Following the long-winded, long-delayed success ofCyberpunk 2077, hopes are high for its sequel, which is codenamedProject Orion. The number of directions thatProject Orioncould take are numerous, but a common desire seems to be for it to double-down onCyberpunk 2077’s sci-fi genre staples.
Spoilers ahead forCyberpunk 2077’s Dream On side quest.
The cyberpunk sub-genre, birthed by classic novels likeNeuromancerandDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, is characterized by its ponderings about the meaning of humanity as it relates to technology. Put another way, cyberpunk stories reckon with tough techno-philosophical questions, asking their audiences to consider what life might be like given unfettered technological progress, which can often involve fundamental changes to physiology and psychology.Cyberpunk 2077dabbles in these waters, with notable plot elements like Johnny Silverhand’s Soulkiller engram being clearly linked to transhumanism talking points, but it could have gone a bit further. Hopefully,Project Orioncommits more to the cyberpunk genre framework, and learning from one memorableCyberpunk 2077side quest would be a good start.
Project Orion Should Extrapolate Cyberpunk 2077’s Dream On Side Mission
Dream On Is One of Cyberpunk 2077’s Most Quietly Unnerving Stories
Available toward the end of the main story, theDream On quest sees players working for Jefferson Peralez, a mayoral candidate and member of the Night City Council. This ambitious politician, alongside his wife Elizabeth, hires V to investigate a break-in at his penthouse apartment. Jefferson claims that he shot the intruder before blacking out, blanketing the events of the break-in in a shroud of uncertainty.
Things get more complicated as players consult SSI, a private security firm that was on-duty for the Peralezes, whose representatives claim that no such intrusion occurred. Additionally, Elizabeth and Jefferson seem slightly askew, apparently unable to remember obvious details from both their recent and distant history. As V and Johnny continue their investigation, they wind upunfolding one ofCyberpunk 2077’s most intimately disturbing twists.
As it turns out, Elizabeth’s and Jefferson’s minds are not wholly their own: a shadow organization is brainwashing them from afar using complex and obfuscated technology to alter their minds, ultimately puppeting the couple for their own aims. In the end, players have the choice to either tell Jefferson about the brainwashing, setting him down a path of immense paranoia, or keep the truth under wraps, allowing him to live out his days in blissful ignorance. There is no obvious way to stop the brainwashing, making this one ofCyberpunk 2077’s most difficult player decisions.
Dream On Tells a Uniquely ‘Cyberpunk’ Story that Project Orion Could Learn From
In an age of rampant technological advancement, including cyberware and all manner of ubiquitous physical enhancements, it’s conceivable that special interest groups could find ways to manipulate influential public figures. This is terrifying on both a personal and societal scale: losing control over one’s own mind is disconcerting enough, but the notion of this happening to a politician, and a potential mayor of a major city, calls into question the very viability of a democratic or just society. If CD Projekt Red wants toinjectProject Orionwith true horror, it should lean into these sorts of ideas.
Blending the high-concept sci-fi ideas of cyberware with the sweaty paranoia of political thrillers likeThe Manchurian Candidatecould yield great results, especially if it were to be extended beyond what is seen in the Dream On side quest.Phantom Libertyraised the stakes forCyberpunk’s political dramaand intrigue, so folding in elements like mind control and manipulation, on a grander scale, could helpProject Orionpresent a terrifying, thought-provoking, near-apocalyptic game world.
Cyberpunk 2077
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure from the creators of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red.Set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification, you play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.Upgraded with next-gen in mind and featuring free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades.The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be?
