How Project Orion Will Make Good on an Old Cyberpunk 2077 Promise

Highlights

• Cyberpunk 2077 has overcome its rocky launch with consistent updates, showcasing significant improvement in gameplay and reception.
• Fans are eagerly anticipating Project Orion, the sequel, with hopes that it will deliver on the promises Cyberpunk 2077 fell short on.
• Project Orion aims to make Lifepaths more meaningful, building on the system that was initially meant to have a greater impact on the game’s narrative.

It is no secret that the 2020 launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was rough for the game’s early reception and overall reputation, with the release being forever associated with how unpolished it was in its original state. While it was a huge task for CD Projekt Red to salvage the title, consistent and expansive post-launch updates have put the dark days of 2077 firmly behind it, with the recent launch of the Phantom Liberty DLC being a testament to just how far the game has come.

As Phantom Liberty is confirmed to be the only major expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, the attention of the game’s community is already turning toward a full sequel to the title, which CD Projekt Red has codenamed Project Orion. While it is true that Project Orion is under pressure to match and exceed the gameplay experience of Cyberpunk 2077‘s final post-launch state, the sequel has the benefit of learning from 2077‘s problematic launch, as well as aspects of the 2020 title that sadly never made the final cut. For example, V’s optional backstories were supposed to have a much larger influence on the plot of 2077 than they ended up having, and this is something that Orion is reportedly delivering on.

The Protagonist Backstory in Project Orion Will Be More Meaningful Than Cyberpunk 2077

Above all else, Cyberpunk 2077 stays very true to the core principles of RPG gameplay, allowing the player to shape the personality, appearance, and combat approaches of the game’s protagonist, V. In its final post-launch state, Cyberpunk 2077 boasted an almost overwhelming number of skill trees and character attributes that the player could unlock and work towards, with optional cybernetic implants also opening up completely new dynamics for things like combat, stealth, and exploration.

Like many RPGs, Cyberpunk 2077 gives the player a lot of narrative power, being able to steer how V tackles certain major plot points and develops relationships with other characters. CD Projekt Red initially wanted to take this narrative variety a step further, however, with the optional Lifepaths that the player can choose originally having a much larger influence on the overall story of Cyberpunk 2077.

Players can choose from three distinct Lifepaths for V at the start of the game, Nomad, Streetkid, and Corpo. These choices offer three unique introductory quests to the player, as well as a unique side-quest and distinct dialogue options throughout the game’s story. While these different Lifepaths do offer a somewhat different perspective to Cyberpunk 2077, they were originally planned to directly impact the many endings of the title.

Project Orion Should Deliver on the Early Promises Around Lifepaths

The Lifepath system for Cyberpunk 2077 was at one point going to influence the game’s entire story, but many fans were disappointed to see that it barely had any impact beyond the title’s opening mission. The final state of the Lifepath system was very lackluster compared to what it was originally billed to be, and it seems that CD Projekt Red has kept this in mind in the development of Project Orion.

While Orion is a far way off thanks to Projekt Red fully focusing on the next Witcher release, some information is already available about the Cyberpunk sequel. Little is known about the core characters, setting, or story of Project Orion, but that has not stopped CD Projekt Red from discussing how important Lifepaths will be for the title. Phillip Webber, the Narrative Director for Projekt Red, has already suggested that Lifepaths will have a much broader and obvious impact on the complete story of Orion, with this being one more step by CDPR to finally deliver on all the promises that were originally made in the long run-up to Cyberpunk 2077.