With the release ofCyberpunk 2077’s one and only expansion now well in the rearview mirror, fans are eagerly awaiting any shred of news regarding the title’s in-development sequel, codenamed “Project Orion”. The most recent update from developer CD Projekt RED onCyberpunk 2077’s follow-up came earlier this year with the announcement that R&D on the title had begun, positioning it for likely a late 2027 or early 2028 release date if traditional development cycles are any indication. Not much is known about Project Orion other than its existence, but one hope for the title is that it will take a page out of FromSoftware’s playbook in terms of its RPG-style progression and buildcraft.
One of the complaints many players had aboutCyberpunk 2077at launch was its somewhat confusing character progression and perk systems, which CD Projekt Red worked to fix over the last several years. As of the 2.0 update andPhantom Liberty expansion,Cyberpunk 2077’s character progression and RPG systems have received a complete overhaul, bringing them more in line with other RPGs and featuring clearly defined progression paths for players to build out V for a specific playstyle. With Project Orion, CDPR can take this one step further by borrowing liberally fromElden Ringin terms of more meaningful gear, opportunities for min/maxing, and stat-based scaling.
Project Orion Needs to Provide More Gear That Scales With the Player
One aspect of buildcraft thatCyberpunk 2077dips a toe into is stat scaling with gear. Thehigher tiers of Cyberwarethat players acquire feature bonuses depending on player stats, with certain upgrades being more beneficial based on how players have allocated their stat points. As an example, a build focusing on Technical Ability and Reflexes might make great use of a certain Mantis Blades upgrade, while a player focusing on Body should instead opt for Gorilla Arms in that Cyberware slot. Certain weapons inCyberpunk 2077provide similar bonuses as well, but in Project Orion, CDPR should go all-in on FromSoftware-style stat scaling with all types of equipment.
Rather than throw a deluge of weapons and items at the player as inCyberpunk 2077, Project Orion could slow down the amount of new gear players get in favor of more deliberate pieces of equipment and upgrades. With fewer pieces of equipment to manage and balance in the game’s character progression, it would be easier to affix stat scaling values to weapons and Cyberware upgrades, potentially even extending those same bonuses to clothing as well.FromSoftware proved withElden Ringthat it’s okay to give players a wide variety of options as long as each piece of gear has its own specific place within the game’s meta, andCyberpunk 2077’s sequel could reasonably follow suit.
Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 Update Should Be Just the Starting Point for Project Orion’s RPG Systems
The redemption ofCyberpunk 2077has been one of the more interesting stories to follow in gaming, capping things off with the massive 2.0 update alongside the release of the ambitious Phantom Liberty expansion. CDPR had been working behind the scenes to improveCyberpunk 2077bit by bit since its rocky launch, but the 2.0 update is a definitive statement of purpose, delivering the game that was originally promised all those years ago when it was first revealed in 2013.Cyberpunk 2077’s sequelnow has the opportunity to use its predecessor’s terminus for RPG systems and character progression as its starting point.
As in FromSoftware titles, haphazard progression and unfocusedstat allocation inCyberpunk 2077can be a recipe for disaster. With the inclusion of more meaningful gear and stat scaling in Project Orion should also come more opportunities for clearly defined builds that make use of min/maxing to get the most potential out of a particular playstyle. This is already something that players can experiment with inCyberpunk 2077(and also something that improved with the 2.0 update), but a sequel has the opportunity to take things even further with the inclusion of new stats, new perks, and more synergies that exist between the two.
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?
