As any merc who’s spent time navigating the neon-soaked streets of Night City can attest, Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that doesn’t shy away from tackling heavy themes. From corporate exploitation to the dehumanizing effects of unchecked capitalism, the dystopian RPG paints a grim picture of a society on the brink of collapse.
However, according to the developers at CD Projekt Red, they have only scratched the surface when it comes to exploring the complex social issues that define the cyberpunk genre.
Pushing the Envelope in the Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel
In a recent episode of the AnsweRED Podcast, the team behind the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed “Project Orion,” candidly discussed their plans to elevate the franchise’s social commentary and blur the lines between dystopian fiction and reality.
Associate game director Paweł Sasko, who previously served as the lead quest designer on Cyberpunk 2077, acknowledged the shortcomings of the first game’s social commentary, particularly in light of his experiences in the United States:
Now when I’m in the US, I see that we didn’t push the envelope far enough in some places, for instance, like, let’s say, the homeless crisis. When I look at it, I’m like, ‘We weren’t, like, far enough in ’77.’ We thought that we were dystopian, but we just touched the surface.
For anyone who has wandered the trash-strewn alleys of Watson or witnessed the desperate plight of the city’s countless homeless, this admission may come as a surprise. After all, Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to depicting the harsh realities of life on the outskirts of society.
But Sasko’s comments suggest that the developers intend to fully immerse players in the harsh, unforgiving world. They want to make players face the ugly truths hidden beneath Night City’s shiny exterior—at an even more thought-provokingly grander scale.
Project Orion‘s executive producer, Dan Hernberg, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the relevance of Cyberpunk‘s themes to today’s world and citing megacorporations, wealth inequality, and the exploitation of people as prime topics for exploration in the upcoming title.
A More Authentic Night City Experience
To create a more authentic and immersive Night City experience in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, CD Projekt Red has established a new studio in Boston, Massachusetts. The team hopes that by developing the game in the heart of the United States, they’ll be able to capture the nuances and cultural touchpoints that make the cyberpunk world feel truly alive.
With Project Orion, the developers have the opportunity to not only build upon the foundation laid by its predecessor and the success of Phantom Liberty but also to push the envelope even further, creating a gaming experience that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.
As the development of the sequel continues (hopefully with some lessons learned from the past), fans eagerly await the chance to return to the dark, dystopian world of Cyberpunk 2077, this time with the knowledge that the issues they encounter may hit closer to home than ever before.
Are you ready to confront the blurred lines between dystopian fiction and reality in Project Orion? What real-world issues do you hope to see explored in the upcoming sequel? Share your thoughts in the comments below, choombas!
