Summary
- Project Orion aims to bring a cinematic approach to the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, potentially overshadowing non-game projects.
- Casting major stars like Idris Elba in Phantom Liberty added depth to Phantom Liberty's storytelling.
- CD Projekt Red's ambitious expansion of the franchise may risk straying away from the RPG elements fans love.
With Cyberpunk 2077's sequel, codenamed Project Orion, now beginning development, CD Projekt Red's ambitions are now bigger than ever. Cyberpunk 2077 has grown into a fantastic action adventure RPG in the last few years, and the studio behind the game is hoping to bring its cinematic qualities to the next level. However, this could have larger implications for the franchise's future.
Cyberpunk 2077 is filled with amazing adventures and action, but one of the best aspects of the game is its story. Thanks to the addition of its first DLC, Phantom Liberty, the game feels complete. Not only does the expansion bring even more great stories to the forefront, but it also expands upon the game's knack for rich storytelling. The base version of Cyberpunk 2077 already had some major star power with Keanu Reeves, but Phantom Liberty kicked that up a notch by casting Idris Elba as Solomon Reed. Casting major stars in the franchise was the first step in bringing compelling stories to life, and it looks like Project Orion is planning on bringing this approach even further—for better or for worse.
Cyberpunk 2077's Project Orion is Embracing Cinematic Storytelling
Recent news from CD Projekt Red has confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077's sequel plans to blend game and film into one project. The studio is currently in search of a Lead Cinematics Designer who can help bring more movie-like cutscenes to life in Project Orion. The first Cyberpunk 2077 was less focused on cutscene-heavy moments, but it seems as though Project Orion is headed in a different direction. Although this is an exciting approach, this could also present some cons when it comes to franchise spin-offs.
Less Room For Multimedia Projects
The possibility of Project Orion feeling more cinematic is compelling, but when it comes to the franchise pursuing multimedia projects, a more cinematic approach could take away from these other ventures. One of the most notable spin-offs to come from the Cyberpunk franchise is Netflix's animated series Edgerunners. The Edgerunners series follows a completely fresh story separate from that of Cyberpunk 2077, giving a fascinating new insight into the game's lore. With the success of the animated series, CD Projekt Red will likely look into even more projects outside the video games.
That said, if Project Orion truly takes cinematic storytelling to the next level, it may make these other non-game projects feel obsolete. Instead of being seen as an exciting new peek into the world of Cyberpunk 2077, it could feel more like an overload.
Project Orion is already a highly anticipated game despite not having a release date, but if the game feels more like playing a movie compared to its predecessor, it may overshadow future adaptations inspired by the game. What makes Edgerunners so compelling as a show is that it has its own special niche within the franchise, but Project Orion telling the game's story similarly could take the show's specialized storytelling away.
The Future of Cyberpunk 2077 in Project Orion
Project Orion is a mystery, but the confirmation that the project is looking to dive deeper into cinematic storytelling is really intriguing. Cyberpunk 2077 was more focused on immersive RPG elements, so it will be interesting to see how CD Projekt Red approaches this new film-inspired method while still keeping Project Orion true to the game that started it all.
Project Orion being more like a movie could be incredibly cool, but there's also the risk of straying too far away from Cyberpunk 2077's RPG gameplay. There are already a lot of rumors about Project Orion, and although there's only mere speculation at this point, it's clear that CD Projekt Red is more ambitious than ever. Whatever the developer decides to do with Cyberpunk 2077's sequel, it will likely be a step in an interesting new direction.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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
- 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
- Metascore
- 75
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
