Cyberpunk 2077, despite its innumerable faults at launch, is a truly special game, and one can only assume thatProject Orion, its codenamed sequel, will solidify its nascent legacy. But whileProject Orionis full of potential—especially considering what CD Projekt Red has hopefully learned fromCyberpunk 2077’s disastrous release—its premise is a big mystery.
Major spoilers ahead forCyberpunk 2077.
Perhaps the greatest question mark surroundingProject Orionis how exactly it willconnect to the story ofCyberpunk 2077. After all, CDPR’s sci-fi opus features several distinct endings, most of which result in V’s demise. Canonizing an ending in an RPG series is always messy business, but the fact thatCyberpunkis, for the most part, a self-contained narrative, changes things as well. It’s not like, say,Mass Effect, where each entry leads into the next one, and all of them come together to form a single narrative. Having said that, if CD Projekt Red is indeed going to makeProject Orionsome sort of direct sequel toCyberpunk 2077, it has to choose one ending to write in stone, and The Devil could be the right choice.
Cyberpunk 2077: Arguing for The Devil To Be the Canon Ending
The Devil Is Cyberpunk’s Darkest Ending
It’s not exactly surprising that The Devil is almost unanimouslycited asCyberpunk 2077’s worst ending. It involves V selling out to Arasaka—a corporation that is presented as, if not wholly evil, a symbol of everything wrong with the game’s hyper-capitalist, unregulated world. Arasaka is the player’s enemy for most of the game: it created the engram that set Johnny and V on their trail of destruction in the first place, and its crimes against humanity in general are well documented. Put plainly, they are not a fan-favorite faction.
But like so many uber-powerful organizations, they can be a corrupting force. They make V a tantalizing offer: they can save their life, in a sense, by copying their consciousness onto a personality engram of their own. This engram can then theoretically be implanted into any vessel, organic or cybernetic, which effectively makes V immortal. Of course, this all comes at thecost of working for Arasaka, aiding their ultimate, shadowy goals and selling V’s soul, but this is a deal many would likely take in the real world. Even though it’s just a copy of V’s persona, the idea of continued life has widespread appeal; as sad as it is to admit, the lofty ideals of many would likely crumble when faced with such an offer, especially if the alternative is a slow and painful death.
The Devil ending has an alternate branch,wherein V helps Arasakaand still chooses to die, though this doesn’t have much potential when it comes to a sequel—it’s mostly just depressing and fruitless.
Project Orion Could Do a Lot With The Devil Ending
Despite being dark, depressing, and not exactly loved by fans, The Devil is a particularly fitting ending. The violent and unjustcorporate world ofCyberpunk 2077is hard to escape uncorrupted, and V abandoning any semblance of morals or integrity for the chance at everlasting life is definitely thematically resonant, if rather disappointing. Moreover, following this concept to its conclusion could allow for a great degree of narrative potential.
If CD Projekt Red wants to makeV the protagonist ofProject Orion, then The Devil is one of the only endings that could be canonized, since V is sentenced to death in most others. MaybeProject Orioncould be about V rectifying this decision, as players could assume the role of the “engram V,” who regrets siding with Arasaka and chooses to fight them to undo theirFrankenstein-esque fate, even if it means their death. Alternatively, V could be an antagonist inProject Orion, serving as a puppet of their corporate overlords.
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?
