Alright folks, buckle up. It's 2026, and here I am, once again staring at my screen, trying to will a new Cyberpunk game into existence faster. The whisper network tells me Project Orion, the sequel to the glorious, messy masterpiece that was Cyberpunk 2077, is still cooking somewhere in the deep fryers of CD Projekt Red. But the latest breadcrumb from the devs—a sneaky job listing—has already settled one of the great debates: we're going first-person again. No surprise, really, but also a bit of a gut punch for the third-person dreamers out there. It's like finding out your favorite, ultra-futuristic noodle bar decided to keep the same secret sauce. A little predictable, but hey, if the sauce is that good, you don't mess with it.

Remember the initial uproar when Cyberpunk 2077 was announced as first-person? Coming off the cinematic, Geralt-tracking majesty of The Witcher 3, it felt like CDPR had swapped a fine-tuned, third-person guitar for a virtual reality headset. People were skeptical, to put it mildly. But then we actually played it. Oh boy, did we play it. That first-person perspective wasn't just a camera angle; it was the soul of the experience. It turned us from players controlling a character named V into being V, stumbling out of that ripperdoc's chair and into the blinding, beautiful, and utterly terrifying mess of Night City. It made every conversation feel like a high-stakes poker game where you could see the micro-expressions flicker on someone's chrome-plated face. It made every firefight in a narrow alley less of a tactical encounter and more of a frantic, adrenalized dance for survival. Ditching that for a third-person, over-the-shoulder view would be like experiencing a symphony by reading the sheet music instead of hearing it—you get the notes, but you miss the overwhelming, immersive noise.

project-orion-why-first-person-is-still-the-heart-of-cyberpunk-image-0

This perspective is so deeply baked into the cyberpunk cake that pulling it out would leave a soggy, structural mess. Think about it:

  • Identity & Agency: You customize V's look in the mirror, but then you almost never see them again unless you're on a bike. The game isn't about watching a cool character do cool things. It's about you doing them. The themes of identity—what makes you you in a world of chrome and code—hit harder when you're literally looking through the character's eyes, making their choices, living their consequences.

  • World-Building: Night City isn't just a backdrop; it's a character. The first-person view forces you to engage with it intimately. You lean in to read graffiti, you crane your neck to see the towering megabuildings, you feel claustrophobic in the crowded markets. A third-person camera would pull you back, making the city feel more like a diorama and less like a home (or a prison).

Now, I hear the counter-arguments from the back. "But what about combat?" some cry. "I want to see my cool character do a sweet Mantis Blades flip! I need better spatial awareness!" And look, I get it. There's a modding legend out there named Tylerrrrr who created the "Every Animation Redone TPP" mod, and it's a fascinating proof-of-concept. It shows what a third-person Cyberpunk could look like. But playing with it feels... off. The animations, while impressive for a mod, are about as seamless as a robot trying to do ballet—you can see the joints grinding. It proves the game was engineered from the silicon up for a first-person reality.

CDPR already showed us with the Phantom Liberty expansion that they can make first-person combat sing. The improved AI, the tighter gunplay, the fluid movement—it all coalesced into something that felt incredible. Giving us a third-person toggle in the middle of a firefight would be like asking a concert pianist to suddenly switch to playing the drums; it might be possible, but it would break the rhythm of the entire piece.

So, what can we expect from Project Orion? Given that it's still in the pre-production phase (a phase that feels longer than a corpo's lifespan in Night City), a full reveal is years away. But this early commitment to first-person tells us a lot about CDPR's mindset post-Cyberpunk 2077's redemption arc. They've adopted the mantra of a seasoned fixer: "If the chrome works, don't replace it."

Expectation for Project Orion Why It Makes Sense
Core First-Person Immersion It's the franchise's defining feature. Doubling down builds on proven success.
Refined, Not Reinvented, Gameplay Phantom Liberty set the template. Expect enhanced AI, even smoother combat, and deeper interaction systems.
No Full Third-Person Mode The development cost to do it right would be astronomical and could dilute the core vision.
Possible Niche Third-Person Moments Maybe on specific vehicles or in designated safe-hub areas, but don't hold your breath.

In the end, this isn't just a technical decision about a camera. It's a philosophical one. By sticking with first-person for Project Orion, CD Projekt Red is sending a clear signal. They're not interested in making a generic, cinematic RPG where you watch a story unfold. They want to build a digital nerve-port where they can jack you directly into the experience, making the pulse of Night City your own. It's a commitment to immersive storytelling that's as unyielding as Adam Smasher's chassis. And for this lowly edgerunner, that's a future worth waiting for. 🔥