Project Orion's Multiplayer Would Be Shooting Itself in the Foot By Not Addressing This Cyberpunk 2077 Criticism
Cyberpunk 2077 turns five years old this year, and in that time, developer CD Projekt Red has turned one of the most controversial game launches into a compelling and well-crafted RPG. Gamers’ first impression of Cyberpunk 2077 was far from ideal, but it’s thankfully evolved into a rich dystopian world filled with fascinating lore and hours of action-packed gameplay.
When starting Cyberpunk 2077 for the first, second, or even third time, one of the most exciting parts of beginning the story is building a unique character. The character creator for Cyberpunk 2077 is pretty impressive, but there is one major downside that keeps V from being an even better protagonist. Once created, players don’t get to see much of their version of V, and if reports about the game’s upcoming sequel, Project Orion, having multiplayer are accurate, it can hopefully help solve this issue.
If Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel Has Online Multiplayer, Players Should Be Able to See Their Characters
The Biggest Drawback to Cyberpunk 2077's First-Person Approach
It’s strange for Cyberpunk 2077 to have such a robust character creation system only for the game to rarely ever show V outside their first-person viewpoint. Of course, there are moments where players get a glimpse, like looking into mirrors, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Throughout the story, V’s appearance can be customized however one likes, but for many it feels useless, since these changes can’t actually be seen.
First-person perspective makes sense for the most part in Cyberpunk 2077. This viewpoint helps immerse players in the world of Night City, but the fact that there is not even an option for a third-person view continues to be debated within the Cyberpunk 2077 community. Even earlier this year, CD Projekt Red said there were no plans to introduce third-person to the game, and while the developer has its own reasons, it’s a letdown for a lot of fans.
Project Orion entered pre-production earlier this year in May. CD Projekt Red has not offered any insight into when the studio expects the game to launch.
Project Orion's Multiplayer Could Finally Give Third-Person Fans What They Want
It would be surprising for CD Projekt Red to create something as difficult as an online multiplayer component set in Cyberpunk 2077‘s world without allowing players to see their own creations. Even if Project Orion’s expected multiplayer isn’t third-person, it at least presents the opportunity for devs to take note of other FPS titles like Call of Duty and Overwatch 2. These games offer customization via skins, allowing players to see their characters fairly often while still maintaining a first-person identity.
Ultimately, when it comes down to it, a lot of gamers like to show off their own characters in multiplayer settings. This doesn’t apply to every player, but with titles like Fortnite incentivizing gamers with unique character designs, boasting has now become part of the experience for many.
It’s strange for Cyberpunk 2077 to have such a robust character creation system only for the game to rarely ever show V outside their first-person viewpoint.
Beyond Project Orion, CD Projekt Red subsidiary The Molasses Flood is also working on a multiplayer Witcher spin-off, while the former is busy with The Witcher 4.
With Project Orion more than likely being a few years away from its first trailer, it will be interesting to see what details about the game CD Projekt Red chooses to reveal ahead of its official announcement. A multiplayer Cyberpunk game has the potential to really shake up the online space, and it will be fascinating to see how it unfolds. Since Project Orion is only in its early stages of development, there’s still the possibility that multiplayer could get scrapped down the road, but that hopefully isn’t the case.
