Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Makes the Case for One Piece of 2077 Cyberware to Stand Front and Center in Project Orion

This article contains spoilers for
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
.

Excitement is in the air for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel Project Orion. That statement would have come as a surprise if delivered closer to the game’s incredibly rough launch, but the franchise has made quite a comeback since then. This is in part due to Update 2.0’s much needed gameplay overhauls and the release of the critically acclaimed Phantom Liberty story DLC. However, even before Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty came out last year, Cyberpunk 2077 was able to reclaim quite a bit of goodwill thanks to Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime.

Created in collaboration between CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners follows young mercenary David Martinez as he navigates life in Cyberpunk 2077‘s Night City. Edgerunners fulfilled the promise of Cyberpunk‘s setting better than the game did in many ways, with CD Projekt Red going back and using the anime as inspiration for several of the system changes in Update 2.0. With Project Orion still early in development, CD Projekt Red has the opportunity to incorporate fan favorite aspects from Edgerunners at the ground level instead of in a post-launch patch. One specific element that could add both bombastic gameplay and impactful player decision-making is the Sandevistan OS.

The Significance of the Sandevistan in the Cyberpunk Franchise

The Sandevistan is a piece of military grade cyberware that David finds and implants in his body at the start of the show. It heightens David’s senses and improves his reaction time, allowing him to — from his perspective — slow down time. David uses this cyberware to outmaneuver his enemies and take them down before they can even process what’s happening. The Sandevistan is an incredibly powerful piece of technology, but its usage comes at a cost. Triggering the Sandevistan’s status effect takes a serious toll on the user’s mind and body. Though David has a high tolerance for cyberware, his reliance on the Sandevistan pushes him closer and closer to developing cyberpsychosis with each use.

The Sandevistan’s Appearance in Cyberpunk 2077

The Sandevistan is present in the game too, and was the highlight of many builds after Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0. Like David, players can choose to implant V with a version of the Sandevistan and gain the ability to slow down time while driving or in combat. While enjoyable to use, Cyberpunk 2077‘s Sandevistan still falls short of what was portrayed in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Bringing the Sandevistan to Project Orion

The Sandevistan should return in Project Orion, and if it does, it should function much closer to how it did in Edgerunners than it did in Cyberpunk 2077. If coupled with the right perks and cyberware, Sandevistan users in 2077 could often be incredibly potent in combat — though not as powerful as an optimized Cyberdeck OS build. That said, the Sandevistan doesn’t always give players that true power fantasy that they would expect after watching Edgerunners. The cyberware’s short timer and slow recharge rate are noticeable, especially early in the game. Though this is done to balance the useful time dilation effect, CD Projekt Red could take off these guardrails and make its next game a lot more interesting.

CD Projekt Red should add more depth to all of their cyberware, but the Sandevistan is the biggest contender for improvement. Especially after the success of Edgerunners, many players would love to see the Sandevistan be expanded upon. There are plenty of ways to make it feel as powerful as it looks in the anime. The developers could even go as far as completely removing the time limit and recharge rate, as they already have the perfect way to balance the Sandevistan’s usage in the game’s lore: cyberpsychosis.

Balancing an Upgraded Sandevistan in Project Orion

Cyberpsychosis was added to Cyberpunk 2077 in Update 2.0, but all it really does is implement a cyberware limit and impose debuffs if players exceed it. If Project Orion brings back the cyberpsychosis system for the Sandevistan and makes it function closer to how it does in Edgerunners — adding effects like bleeding at first and some form of insanity if players push themselves too much — it would be a far more interesting way to balance the Sandevistan than a simple countdown. Players could then live the true David Martinez experience: insane power at the risk of true insanity.

Sandevistan Variants in Project Orion

Another way that Project Orion could expand upon the Sandevistan is with variants. Edgerunners showed off two different versions of the Sandevistan: David’s and the one belonging to Adam Smasher. Both have differing functions and power ceilings. While there are a variety of Sandevistans to choose from in Cyberpunk 2077, the differences that they offer often come in the form of incremental stat boosts. Taking Sandevistan variations to the next level in Project Orion offers a way to differentiate playthroughs — especially with how many people currently play Sandevistan builds — and further delve into the lore behind the corporations crafting each one.