As a dedicated cyberpunk enthusiast who's spent countless hours exploring Night City's neon-drenched streets, I can confidently say that Cyberpunk 2077 has transformed from a troubled launch into one of the most immersive RPG experiences of our time. Yet, even with all the fantastic improvements from patches and the Phantom Liberty expansion, there's one missing feature that still haunts my cybernetic dreams: wall-running. I remember watching those early gameplay trailers back in the day, imagining myself scaling buildings like a high-tech ninja, only to discover this promised feature had vanished faster than a corrupted datashard.

The Phantom Feature That Got Away

Let's be real—wall-running wasn't just another movement mechanic; it was supposed to be the cyberpunk fantasy made manifest! CD Projekt Red showed us glimpses of V effortlessly scaling vertical surfaces, turning Night City's architecture into a personal playground. The potential was staggering:

• Combat advantages: Flanking enemies from unexpected angles

• Enhanced exploration: Discovering hidden pathways and shortcuts

• Style points: Because what's more cyberpunk than running up walls while dual-wielding smart weapons?

• Environmental interaction: Creating makeshift sniper perches and escape routes

I can't help but imagine how different certain missions would have felt with proper vertical mobility. Instead of taking the predictable route through front doors, we could have been rappelling up corporate towers or chasing targets across rooftop landscapes.

Why Wall-Running Got Scrapped (And Why It Makes Sense)

Now, I'm not here to bash CDPR—developing open-world games is harder than surviving a maelstrom fight with starting gear. Implementing wall-running in a dense, complex environment like Night City presented some massive technical challenges:

Unlike linear games like Ghostrunner that are built specifically for platforming, Cyberpunk 2077 had to balance RPG systems, open-world exploration, and narrative pacing. The development team likely faced the classic "feature creep" dilemma where implementing one cool idea could have compromised the entire experience.

Project Orion: The Perfect Opportunity for Redemption

With Project Orion on the horizon, I'm crossing my fingers (and maybe installing some extra cyberware) that wall-running makes a triumphant return. Here's why the sequel is the ideal platform for this long-lost feature:

🔥 Familiar Foundation: CDPR already has Night City's architecture and movement systems established

🚀 Development Focus: The team can concentrate on perfecting traversal rather than building everything from scratch

🎯 Enhanced Gameplay: New mission designs could fully leverage vertical movement mechanics

💥 Fan Service: Finally delivering on that original promise would be an incredible goodwill gesture

Even if Project Orion expands beyond Night City to include multiple urban environments, wall-running could become the defining traversal method that distinguishes the sequel from its predecessor. Imagine parkouring through corporate plazas, chase sequences across moving vehicles, and stealth approaches from above—the possibilities are electrifying!

My Wishlist for Cyberpunk's Future Movement

While we're dreaming big, here's what I'd love to see in Project Orion's movement arsenal:

• Tiered wall-running abilities that upgrade throughout the game

• Environmental interactions like kicking off walls for speed boosts

• Combo systems linking wall-running with melee attacks and quickhacks

• Customizable cyberware specifically enhancing mobility options

• Multiplayer integration (if applicable) for cooperative parkour challenges

CD Projekt Red has shown incredible dedication to redeeming Cyberpunk 2077's reputation. Bringing back wall-running in Project Orion wouldn't just be a cool gameplay addition—it would symbolize the studio's commitment to fully realizing their cyberpunk vision. After all, in the words of a certain silver-haired rockerboy: "Never stop fighting." And I, for one, won't stop hoping to see V (or their successor) finally hit those walls running in the next chapter of this incredible universe.