After more than 2 years worth of updates and a restoration of goodwill from fans, Cyberpunk 2077 is now in a state more representative of what many had come to expect from the title after years of hype. While much can be said about the condition the game was in at launch, it's likely that few would argue against Cyberpunk 2077 having one of the most robust and feature-rich character creation suites of any game. One potential area fit for improvement in the upcoming Phantom Liberty DLC expansion or the confirmed sequel (codenamed Project Orion) would be the game's suite of tools for tattoo creation and customization.
From limited options for the application of tribal bands or face markings, all the way to the customization of full sleeves and neck pieces, the history of tattoo options in video game character customization is a long one. Tattooing itself has been around since 12,000 BCE and has evolved in terms of style and expression ever since. Once considered part of the counterculture, tattooing has seen widespread mainstream acceptance in recent years as well as being one of the most common additions to video game character creation. The tattoo customization tools in Cyberpunk 2077 are impressive, but there are key ways they could become the gold standard for the medium in the sequel.
Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel Should Offer Varied and Updated Tattoo Styles
At a basic level, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 should offer selections for tattoo styles that are more in line with what is currently commonplace within the art form. The use of a Japanese antagonist and plenty of former Yakuza operatives in the narrative of Cyberpunk 2077 created an excuse for Japanese Irezumi tattooing to take center stage, but the possibility of a change in setting and main characters in a sequel should correlate to having different options in the player character creation tools to fit the environment.
The existing tattoo customization in Cyberpunk 2077 has a variety of different styles -- geometric, neo-traditional, tribal, Irezumi, etc. -- but the sequel could incorporate styles that are indicative of the setting for the game and provide more options for players to express themselves via their characters. The popularity of sketch style or fine line tattoos in 2023 makes a case for their inclusion alongside Russian gangland style artwork or traditional tattoo designs similar to the work of legends in the medium like Sailor Jerry. The new options for tattoo customization in the sequel should also align with the game's setting and narrative in the same way they did in Cyberpunk 2077.
Welcome Input From Tattoo Artists in Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel
The authenticity of Cyberpunk 2077's tattoo designs would suggest that tattoo artists' input was collected by CD Projekt Red's graphic design and art departments. That said, the studio could take the collection of feedback and insight from tattoo artists one step further in the sequel by soliciting flash art from tattoo artists for its inclusion in the game as options for character body modification customization. Additionally, the studio could build hype for the sequel and showcase its updated character creation suite through the facilitation of a contest for tattoo artists to submit their own original artwork for its inclusion as tattoo options in-game.
Outside recruiting tattoo artists for input on the game's options for tattoo customization, CD Projekt Red could improve the existing tattoo options in the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 by providing players with a robust set of tools for modding their own designs into the game. Cyberpunk 2077 has a dedicated and creative mod community, but lowering the barrier to entry for players to mod the game and providing access to mods on console releases of the sequel would undoubtedly broaden the horizons of what players see in terms of character models. The medium of tattooing continues to evolve, and Cyberpunk 2077's sequel should evolve with it.
Project Orion is in development.