Project Orion Should Double-Down on One Type of Cyberware

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 3, 2024 38 Views 6 Min Read
Project Orion Should Double-Down on One Type of Cyberware



Only time will tell what audiences can expect from Project Orion, the enigmatic follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red’s misadventures in game development and marketing have been thoroughly documented already, but it’s worth noting that the company seems to have owned up to its mistakes and, more importantly, learned from them. That is to say, the good and the bad of Cyberpunk 2077 will inform the development of Project Orion.




Aside from the bug-filled launch, which CDPR is no doubt focused on not repeating, Project Orion could learn the most from the unrealized potential of its predecessor. Cyberpunk 2077 is an ambitious and sprawling game, but it’s easy to see some concepts that could be built upon in a sequel. One such target area ought to be cyberware, which plays a significant role in the lore of the game, though this significance isn’t quite realized in gameplay and build-crafting. Yes, players can gain a significant edge in combat and traversal through cybernetic augmentations, but there’s never a chance to go too far beyond the limits of the base gameplay; if a player wants to roleplay as an Adam Smasher-esque cyborg, they simply won’t be able to. And that’s understandable, but Project Orion could still push the envelope in this regard.

César Diego Ruiz from Cyberpunk 2077 Beat the Brat quest

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Cyberpunk 2077: Project Orion Needs its Own ‘Beat on the Brat’ Quest

Project Orion could benefit from combat quest like ‘Beat on the Brat’ to enhance gameplay and deepen its immersive world-building.

Project Orion Should Hone In On Arm Cyberware


Arm Cyberware Might Be Cyberpunk’s Most Promising Upgrade Path

Cyberpunk 2077 features four types of transformative arm cyberware:

  • Projectile Launcher
  • Gorilla Arms
  • Mantis Blades
  • Monowire

Within these four categories are different modifiers, like elemental effects or critical hit boosts, but nothing that fundamentally alters the experience of using each implement. Naturally, three of these four types of cyberware are best suited to melee-focused builds, with only the Projectile Launcher offering long-range damage, but they are nevertheless engaging, flexible, and synergize nicely with different buffs, upgrades, and perks.

Indeed, these are fun and appropriately over-the-top ways to interface with the game. While other cyberware slots, like optics or skeleton, can have a more incremental or subtle impact on Cyberpunk 2077‘s gameplay, arm cyberware can offer meaningful and distinct twists on the combat sandbox. Alongside leg cyberware, which allows players to double-jump and charge-jump, arm cyberware is probably the most entertaining tool for build-crafting and customization. This is something that CD Projekt Red should keep in mind when fleshing it out for Project Orion.


How Project Orion Can Elevate Arm Cyberware

Perhaps the most obvious way that Project Orion can build upon Cyberpunk 2077‘s approach to cyberware is by simply adding more unique options. In the case of arm cyberware, the sequel could offer new, distinct types of hardware, either within the aforementioned cyberware types or as standalone enhancements. An example of the former route could be a version of the Projectile Launcher with continuous, minigun-like firing rather than the explosives of the base model. The latter approach could be a bit trickier to implement, but also more rewarding.

One possible way to make arm cyberware more engaging could be to let it extend beyond combat. Among the most lamented removals from Cyberpunk 2077 ahead of its initial launch was the ability to wall run and wall hang, so perhaps there could be an arm cyberware option that opens this traversal option in Project Orion. A piece of cyberware that adds a grappling hook, paraglider, or other locomotion device would be another interesting option.


It should be noted that Cyberpunk 2077‘s arm cyberware is already quite impressive. In fact, it’s the imaginative and expressive nature of this mechanic that makes it fun to speculate about how it could be further developed in subsequent entries. If Project Orion wants to be the best Cyberpunk game it can be, then the first game’s strong points, like arm cyberware, need to be doubled down on—it shouldn’t just be about fixing what’s broken.

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