A Confusing Cyberpunk 2077 Mechanic Would Be A Great Addition To The Sequel

The inclusion of one confusing Cyberpunk 2077 mechanic could enhance its sequel, Project Orion. While there have been several updates to Cyberpunk 2077, and there’s still the possibility for some smaller additions in the future, it has been confirmed that CD Projekt Red has largely shifted work toward the sequel, so rather continue to amend what came before, players can look forward to seeing what features can be improved or built upon going forward.

When Cyberpunk 2077 first launched in December 2020, it was clear CD Projekt Red needed more time atop the already extensive development schedule to work on the title, as it was riddled with bugs and crashes, particularly on consoles as it was released on older PS4 and Xbox One hardware, with current-gen upgrade patches coming later. Since then, the game has been overhauled and is largely praised by players. There is still one mechanic that doesn’t quite make perfect sense, however: The percentages at the top of the in-game menu screen.

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CD Projekt Red Has Explained Cyberpunk 2077’s Percentages

A Reddit FAQ Broke Down The Mechanic

When opening Cyberpunk 2077‘s in-game menu, players will see three icons up the top in the center with a percentage beneath them. The one on the left is of a person with a V-type logo beneath it, the middle is of the Samurai band artwork, and the last features the Relic symbol. Therefore, many figured that it would tie to the mission progression, Johnny Silverhand, and the state of the Relic or V’s health as a result of it.

A Q&A on CD Projekt Red’s official r/cyberpunkgame subreddit saw one of the mods, SteveW_MC address the meaning of the percentages. While they pointed out that players’ assumptions were largely correct, and from left to right they cover V’s notoriety as a merc, V’s relationship with Johnny, and how far the relic has degraded V, ultimately, they have no substantive impact on the game in any way.

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The Percentages Are Part Of A Mechanic That Wasn’t Fully Implemented

CDPR Debunked Previous Theories

As pointed out on the Q&A, these percentages are “either a vestige of mechanic(s) that were not implemented, or just set dressing“, so they ultimately don’t mean much. Many players previously believed that the middle one involving the relationship V has with Johnny Silverhand was a good way to monitor whether players will have the option to play the secret ending of the game, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, as that’s only available to those who have a good rapport with the Rockerboy. Despite the general consensus being that the ending would be unlocked for those with a percentage of 70%, a breakdown of how to unlock the secret ending in the same Q&A outright states that “Your “Johnny %” makes no difference.“ with it instead coming down to players’ dialogue and actions in very specific moments of the game.

It’s a shame that the percentages ultimately don’t mean anything, as they create a false sense of urgency, especially the one involving the Relic degradation, even though this doesn’t seem to change from 40% despite Cyberpunk 2077‘s story actively showing V in pain talking about how the Relic is getting worse and killing him. In fact, when the moments players see unfold in the game seem so severe, having a “Relic degradation” percentage that isn’t changing somewhat breaks that tension, as rather than creating the sense of there being a race against time to save V, it instead enables players to go on typical video-game antics in which they do every possible side quest and gig or search for every collectible shard instead as they seem to have all the time in the world – although the first two could be explained in canon as V trying to build their cred and become a true Night City legend before they die.

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CD Projekt Red Should Implement The Percentages Mechanic More Fully In Project Orion

Percentages Could Help Monitor Changes In Characters’ Relationships In Real-Time

It has long been known that players need to make the correct dialogue choices for Johnny to get the secret ending, which tracks with CD Projekt Red’s breakdown in the Q&A, and although the Q&A suggests that percentage makes no difference, having 70% seemed like a definitive way for players to figure out whether this ending was available to them. Johnny Silverhand and V’s storyline can go in many directions by the end of Cyberpunk 2077‘s story depending on players’ actions, making it unlikely that they will return in Project Orion, which is rumored to take place in the Chicago of 2080, years after Cyberpunk 2077‘s conclusion.

The percentage mechanic could still be carried over to the sequel and be better implemented, however, as there’s plenty of potential for other characters by showing different factions, allies, or potential love interests’ opinions of the player shifting. Having a “relationship” percentage that fluctuates would make the moments where players say or do something that disappoints them carry further weight, seeing how much the relationship has been damaged in real-time, or vice-versa if they perform actions they strongly approve of. Considering how long an RPG like Cyberpunk can be, this would also be an asset for players to keep track of their actions, as players may forget exactly what they’ve said and done earlier in the game, especially if they’re taking their time with breaks between story missions to explore the city, perform side activities and build XP rather than blitzing through the main campaign.

Currently, Project Orion is in the Concept stage according to CD Projekt Red’s recently updated pipeline, meaning it will likely be quite some time before players can get their hands on the title and learn more about its story, characters, and gameplay mechanics. It wasn’t made clear why CD Projekt Red opted to abandon the percentages mechanic, or why the studio left these three icons in Cyberpunk 2077‘s menu after doing so, but with the potential behind such a feature, hopefully, it will consider a way to fully incorporate it next time.

Source: SteveW_MC/Reddit

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is an RPG set in a future dystopian world. Players take up the role of V, who works as a mercenary in Night City in California. Gameplay involves branching dialogue, open-world exploration, character classes, and combat.

Franchise

Cyberpunk

Released

December 10, 2020

Publisher(s)

CD Projekt

Engine

REDengine 4

ESRB

M

Platforms

PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia