Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

After the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 back in 2020, it seemed like that this franchise doomed as bugs and technical issues aside, the core gameplay failed to live up to all the hype and expectations. But CDPR showed massive drive and dedication with Phantom Liberty, and what we have today is what 2077 should have been. CDPR is definitely back, and Phantom Liberty could be a big turning point for western RPG genre.

You can't meaningfully see Phantom Liberty without Cyberpunk 2077. Both together are like a director's cut of an already outstanding game. And together they are more than the mere sum of their parts. The new story fits seamlessly into the saga of V and Johnny in a way that makes you truly admire CD Projekt's artistry. Tugging at the interconnected threads of a game as artfully convoluted as Cyberpunk 2077 and incorporating this new episode meaningfully into everything is quite a feat.

On the back of Phantom Liberty, along with a really substantial rebuild of all of the game’s core systems, Cyberpunk 2077 manages to wash its hands of its past failures and emerges as the genuine article. At last, it’s the intoxicating escape I once thought it was and stands out, to me, as the premiere role-playing resort in what might very well be a modern golden age for the genre.

2023 was a year filled with hotly anticipated RPGs that largely delivered. Over the past five months alone, we’ve had The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Final Fantasy XVI, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Starfield, all of which left remarkable impressions on their respective reviewers here. It’s no surprise that any one of these hyper-expensive, lovingly crafted generational touchstones would be some RPG fan’s exact cup of tea. Phantom Liberty happens to be mine. It has the cinematic panache of FFXVI but incorporates the player more fully into its events. It has the world-building chops of Starfield but has a more kinetic and vibrant energy in its quest structure and character interactions. Most importantly, it’s a proof of concept for less-is-more AAA RPG design that I hope more developers make note of for potential standalone products.

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is a must-have expansion for any Cyberpunk 2077 player, especially if you've been left wanting to embark on new adventures. Not only does it expand on the experience of the original game, but it enhances it with an accomplished and vibrant storyline of its own, with quests that take advantage of the new gameplay, giving us incredible moments and putting us right in the middle of a thriller of spies and special agents.

Phantom Liberty caps off a miraculous comeback for the Cyberpunk franchise.

If you’re like me, and were initially a little lukewarm on Cyberpunk 2077, then definitely give Phantom Liberty and the new 2.0 patch a shot. It makes for a much better experience overall, and the Phantom Liberty storyline is a blast to playthrough. This gives me a lot of hope for what the next entry in this series will end up being, and has reignited my interest in a possible follow-up in a way that I didn’t think was possible.

Phantom Liberty is everything we expected from a Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, if not more. This techno-thriller immerses players in a gripping story that will have an unprecedented impact on the game universe. The ruined neighborhood of Dogtown is not to be outdone with its post-war atmosphere where the law of the strongest reigns supreme. master. Rich in content for around twenty hours of play, this DLC masterfully concludes V's dystopian epic in Night City.

Is this the big shift that will win over people who bounced off Cyberpunk 2077 at launch? No. Instead what Phantom Liberty represents is a small slice of the best that Cyberpunk 2077 and CD Projekt Red has to offer.

CD Projekt RED brings a thrilling race against time where you must save the president and go undercover, all while trusting no one. Combined with the free but accompanying 2.0 update, Phantom Liberty delivers an experience that even disappointed players of the base game should definitely check out.

Cyberpunk 2077 in its 2.0 form and with Phantom Liberty finally in place, feels like a game reborn. This is every bit the experience we wanted back in 2020, a deep and addictive action RPG that can now sit alongside The Witcher 3 as one of the greats. We've had our ups and downs with this one, oh boy it's been a rollercoaster, but entirely reworked skills and perks, refined and refreshed combat, retooled loot and menu systems and a cracking new slice of CDPR narrative magic makes for a game that we're finally able to recommend wholeheartedly. They've only gone and bloody done it.

Phantom Liberty succeeds as another 20 hours of great adventure in Night City and, coupled with Cyberpunk 2077’s new Update 2.0, a culmination of three years of hard work. It makes a strong case for a return to Night City for experienced mercs and rolls out the red carpet for CDPR to showcase to newcomers all it's done to improve Cyberpunk 2077. From a disastrous launch in 2020 to now, CDPR has finally made good on the promise of this futuristic, dystopian RPG. While Phantom Liberty doesn't stand head and shoulders above the rest of the Cyberpunk package, it slots in nicely, like a preem piece of cyberware you’ve been waiting to be in stock.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expands Night City with a new district and a storyline right out of an espionage thriller. While the additional missions are among the best story-wise and the new district is a delightful mess of winding paths and shady alleys, the true star is the free 2.0 update attached to the release of the expansion. It overhauls nearly every aspect of gameplay and even delivers on some of the promises made for launch. It doesn’t fix the many issues with pacing, mission design and freedom of choice plaguing the main story, but improves nearly every other aspect of gameplay. Sadly there’s still many features missing from the original advertisement of the game and performance even after version 2.0 is still spotty to say the least. „Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty“ and the 2.0 patch would show a promising future, if this wasn’t also the last content planned for the game.

Some legacy issues remain in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0, and I have had to load a previous save up on a couple of occasions due to various bugs. And the pacing for Phantom Liberty can be a bit questionable as you sit and twiddle your thumbs for the next story mission. But that’s primarily due to the writing and plot being of such a high standard. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty grabs your attention instantly, and refuses to let go until the conclusion.