Cyberpunk 2077’s Lifepaths are an interesting outlet for customization. In gameplay, which of the three Lifepaths players select is made out to seem much more impactful than it actually is in the grand scheme of CD Projekt Red’s dark sci-fi RPG with only the prologue and various dialogue options being deeply affected. However, Lifepaths are capable of having a subliminal effect on how players might go about a situation or who they may choose to align themselves with, especially in a three-pronged choice given by Johnny Silverhand past Cyberpunk 2077’s point of no return.
Likewise, it can feel odd wearing formal corpo attire when V is canonically a streetkid even if there is nothing preventing players from doing so.
Either way, Lifepaths are an avenue that Project Orion can hope to expand on more, and more gameplay-oriented repercussions could be favorable now that CD Projekt Red has a somewhat stable footing with the IP. For example, players’ choice of Lifepath in Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel could determine what cyberware and loadout they start the game with and create a variety of base builds, not unlike how players have a variety of stats and gear to begin with in FromSoftware’s action-RPGs and spec their character onward.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel Might Have to Rethink One Role-Playing Feature’s Lease
Project Orion has an opportunity to expand on what Cyberpunk 2077 did well and that includes one RPG feature it only scratched the surface of.
Cyberpunk 2077 Should Take Inspiration from Builds in Action-RPG Soulslikes
Lies of P is fairly scripted in its narrative besides which binary truths and lies players tell, and part of that rigidity is not having a background for P. This makes perfect sense in the context of Lies of P’s story, but even the beginning of the game allows players to select either a balanced, dextrous, or strength-based build for their protagonist—the Path of the Cricket, Bastard, or Sweeper, respectively—which then informs what players will be able to achieve with their earliest stats in mind and which weapons they’ll scale better with. FromSoftware’s beginning class options are obviously more diverse with a greater number to choose from and yet the premise stands.
How Builds Could Flesh and Chrome Out Lifepaths in Cyberpunk 2077
Builds being ingrained in Lifepaths wouldn’t be far-fetched at all given how players like to ascribe particular builds to themselves that are inspired by their chosen Lifepaths anyhow, and indulging in that with predetermined loadouts of gear, weaponry, and cyberware for each could be a natural next step for Lifepaths in Project Orion. This way, Lifepaths might have more of a lived-in feel where players are literally inhabiting wholly unique bodies as a result of what cyberware they may have installed when they initially explore their abilities and movement as part of one Lifepath compared to another.
One Lifepath may be favorable if it starts players out with the Reformed Tendons implant’s double-jump capability, for example, while another Lifepath may be tempting if it equips players with Cyberpunk 2077’s Mantis Blade arm cyberware. If players “hate their meat,” so to speak, perhaps they’d favor a Lifepath build that replaces most of their protagonist’s flesh with chrome and maybe even aligns them with Maelstrom borgs at the start of the narrative. Indeed, different builds giving players a bit of a foot in the door with different factions could be terrific worldbuilding as well.
Perks of having an early affiliation with Cyberpunk 2077 gangs like the Tyger Claws or the Mox could be that players aren’t instantly thrust into combat if they enter their encampments, for instance, and it would be neat if quest-related NPCs who happen to share a gang affiliation with the player acknowledge them as a kindred spirit. Of course, simply having Lifepath builds assign players with an exclusive weapon or piece of cyberware would be enticing, and it will be incredibly intriguing to see how CD Projekt Red approaches Lifepaths in Project Orion.
Cyberpunk 2077
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- REDengine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps, xbox, pc
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Cyberpunk
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
