After a long period of strife and controversy, CD Projekt Red managed to pullCyberpunk 2077out of the muck and polish it to a brilliant shine, fixing most of its most severe bugs, adding major features, and expanding its world with the Phantom Libertyexpansion. All of that is to say thatCyberpunk 2077has teed upProject Orion, its currently code-named sequel, for success.
Where exactlyProject Orionwill take theCyberpunk 2077franchise has been the subject of great debate since its announcement. CD Projekt Red’s other major RPG series,The Witcher, can be characterized by enormous evolutions between entries, with each game feeling notably distinct in terms of gameplay, presentation, structure, and core features, so something similar may occur withCyberpunk. Indeed,Project Orionhas every chance to dramatically change several aspects of its predecessor, adding, mutating, or outright removing various key components in the service of making a better overall experience. Cyberware ought to be one of the areas thatProject Orionseeks to change.
Why Project Orion Should Truncate Cyberpunk 2077’s Cyberware Selection
Cyberpunk 2077 Offers a Wide Selection of Cyberware—Maybe too Wide
Many fans are expectingProject Orionto bolsterCyberpunk 2077’s cyberware system, as it’s an important gameplay and role-playing device that can sometimes feel a bit underbaked,though not for a lack of options. Despite a sprawling selection of gear across multiple ripperdoc clinics, cyberware inCyberpunkoften boils down to basic, incremental stat buffs or other minor perks. For instance, a frontal cortex cyberware component may increase quickhack upload speed by a few percentage points, while an optics replacement can slightly increase critical hit chance.
Cyberpunk 2077’s best cyberware piecesare the ones that actually impact gameplay from a mechanical, rather than stat-based, perspective. Upgrades like the Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, and Reinforced Tendons directly impact how a player interfaces with combat and traversal, making them appropriately significant alterations. Unfortunately, these sorts of upgrades are few and far between, as most of the other cyberware components offer the aforementioned stat buffs which, while often helpful, are not exactly interesting or exciting.
Project Orion’s Cyberware Should Strive for Quality Over Quantity
From a worldbuilding perspective, cybernetic augmentations ought to be significant and all-encompassing; it’s a rather invasive process, after all, involving the direct replacement or transformation of body parts. It’s a bit odd, then, thatCyberpunk 2077’s cyberware is generally easy to forget about, serving the same purpose as armor in other RPGs, more often than not. WhenProject Orionpresents players with ripperdocs, it should take care not to lose sight of cyberware’s lore context.
A more involved cyberpsychosis feature would be one obvious way to make cyberware more impactful, but reeling in the selection of cyberware parts could help as well. Crucially, whatever pieces of cyberwareProject Oriondoes include should be more along the lines of Mantis Blades or the Monowire, offering major changes to gameplay that are reflective of the changes made to the protagonist’s body. Fewer choices could make this more feasible while having the added benefit of making cyberware more memorable through scarcity. Visits to the ripperdoc could feel less like a routine and more like a significant increase in power or alteration of gameplay.
Fewer, more impactful cyberware upgrades could bolsterProject Orion’s character customizationas well, letting players fulfill the fantasy of being a totally inhuman, chromed-out Night City denizen.
Of course, the best of both worlds—a bevy of cyberware options that are all equally game-changing—would be ideal, but ifCyberpunk 2077has taught audiences anything, it’s to not expect too much.Cyberpunk 2077may be a great sci-fi game, but it has room for improvement and cyberware has a lot of potential. Hopefully,Project Orionwill realize it with more meaningful options.
Cyberpunk 2077
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?
