Project Orion Needs to Expand on Cyberpunk 2077's Romance Options
Project Orion Needs to Expand on Cyberpunk 2077's Romance Options
- Project Orion, Cyberpunk 2077's sequel, needs to expand its romance options to be inclusive and less restrictive for players' choices.
- CD Projekt Red has a chance to improve on Cyberpunk 2077's shortcomings with Project Orion with a more immersive experience overall.
- The success of Project Orion hinges on building upon the foundation set by Cyberpunk 2077 and addressing player feedback for a more engaging sequel.
Cyberpunk 2077 promised an immersive sci-fi RPG, and although it has succeeded in many aspects, there are still some mechanics within the game that need to be given extra attention in the sequel. Currently known as Project Orion, Cyberpunk 2077's sequel has entered the early stages of development, hopefully taking its features even further than its predecessor.
Night City offers plenty of opportunities to explore and immerse oneself in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, but the game has merely scratched the surface in a lot of ways. One particular mechanic that failed to meet expectations was the game's romance options. Cyberpunk 2077 is now regarded as one of the best RPGs around, but Project Orion would really benefit from improving how players are able to pursue different relationships.
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Project Orion Expanding the Scope of Romance Options
When it comes to romance mechanics in many other RPGs, Cyberpunk 2077's pales in comparison. One of the best examples of great romance mechanics is found in Baldur's Gate 3. Not only are there plenty of characters to choose from, but the options are also incredibly inclusive regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Cyberpunk 2077 at least offers relationship options for various orientations, but the game can still be surprisingly restrictive.
Cyberpunk 2077's Main Romance Options
Although Cyberpunk 2077 does allow for some diversity in its relationships, there are only four choices, which is slightly disappointing. Furthermore, each choice has such specific requirements that it keeps players from romancing who they may actually want to, which can kill immersion. Someone playing a character with a masculine body and voice may want to romance Judy Alvarez, but the game unfortunately makes it impossible. This can be applied to any of the romance options, and Project Orion would benefit from making these types of characters less restricted.
It's expected that Project Orion will build upon the world it established, and although the extent of these improvements is unknown at the moment, updated romance mechanics could really make the sequel set itself apart. Cyberpunk 2077 felt like a great start overall, but many features ultimately felt like a practice run for CD Projekt Red. Of course, there are also side flings that can occur in the game, but they can't be drawn out into more substantial relationships.
The biggest problem with Cyberpunk 2077's approach to romance options is that none of them actually feel like a choice. That's one of the biggest ways Baldur's Gate 3 really shines with its immersion. Players' choices can really be felt, and Cyberpunk 2077 unfortunately sometimes drops the ball when it comes to making a player's choice feel like it has an actual impact.
Project Orion Gives CD Projekt Red a Second Chance
CD Projekt Red's rise from the ashes after the controversial launch of Cyberpunk 2077 back in 2020 is a fantastic redemption story. The way the studio has managed to salvage Cyberpunk 2077 is truly impressive, which makes the prospect of Project Orion all the more thrilling. Now that CD Projekt Red has had the chance to learn from its previous mistakes, Project Orion is primed to become the game its predecessor was intended to be all along.
Project Orion is only in its early stages of development, but there is already a lot of promise. As speculation about Project Orion continues, it will be interesting to see what aspects of the first game CD Projekt Red chooses to take a step further. Only time will tell, but the sequel will hopefully allow room for more fulfilling romantic options to explore in Night City.
Cyberpunk 2077
Platform(s) Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, PS4, PC, Stadia, Xbox OneReleased December 10, 2020Developer(s) CD Projekt RedPublisher(s) CD Projekt RedGenre(s) Action, RPGEngine REDengine 4ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and AlcoholHow Long To Beat 25 HoursMetascore 75PS Plus Availability N/A See at AmazonSee at PSNSee at Xbox Games StoreSee at Steam