An arcology is an imagined ideal: a structure designed to sustain human life while reducing environmental impact. The one on Veles, however, is no utopia. Most of the people who’ve made their way to the planet have secured their passage by signing on as indentured labourers for corporations.These ‘indents’ start off at the base of the city, in a place called Deepstink (a name even David Cage might reject for being a little on-the-nose). Yet from the grubby floors and cluttered gantries of the lower reaches to the Mirror’s Edge-like sheen of the Pinnacle above the clouds, this is one of the most evocative videogame settings of recent times. Given the size of the team that built it – just a dozen strong – it’s as accomplished a feat of worldbuilding in its own way as Night City.

Granted, this cyberpunk dystopia is of a kind familiar to most of us. This is a world of rain, grime, smoke and dazzling neon, where crime is rife, selfconsciously edgy dialogue reigns (“Fuck the first law!” shouts one robot as it points its rifle arm in our direction), and criminal factions vie for control. No matter: even from this distant isometric viewpoint, the place feels convincing. Crowds of humans and aliens mill about, sitting in bars, dancing in clubs, conversing on street corners, and hammering on vending machines. Drones buzz overhead and flying taxis swoop down as the glare from electronic hoardings on the side of hovering craft bathes the busy streets in sodium light. It’s huge, but you’ll hardly mind the odd lengthy walk between missions when there’s this much to take in.