Summary
Cyberpunk 2077was one of the highest profile launches in recent memory and experienced something of a roller coaster ride in its early impressions due to the surrounding controversy over the technical state of the game’s release on some platforms, specifically older generation consoles at the time. In 2020, CD Projekt Red’s ambitious vision forCyberpunk 2077didn’t quite seem to deliver on some of its previous promises and, though it was well-received in other ways, the negative perception it brought to the title marred its debut to a degree.
After weathering the backlash, CDPR focused on releasing patches throughout the course of the next couple of years, culminating in the massive 2.0 update in September 2023 alongside asignificant piece of DLC,Phantom Liberty. These two items streamlined and improved many ofCyberpunk 2077’s elements that were in need of touching up, as well as providing a major series of story missions in a new map section of its setting, Night City.
With these additions, the studio was thought to have achieved a redemption of sorts, and the future of the series now appears brighter than ever. Given that, a follow-up entry could take advantage by going even further and including more expansive locations within, or even having multiple full cities.
ACyberpunk 2077sequel, code-namedProject Orion, is currently in the early stages of development.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Follow-up Could Cash in With More Great City Locations
Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City Was Gorgeously Realized
CDPR’s work onThe Witcher 3prior toCP2077showcased its talent for creating breathtaking and beautifully realized worlds. Despite other technical woes upon initial release, the tone and feel of exploringCyberpunk 2077’s vibrant and seedy Night Citywas one of its most impressive and fulfilling aspects.
Night City’s design and art direction were pointed to as one of the best representations of a cyberpunk-styled location seen in gaming to date, with all the grittiness and excess that often defines the genre’s vibe. At its best, Night City’s world felt alive in a way that was extremely immersive and intriguing, acting almost as a distinct character unto itself.
How a Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Could Take its Setting to Even Bigger Heights
AsPhantom Libertybrought players to Dogtown, a previously unseen subsection of Night City, a sequel could continue in this vein and introduce more expansions to it or the greater surrounding area. If aCyberpunk 2077sequel returns to Night City, it could then depict how it has improved, or deteriorated, since the first title, making noticeable changes to its layout and structure. The no-man’s-land desert portion of the map could also provide a path to new locales, as a sequel could send players across it to another city entirely, one that is potentially much different in style and design versus Night City.
Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel branching out and potentially having multiple separate cities and larger locations similar toThe Witcher 3could perhaps make each part of the main questlines, with Night City serving as a central hub or access point between them. Some ofCyberpunk 2077’s endings have players going into space, and the moon, which is also an enticing idea.
The studio certainly has shown it can execute these settings, but it also must exercise caution in over-relying on them and straying too far from Night City’s neon-soaked atmosphere that forms the core of its genre setting. In any case, CDPR has several possibilities to further impress players with incredibly designed and realized locations in the sequel and is hopefully able to outdo the already remarkable original.
