Now that Cyberpunk 2077 has been patched up and is operating at its fullest potential, CD Projekt Red has set its sights on a sequel, known only as Project Orion. Little is known about the upcoming game, but it can be assumed that it will incorporate the lessons CDPR learned from Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch, as well as its much-lauded updates and strong core design.
Like The Witcher before it, Cyberpunk 2077's greatest strength is arguably its narrative and world-building. Night City, simply put, is hard to want to leave—quite an accomplishment, considering its depiction as a dystopian nightmare. The rich metropolis is teeming with interesting locales to explore and people to meet, with CDPR's mastery of cool, slang-laden dialog lubricating every interaction V has. This has led to countless NPCs coming across as deeply realized and charismatic, even if the player only gets to enjoy a few short conversations with them. Come Project Orion, one can only hope that CDPR will double-down on these Night City denizens, making them a more integral, pervasive part of the overall experience.
Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel Needs a Substantial Upgrade for Melee Combat
Cyberpunk 2077 has pretty great combat, but its sequel can improve it, and the melee department is the perfect place to start polishing.
Project Orion Should Hold a Magnifying Glass Up To Ripperdocs
Ripperdocs Offer a Unique Perspective Into Cyberpunk 2077's Bizarre World
Cyberpunk 2077, like many other cyberpunk stories, leans heavily into themes of transhumanism, or human beings transcending the limitations and definitions of their bodies through technology. This is plain to see in-game, as just about every NPC is "chromed" to the gills, augmented with numerous enhancements, both cosmetic and practical. Cyberpunk 2077's world is one wherein human bodies are obstacles to overcome, problems to solve, and ripperdocs offer the solution.
These specialists, whose expertise lands somewhere between a medical doctor and a mechanical engineer, are V's one-stop-shops for bodily upgrades, making them more or less essential for players looking to get the most out of their Cyberpunk 2077 builds. But while V can chat up these NPCs, and some are more memorable than others, none of them play a significant part in the main story. Those whose influence reaches beyond the limitations of their clinics, like Vik Vektor and Fingers, are still relegated to tertiary character status, never playing as important a role as characters like Judy, Panam, and River.
Given how central ripperdocs are to the world-building of Cyberpunk 2077, it would be worthwhile for the sequel to explore them a bit deeper. Incorporating a ripperdoc character in a similar capacity as the aforementioned companions, perhaps even as a romance option, could offer invaluable insight into the more grotesque and unnerving facets of the Cyberpunk universe, making for a more fleshed-out game world.
The Benefits of Expanding Ripperdocs' Role in Project Orion
Even if there were, say, only a single ripperdoc companion in Project Orion, on the level of a character like Judy, the narrative benefits would be immense. Players could learn more about what it's like to be a ripper, and whether they feel conflicted or guilty about their vocation, especially when it comes to complicated social issues like cyberpsychosis. This is an underexplored element of Cyberpunk 2077's worldbuilding, which depicts Ripperdocs as more or less perfunctory in their work, treating it like any other job. Of course, it's anything but that.
Transhumanism is at the heart of not just Cyberpunk 2077, but the cyberpunk genre in general, first showing up as a prevalent theme in seminal works like William Gibson's Neuromancer. But Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't quite explore this idea as much as it could, with even plot-heavy aspects like the Johnny Silverhand consciousness engram serving more to push the story along than provide philosophical heft. By further integrating Ripperdocs, Project Orion could offer strong ideological spelunking via the strong character-writing CDPR is known for.
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
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure from the creators of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red.
Set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification, you play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.
Upgraded with next-gen in mind and featuring free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades.
The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be?
- Engine
- REDengine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps, xbox, pc
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Cyberpunk
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
