Summary
CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077spent years in the making surrounded by mountains of anticipation from fans upon its initial announcement all the way back in 2012. Based on Mike Pondsmith’s original tabletop RPG vision of a dystopian future society,Cyberpunk 2077promised to immerse gamers into that world via detailed storytelling and a cast of colorful characters. When it eventually released in 2020, the title experienced a rocky launch period marked by controversy regarding the technical state of its performance on older generation platforms, though it was praised for its narrative and world design.
CDPR then buckled down to address the technical woes, putting out patches and hotfixes in the wake ofCyberpunk 2077’s release. This process culminated in September 2023, when the studio provided gamers with the 2.0 update that overhauled and smoothed out many of its previous shortcomings and missing features. Accompanying this was thePhantom Liberty DLC, a lengthy story expansion that explored the main plot’s themes from another angle via a series of espionage/thriller missions. Incorporated naturally intoCP2077are longstanding genre elements, with one of the most recognizable being the cybernetic enhancements found in numerous works.Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel has a chance to go even further with these, particularly in their more unsettling aspects and implications.
CDPR is presently developingProject Orion, the codename forCyberpunk 2077’s sequel, along with multiple entries for itsWitcherfranchise.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Sci-Fi Body Horror Could Go Much Further in the Sequel
Cyberpunk 2077’s Augmentation Aesthetics and Lore Already Contain Some Grotesquely Fascinating Details
Cyberpunk 2077’s central plot centered on the experimental neurochip housing rocker-turned-revolutionary Johnny Silverhand’s consciousness implanted in player character V’s brain and overtaking their personality and motor functions. This setup alone brings some unnerving aspects with it, and there are others to be found throughout the title. Perhaps the biggest example is readily seen inCyberpunk 2077’s Maelstrom gang, as they are explicitly stated and specifically dedicated to having their implants and mods appear as inhuman as possible. Similarly, The Animals focus on transcending the physical limitations of human anatomy via changing themselves, as the name suggests, into more beast-like forms. Both of their designs are intentionally intimidating and off-putting in an uncanny way.
There is yet another version in thecyberpsychos. Within Night City, these are often already mentally unstable people who then succumb to a condition known as cyberpsychosis. Suffering from the varied and often unpredictably harmful effects of installing too much “chrome,” with each modification these citizens risk tragically losing their sense of identity and uncontrollably violently lashing out. V themselves can become extensively altered with the array of options at their disposal from Night City’s ripperdocs, such as the mantis blades and mono wires, which visually and in their animations also contain heavy body horror vibes.
How Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel Could Elevate its Brand of Cyber-Body Horror to New Heights
Some of the more worrying and graphic consequences of humanity altering itself with mechanical implants with perhaps unforeseen consequences of their effects on the human psyche and physiology can be seen in portrayals in adjacent games likeDeus Exand, more recently,Stellar Blade. Corporations experimenting with unethical procedures have also been a big component of cyberpunk fiction, and it would be quite in character forCyberpunk 2077’s Arasakaand other companies to indulge in them, which could be a seamless narrative explanation for their expansion in the series.
Given the graphical capability to render the visuals of its world and characters in stunning detail, it would be an evolutionary step forCyberpunk 2077’s sequel to up the ante in this area. While it would probably be best for it not to veer too far into straight-up horror to avoid too jarring of a switch, a calculated increased use of it could be incredibly effective and affecting.Cyberpunk 2077’s themes of transhumanismand the ramifications of humanity having the ability to modify itself in these ways could be taken into some darker and intriguing places down the line, and perhaps this will be the case to a degree. For now, though, fans will need to await further details on its direction.
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?
