Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Review
This is what we’ve been waiting for: with the 2.0 update, Phantom Liberty marks the grand return of Cyberpunk 2077.
Although the events of Phantom Liberty don’t actually kick off until after we’ve completed the mission chain with the Voodoo Boys, the Haitian hacker collective, players can jump into the adventure with a new character, skipping past previous events and accepting that the game will make some important decisions on their behalf. Regardless of the path chosen, it doesn’t change the fact that our character’s days are numbered. Due to a malfunctioning chip lodged in their head, the former musician and terrorist Johnny Silverhand, portrayed by Keanu Reeves, gradually takes control of their body while their consciousness fades away.
Like most dying people, V grasps at any straw, no matter how thin it is. So, when a hacker named Songbird promises to save their life, the mercenary doesn’t hesitate long before accepting their biggest mission yet: infiltrate the notorious Dogtown and safely extract the President of the New United States of America (NUSA), Rosalind Myerst. Those who recall Escape from New York won’t be far from the truth; the first few hours of Phantom Liberty do bear a strong resemblance to John Carpenter’s 1981 classic. During the linearly structured missions, everyone is hunting for us and our charge, but we don’t always have to stay hidden. We can openly confront the former soldier Kurt Hansen, who runs the district like a warlord, with his armed goons. Beyond the intense boss battles, what makes this early section of the expansion memorable are the conversations with the First Lady and Songbird, as well as moments when we have to decide whether to trust local civilians or play it safe in the interest of national security.
However, it doesn’t take long for Solomon Reed, a prominent figure in the promotional material for Phantom Liberty, to appear and shift the story into an exciting espionage thriller. Idris Elba delivers a fantastic performance as Reed, a veteran secret agent who remains steadfast to his principles. Reed is a complex character, and the complicated relationship he has with Songbird makes him even more intriguing. As we learn more about him, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine where we stand with him.
V is surrounded by allies, some of whom are easy to sympathize with one moment and then make us question their honesty the next. As we are reminded multiple times, the golden rule of the spy game is to trust no one. In the same vein, we can’t take for granted that every mission will unfold exactly as we’ve planned. The planning and preparation phases, as well as the execution, sometimes evoke memories of Mission: Impossible or James Bond films. For instance, we may provide sniper cover for one of our team members or extract vital information during a game of roulette with unsuspecting conversationalists. The expansion comes with all the tools associated with super spies, including various spy gadgets and the indispensable silenced pistol.
Some players may find it frustrating that Reed often keeps us waiting, and sometimes days can pass between two missions. However, during these waiting periods, we can advance the clock or delve into the smaller side quests, which are often more intricate and elaborated than they initially appear.
Finally, what sets Phantom Liberty apart is a choice that CD Projekt RED has made, a feature previously used in their older games, including the original Witcher, but not seen in Cyberpunk 2077 until now. At a certain point in Phantom Liberty, we have to make a choice, and from that point on, the story branches into different questlines with unique endings. Furthermore, by cleverly mixing our decisions, we can unlock a new, alternative ending for the base game.
Dogtown, a place where no taxes are paid, the police can’t enter, and visitors can only enter through a heavily guarded checkpoint, is the most distinctive location in Cyberpunk 2077 so far. The bustling black market within a ruined stadium, the impressive glass pyramids, and the unfinished skyscrapers that occasionally host lavish parties are all scenes of everyday violence. Gangs clash regularly, and even Kurt Hansen’s private army gets involved when a fresh shipment arrives by air. The red smoke signal always indicates valuable loot, something worth acquiring for ourselves. But it’s not just for that reason that we should keep our eyes open; from time to time, we stumble upon old Militech data terminals, and downloading data from them earns us Relic points, which can be used to unlock new abilities in the Relic perk tree introduced with Phantom Liberty.
Most of the tricks we can learn here enhance the combat effectiveness of our arm and hand implants, but there are advantages to active camouflage and targeting enemies’ vulnerable points. However, their biggest weakness remains their heads, both literally and figuratively. While enemies may occasionally try to attack from behind or the sides, they often fail to notice us, simply running past us instead, like NPCs fleeing through narrow streets from criminals.
I was very curious about how vehicle combat, introduced in the 2.0 patch for the base game, would be integrated into Phantom Liberty and whether it would become an essential part of the experience. Unfortunately, I was disappointed as the developers didn’t fully explore the potential of this aspect. Unlike the Badlands, Dogtown is entirely unsuitable for large and spectacular car battles. So, despite acquiring cars equipped with fixed machine guns and even rocket launchers, Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty won’t be stepping into the legacy of 2015’s Mad Max. Instead, we can hijack numerous vehicles to deliver them to buyers in other districts, along with scavenging supplies from incoming aerial shipments. This is another activity exclusive to owners of the expansion.
Comparing Phantom Liberty to CD Projekt RED’s previous expansions, it falls somewhere between Hearts of Stone in terms of size (with approximately twenty hours of gameplay) and Blood and Wine in terms of significance. The expansion, integrated seamlessly into Cyberpunk 2077 and featuring significantly fewer bugs, allowed the developers to delve deeper into Johnny’s character, making him even closer to the player. They haven’t forgotten about the important and less significant characters we’ve encountered either. The game’s constant phone calls, video calls, and messages serve as constant reminders that while we’re playing our spy games, life in Night City never stops.
In Phantom Liberty, everything is a little better, a little more refined, and everything works better. Those who loved the base game will undoubtedly adore the expansion, and they can look forward to a new cyberpunk adventure built on Unreal Engine 5 in the future.
