasn’t that nicely accomplished and generally you have been very loud generally like, oh I did not even understand you have been accomplished… good, as a result of I am stealth. So we actually need to hear to that by the sport to react to the way in which you have been taking part in. We predict that is extra enjoyable than simply the dialogue choice.
IGN: Is kicking enemies a very vital half of the fight?
Arcade Berg: It’s one of many options you’ll be able to select to use, but what often occurs once we let folks play a construct when we’ve playtests, as quickly as they discover that button they usually’re in a metropolis shortly, nicely everybody simply goes like, boop! No, you’ll be able to’t play the sport improper, but you are kicking quite a bit of folks proper now!
No Law is in growth for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X and S.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.