Cyberpunk 2077will always be viewed through a somewhat muddy lens. The game’s initial 2020 release was marred by egregious bugs and performance issues, yes, but it was also slammed for lacking content that many assumed would be baked-in at launch. While CD Projekt Red’s sci-fi opus has come a long way over the last four years, and has been expanded with all manner of new content,especially through thePhantom LibertyDLC, it still has room for improvement.
Hopefully, this improvement will be realized inProject Orion, the code-named sequel toCyberpunk 2077that is currently in early development. Virtually nothing is known about this much-anticipated follow-up at this stage, though it ought to be assumed that CDPR will be looking to dodge many of the criticisms leveled againstCyberpunk 2077. Naturally, this will mean launchingProject Orionin a complete, polished state, but the sequel’s success will also be predicated upon more meaningful, fundamental changes from its predecessor. There are countless ways in which these changes could manifest, but boss design, particularly boss variety, should be one of them.
Project Orion’s Boss Roster Should Be Stronger than Cyberpunk 2077’s
Cyberpunk 2077’s Selection of Bosses Is Wanting for Variety
Boss fights aren’t exactly a major focus ofCyberpunk 2077—the game is no soulslike when it comes to the gravity and frequency of boss battles—but they certainly aren’t nonexistent. Indeed, many key story beats are punctuated with a dramatic boss fight, and the Beat on the Brat and Cyberpsycho quest chains are effectively low-stakes boss gauntlets. But these fights can ultimately feel a bit repetitive, at least on the mechanical front.
Perhaps the biggest reason whyCyberpunk 2077’s boss fights feel uninspiredis the fact that virtually every major boss is some sort of humanoid. ComparingCyberpunktoThe Witcher, CD Projekt Red’s other major IP, the difference in terms of boss variety is night and day:The Witchergames feature a broad assortment of humanoid, beast, spectral, and other distinct boss archetypes, which make such encounters both more visually engaging and mechanically distinct. How one chooses to handle a fight with a ghost is very different from how one approaches a battle with a werewolf, for instance. This is a stark contrast toCyberpunk 2077’s suite of bosses, which are mostly all humanoid and therefore can be bested through more or less the same means.
How Project Orion Can Make for Better Boss Encounters
If the two major ingredients missing fromCyberpunk 2077’s selection of bossesare visual and mechanical variety, then CD Projekt Red has a fairly straightforward option for improving boss fights inProject Orion: make more varied battles. Cyberpsychos with far more dramatic physical changes, perhaps ones that make them more like mechs or specters than simply powerful humans, could be one way to accomplish this within theCyberpunk 2077lore. But other, non-human entities could play a role as well: automatons may be a particularly interesting enemy type to develop, as they could assume all manner of different forms and functions, making for unexpected and creative fights.
CD Projekt Red may benefit from looking at othersci-fi action games likeThe Surgefor inspiration when it comes to non-humanoid boss encounters.
As is usually the case, improving boss variety inProject Orionis much easier said than done, especially from the perspective of a non-developer. One potential complication that CDPR could face in the pursuit of this goal is the issue of player choice: players need to have multiple options for defeating every boss, or else these battles could contradictProject Orion’s assumed emphasis on build variety, like its predecessor. But countless action-RPGs manage to offer unique, diverse boss fights without undermining player freedom, so there’s no reason to assumeProject Orionwouldn’t be able to do something similar.
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?
