Summary
- Cyberpunk 2077 has redeemed itself post-launch, resembling No Man's Sky levels of improvement.
- Project Orion, the sequel, aims to avoid past mistakes while enhancing the strong creative vision.
- Customization of apartments in Project Orion could elevate the player experience, fostering creativity.
Cyberpunk 2077 has managed to come a long way since its initial launch, fixing innumerable bugs, tweaking performance, and adding a slew of fresh content for players to enjoy. Indeed, the game has approached No Man's Sky levels of retribution, earning back much of the goodwill it lost upon its initial release. With how much Cyberpunk 2077 has improved over the past few years, many players have high hopes for its sequel.
Code-named Project Orion, little is known about Cyberpunk 2077's follow-up. It can be assumed that this sequel will not only avoid the pitfalls of Cyberpunk 2077, but also build upon what it gets right—CD Projekt Red no doubt wants to avoid a repeat of the original's launch controversy. More importantly, Cyberpunk 2077's strong creative vision has been further illuminated by its many post-launch patches, which have removed distracting glitches and performance issues while buttressing the game with better, more engaging features and systems. When it comes to one of the most appealing post-launch features, V's new apartments, Project Orion has a clear direction it ought to take.
Project Orion: Polishing Player Apartments
Cyberpunk 2077's Apartments Are Great, But Lack an X-Factor
Players can purchase a number of stylish apartments in Cyberpunk 2077— a feature added as part of the 1.5 update. This has been widely regarded as one of the biggest post-launch improvements to the RPG experience, as players can now engage with some semblance of an in-game real-estate market, which many believe was intended to be part of Cyberpunk 2077 at launch. Thanks to the update, players can now purchase new apartments in the following areas:
- Watson
- Westbrook
- Heywood
- City Center
The addition of these new homesteads serves as a great improvement, especially for players who like to lean into the role-playing and customization side of Cyberpunk 2077; if someone's playing as a corpo-sympathizing V, they can opt to stay in the swanky City Center apartment, while those envisioning a rough-and-tumble version of the character may favor the more bohemian Westbrook flat. These new homes also make for easier access to various apartment-based benefits like buffs and health recovery. There are even a few light customization options, and it's this feature that CD Projekt Red ought to improve in Project Orion.
Apartment Customization Should Take Precedent In Project Orion
Players can customize V's starting apartment, but not the four units added in Cyberpunk 2077's 1.5 patch. The fact that there are no personalization features for the update 1.5 units is disappointing, but even the options available for V's starter home are underwhelming, boiling down to a couple of static color palettes and texture swaps; there's no way to alter details like furniture, room layouts, or decorative accents.
Perhaps the best apartment customization feature in Cyberpunk 2077 are the game's various collectibles, but even these are locked to V's starting home, and their position within the apartment is fixed.
Thus, Project Orion is at a crossroads: double down on the real estate system, allowing players to purchase a wider assortment of pre-designed, themed apartments like in GTA Online, or narrow the selection of homes, perhaps even down to just one, and make strides in terms of customization. The latter path may be the more interesting and exciting one, as it would open the door to player creativity, serving as a sort of meta-game built around interior design and personalization.
Project Orion could introduce deeper customization tools, letting players acquire and position furniture as they see fit, change the layout of rooms, windows, and amenities, and maybe even upgrade a unit to include additional rooms or features. The game wouldn't have to have Sims-level customization, but some deeper, more complex options may be more satisfying than a sprawling selection of homes with fewer avenues for expression.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
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?
- 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
- Engine
- REDengine 4
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- Metascore
- 75
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
