Summary
- Project Orion is confirmed as the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, but likely won't be released until 2028/2029.
- Netrunning in Cyberpunk 2077 is undervalued, and Project Orion should focus on enhancing this gameplay aspect.
- Project Orion can introduce Netrunning stations, pathways, and lore to improve player experience.
Now that the dust has settled around Cyberpunk 2077's recent Phantom Liberty story expansion, fans can finally look towards what is planned to come next for the franchise. While it is true that a lot of CD Projekt Red's attention will shift towards The Witcher franchise throughout the near future, the studio has already confirmed that a sequel to 2077 is already in the works.
As reported in late 2022, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is currently codenamed Project Orion, with it being estimated that the game could be released around 2028/2029 at the earliest. Thankfully, the core gameplay of the Cyberpunk franchise has been continually evolving since 2020 with a lot of post-launch care being given to the game, and 2077 has offered a huge amount of lessons that CDPR can keep in mind for the development of Orion. While Project Orion should also focus on cultivating its own unique image, the Netrunning aspect of 2077 was something that felt underutilized even in the final build of the game, and Orion should go out of its way to finally make this gameplay feature shine.
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Netrunning Should Get the Spotlight it Deserves in Project Orion
The setting and worldbuilding of Cyberpunk 2077 is a massive element of the game's success, as well as a big contributor to the immense hype that surrounded the project prior to its release. Belonging to a wider franchise that has roots as far back as 1988, CD Projekt Red had a huge wealth of lore and information available to them for 2077's portrayal of Night City and its inhabitants.
Of course, the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is typified by widespread corporate greed and huge socioeconomic inequality which helps inform its story, but this near-future setting is also conducive to high-grade technology that opens up a world of gameplay opportunities. This is most evident in the concept of Netrunning in the Cyberpunk franchise, which refers to high-end hackers that have cybernetically augmented their bodies to increase their hacking capabilities.
The most dedicated Netrunners essentially live in the digital realm, and Cyberpunk 2077 dips its toes into this concept by allowing the player to choose from a wide range of hacking abilities through Netrunning gear and skill trees. While this can be used to open up combat capabilities through things like distracting enemies, hacking equipment, and detonating explosives in Cyberpunk 2077, it is clear that Project Orion still has a wide range of Netrunning improvements that it can implement.
Netrunning Stations and New Pathways Could Define Project Orion's Gameplay Approaches
It is true that Cyberpunk 2077 does well to offer the player different playstyles to work towards, such as stealth, melee, and ranged, but it is clear that dedicated Netrunning builds are something that CD Projekt Red has always had reservations over in 2077. This is best evidenced by the massive overhaul to Netrunning that came with the game's 2.0 update, which stopped Netrunning builds from being completely overpowered at the cost of reducing how well Netrunning worked with other mechanics like stealth.
CDPR has the opportunity to build around these changes in Project Orion by leaning further into the lore of Netrunning, making it more than just pressing a few quickhacks to completely clear a room of enemies. For example, players should be able to choose between different Neturnning pathways in Project Orion, with the opportunity to buy and use Netrunning stations to explore the cyber realm.
This is something that other Netrunners are seen to use in 2077, but this equipment is never afforded to the player, and this could be used in Orion to create city-wide distractions or to eliminate rival Netrunners before embarking on a mission. Netrunning is one of the most fascinating elements of the Cyberpunk franchise, and Project Orion should provide a much more comprehensive portrayal of it to really lean into such a defining aspect of the IP.
Cyberpunk 2077
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- REDengine 4
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
