The Argument Against More Romance Options in Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 8, 2025 11 Views 6 Min Read
The Argument Against More Romance Options in Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel



Cyberpunk 2077 has become one of the most popular RPG titles around, allowing players to live out their tech-fueled fantasies in the dystopian metropolis of Night City. Codenamed Project Orion, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most anticipated in-development projects at the moment. Between Project Orion and the recently announced Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red has a lot of exciting things on its plate, and many fans have plenty of questions.

When it comes to Cyberpunk 2077‘s sequel, one of the main points of discussion is how different it may be from its predecessor. The first game was able to bounce back from a notorious launch, and there are high hopes that the same issue won’t be repeated. This time around, CD Projekt Red has a better idea of how much time is needed to craft a satisfying sequel, but it’s also likely to make it even bigger. One way this can be done is by adding more romance options, and while that sounds like a good idea at first, it may ultimately hurt Project Orion in the long run.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel May Benefit Better From Keeping Its Romance Options Limited

Cyberpunk 2077 Players Can Romance Four NPCs

  • Judy Alvarez
  • Panam Palmer
  • River Ward
  • Kerry Eurodyne

Throughout the story, V can have romantic encounters with a variety of other NPCs, like Meredith Stout, but the four listed are the characters who count as full-blown relationships. At first, the romance offerings seem incredibly limited. While this is true, the limitations that CD Projekt Red has put on Cyberpunk 2077‘s romanceable NPCs offer players the opportunity to build in-game relationships with compelling characters who breathe extra life into the story.

Cyberpunk 2077 may not offer a lot of romance options, but the four characters that V can build these relationships with are well-written and fleshed out. There’s an argument to be made that adding more romance choices in Project Orion could potentially hinder the writing of such characters, which may run the risk of players being unable to form meaningful attachments. It’s unclear what Project Orion has in store, but it’s possible that discussions about how to make in-game romance more rewarding have occurred. Bringing more NPC options to the story could work, but it also may not be the most effective approach.

Making Cyberpunk 2077’s Romance Options More Flexible

Instead of adding more choices and potentially featuring weaker written characters, the best way to improve romance may be to not be so restrictive with which NPCs can be romanced in Cyberpunk 2077. For example, Judy and River can only be romanced by a female V, while Panam and Kerry can only be romanced by a male V. This can stifle the role-playing experience a little bit when there are players who prefer to play a male but wish to develop a romantic relationship with Judy or River and vice versa.

When Judy, River, Panam, or Kerry’s side quests are finished, their apartments are unlocked for players to use.

Project Orion Can Go Bigger and Better Without Losing Sight of its Predecessor

There is no way to know for sure which direction CD Projekt Red is choosing to go with Project Orion until the company itself reveals greater details. Like with many sequels, there is the expectation to take a follow-up’s story and features to even greater heights. While some sequels opt for expanding outward, it may be a stronger choice for Project Orion to build upon its best qualities. Fine-tuning and evolving what already made Cyberpunk 2077 great might be a better path.

Until CD Projekt Red provides more updates, Project Orion remains a huge mystery. The Witcher 4 is next in line, so it may be a long time before gamers see Cyberpunk 2077‘s sequel, but it will hopefully be well worth the wait.

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