As a seasoned chromehead who’s seen every corner of Night City, from the grimy alleys of Watson to the shimmering towers of Corpo Plaza, I can tell you this: the real adventure lies beyond the atmosphere. Sure, the dystopian metropolis is the beating, albeit arrhythmic, heart of the Cyberpunk universe, but it’s just the starting point. We’ve had a taste of the cosmos in the original game—fleeting glimpses that left me hungry for more. Now, with Project Orion on the horizon, I’m strapping in and looking skyward because it’s high time we truly blasted off into the neon-drenched stars. The promise to "prove the full power and potential of the Cyberpunk universe" isn’t just corporate speak; it’s a mandate to leave Earth in our rearview mirror.
The original game teased us mercilessly with orbital aspirations. Night City itself boasts the Morro Rock spaceport, a hub of interplanetary travel that played a pivotal role in the Phantom Liberty expansion. But for most of us down in the gutters, space was just a glittering prize for the ultra-wealthy, a symbol of the insurmountable divide between the haves and the have-nots. Project Orion has the chance to shatter that barrier. Think about it: from lunar colonies teeming with tens of thousands of souls to decadent luxury stations where the 0.001% sip synth-champagne while watching Earthrise, the playground is already built. We just need the invitation to crash the party.
The Orbital Stations Beckoning for Exploration
Let’s talk about the big one: the Arasaka Orbital Station. I got a one-way ticket there in The Devil ending, and let me tell you, it was equal parts awe-inspiring and utterly terrifying. This isn't just some sterile medical bay floating in the void.
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A Dual-Purpose Fortress: On the surface, it's a cutting-edge med-center for the corporate elite, offering experimental treatments that promise to cheat death itself. But beneath that sterile facade lies its true purpose: housing the Mikoshi servers.
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The Digital Afterlife: Mikoshi is Arasaka's crown jewel—a secure segment of cyberspace where the digitized engrams (or "souls") of the wealthy are stored for immortality. It's also the prison for victims of their Soulkiller AI, like our favorite rockerboy rebel, Johnny Silverhand. This makes the station the physical and digital heart of Arasaka's most sinister project.
For Project Orion, this location is a narrative goldmine. Imagine a mission where we’re not just visiting, but infiltrating with the goal of permanently destroying Mikoshi. The gameplay potential is staggering: zero-gravity firefights in sterile corridors, netrunning battles against the station's core AI, and the moral quandary of deciding the fate of thousands of digitized consciousnesses. It’s the perfect blend of high-stakes espionage and cosmic-scale consequence.
The Heist of the Millennium: Crystal Palace
If the Arasaka station is a grim fortress, then the Crystal Palace is its diametric opposite: the ultimate symbol of hedonistic excess. Teased in The Sun ending, this mission is the stuff of legend. V, having become the top merc in the Afterlife, is contracted by the enigmatic Mr. Blue Eyes for a gig so audacious it defies belief: robbing the most secure luxury casino-hotel in orbit.
Why does this mission need to be in Project Orion?
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It’s Iconic: It represents the pinnacle of the mercenary lifestyle—the biggest risk for the biggest reward.
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Mystery Unraveled: Mr. Blue Eyes remains one of the universe's greatest enigmas. This heist could be our ticket to understanding his motives and his connection to the deeper lore.
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Gameplay Variety: Picture this: navigating a casino floor filled with the galaxy's most dangerous high-rollers, using social stealth and charm alongside brute force, all while the delicate balance of life support hangs in the background. It’s Ocean’s Eleven meets Gravity, with a cyberpsycho twist.
The speculation is rampant in the edgerunner communities. Will V return as our protagonist? If so, experiencing this legendary heist firsthand would be a narrative masterstroke, a perfect bridge between the legend we built and the new frontiers we must conquer.
Navigating the Canon Conundrum
Ah, but here’s the spanner in the works, the rogue AI in the system: there is no single canon ending to Cyberpunk 2077. The fate of Arasaka, Night City, and V themselves is beautifully, frustratingly, in our hands. So how does Project Orion reconcile a universe where I might be a Corpo sell-out on an Arasaka station, a legend heading to the Crystal Palace, or a Nomad riding into the badlands?
CD Projekt Red has a few tantalizing options:
| Approach | How It Could Work | Potential Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Designate a Canon Ending | Choose one ending (likely The Sun or The Star) as the official launch point for the sequel's story. | Provides a clean narrative slate but may alienate players whose personal canon differs. |
| Save File Import | Follow the Mass Effect model, allowing our choices from 2077 to shape the world state in Orion. | Maximizes player agency and makes the universe feel truly continuous and reactive. |
| The "Mandrake Effect" | Use a time jump or a major event (a new Corporate War?) to reset the board, making all endings converge into a new status quo. | Offers creative freedom for new stories while respectfully acknowledging all player paths. |
Personally, my bet is on a hybrid approach. A significant time jump to 2080 or beyond could allow the dust to settle from our actions in Night City, with whispered legends about a merc named V influencing the world, while a new protagonist steps into the spotlight. This new hero (or villain) could then explore the consequences of our past choices in a world that has evolved, all while charting their own course to the stars.
The Final Frontier Awaits
In 2026, the hype for Project Orion is reaching a fever pitch in the Afterlife. The whispers among fixers and netrunners all point to one conclusion: space isn't just an optional backdrop; it's the logical, thrilling next step. The Cyberpunk genre has always been about transcending human limits—with chrome, with code, and ultimately, with escape. What greater escape is there than leaving the planet behind?
The sequel has the potential to deliver on the cosmic promise that 2077 could only hint at. We could be trading our Kiroshis for views of Jupiter’s storms, negotiating with lunar colony bosses, and engaging in zero-G firefights outside corporate orbitals. The established lore gives us the blueprint: spaceports, colonies, and orbital facilities are already integral parts of the world. Now, we just need the game to let us live in it.
So, to the devs working on Project Orion, I say this from one chrome-jockey to another: Don't just give us a new city. Give us the solar system. Let us become legends not just of the Afterlife, but of the afterlife of Earth itself. The final frontier is calling, and this solo is ready to answer. 🚀✨