It appears that the goal of CD Projekt Red's upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Orion and tentatively called Cyberpunk 2, is to include player-selected life pathways into the storyline in a more significant way. Players could choose between three different life paths in the previous game, Cyberpunk 2077: Street Kid, Corpo, and Nomad. Although these decisions had an impact on the game in its early stages as the plot developed so did their influence.
In an interview with the Answered Podcast, CD Projekt Red's narrative director Philipp Weber acknowledged that Cyberpunk 2077 fell short of fulfilling the promise of a variety of character experiences through life choices. Weber stated that the team is dedicated to making this feature better in upcoming games and mentioned that the Cyberpunk sequel's concept is now in progress.
Weber shared,
"I do think there are things with, for example, the life paths, that kind of gives you a promise as being able to play more different kinds of characters. I think this is a thing where, in the future, that's as an example something we would like to improve. Since I do think we gave a promise there that maybe in the end we did not really sell."
The player's selected life route in Cyberpunk 2077 affected the game's opening scenes, but as the plot developed, the three pathways combined to form a single narrative. Although there were numerous branching paths and choices in the game, life paths only had a little impact on rare extra dialogue possibilities.
Weber further explained,
"The game begins with this very specific thing, you can be a Nomad, a Corpo, a Street Kid, but then it sometimes goes away a little bit. We move it all together. Then sometimes you can do it. As a quest designer, I think in retrospect we can see the old topic, given more experience, given more time, I think maybe we would make it a bit less muddled than we did it there."
The primary quest designer for the upcoming Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, and member of the Cyberpunk 2077 development team, Błażej Augustynek, highlighted that the initial life path functions more as an introduction to the main plot. He clarified,
"I think with the lifepaths, it's the life that you leave as V. So whatever you used to do, there's a clear moment where it all crumbles, right? And you start a new life with Jackie. Obviously, we would like it to matter more, but I think the way it plays out right now, it's like you come from a certain kind of life. And that life has ended. It's in the past and now you're living this new life which, ends, spoilers, in the prologue, and then you have to deal with the consequences of that."
Although life paths were handled in a prologue-style in Cyberpunk 2077, it seems that CD Projekt Red wants to have these decisions have more of an impact in the upcoming Cyberpunk 2.
While we wait for more information on Cyberpunk 2, gamers can pass the time by playing Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty update, which has helped the game bounce back from its early problems. Furthermore, fans of CD Projekt Red's role-playing games can look forward to The Witcher 4's release in early 2025, as the studio puts quality first after Cyberpunk 2077's launch difficulties.
Comments