Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Review [Complete Guide 2024]

I know you can’t wait for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, so I bring a review to relax you until the game release!

I’m excited to tell you about the new Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, Phantom Liberty! As a superspy adventure, I expected some thrilling espionage action, and let me tell you, this DLC delivers.

The highlight was an intense infiltration mission at a glamorous party. I had to carefully win over a pair of troublesome French twins during a high-stakes game of roulette. It was a riveting test of wits as I tried to get their trust while my funds dwindled.

Should’ve put it all in black! I took a risky dialogue option and insulted them, but surprisingly, these rascals loved it. I’ve got a talent for this spy stuff, after all!

Overall, Phantom Liberty is a refined slice of Cyberpunk 2077 – an expansion of the expansions! It doesn’t reinvent the whole game, but it’s a fantastic final chapter for V and Night City and one of CD Projekt Red’s best stories yet.

The free 2.0 update has also tightened up the original loot and progression system, forging a more satisfying RPG foundation. After a bumpy launch and years of work, Cyberpunk is finally becoming the deep roleplaying experience its world deserves. Phantom Liberty makes for a thrilling last hurrah.

So if you’ve been waiting for the right time to revisit Night City, chooms, it’s now! This expansion and overhaul have turned Cyberpunk 2077 into the game we hoped it could be. See you in the badlands!

A Quick Info About Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

It’s the long-awaited expansion to CDPR’s first non-Witcher RPG
Release date: September 25, 2023
Expect to pay: $30/£25
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Publisher: CD Projekt
Reviewed on: Intel i5-12600K, RTX 3070, 32GB RAM
Multiplayer: No
Steam Deck: Verified

Fake Plissken (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty)

At first, I needed clarification on Phantom Liberty’s story – rescuing the president after her spaceship crashes in Night City’s new Dogtown district. It seemed over the top.

But CD Projekt has a talent for taking seemingly derivative plots and infusing them with nuance and depth. President Myers comes across as down-to-earth at first but has a sly ambition that emerges over time.

Idris Elba is stellar as Solomon Reed, a conflicted killer brought back to serve a country he hates. Both have a history with Songbird, an emotionally fractured hacker who can jack into your brain and claim to have a cure. And Johnny Silverhand is back to provide wry commentary.

What I love is how all the main characters think they’re doing the right thing but end up putting you in an impossibly tough spot. You have to betray someone, and both endings pack serious emotional gut punches.

I chose what felt like the “bad” ending, which left me feeling hollow – the villains got away with everything. My coworkers said the other ending was bittersweet, so now my urge to get the “best” ending is conflicting with how impactful that bad one was. Darkest Timeline, indeed.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Review [Complete Guide 2024]

The main quests are stellar – I wondered how this DLC would compare to Baldur’s Gate 3, but CD Projekt makes a strong case for a more cinematic, focused RPG design. The tense lead-up and tough choices really popped.

CD Projekt is right up there with the best when it comes to delivering jaw-dropping moments while still providing the RPG agency I love. After a rocky launch, Phantom Liberty shows Cyberpunk 2077 is finally becoming the deep roleplaying experience this world deserves.

So choose, if you were waiting for the right time to dive back into Night City, I’d say it’s now! Phantom Liberty and the 2.0 update have shaped Cyberpunk 2077 into the game we hoped it could be. Just be ready for some hard choices and heavy feelings along the way!

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Let’s Talk About Gig Economy

I’ve always enjoyed the smaller side quests or “gigs” in Cyberpunk 2077. Many are simple but fun missions where you go somewhere and take out enemies however you like. But some feel like full side stories with voice acting, twists, and unique gameplay.

The new gig additions in Phantom Liberty are definitely the latter! One has you rescuing an underworld doctor, but his shady history complicates things. Another has you infiltrating a future youth sports academy that trains cybernetically enhanced 12-year-olds.

My favorite gig had me helping out a couple of hapless detectives who were panicking for their lives in Dogtown. I felt like Harvey Keitel’s character swooping in to save the day in Pulp Fiction. The whole thing had this wacky, absurd vibe from start to finish that I absolutely loved.

Overall, the new gigs are creative, surprising, and a blast to play through!

Doggone it

I understand why Dogtown is physically separated from the rest of Night City. Still, I wished it was either better integrated into the main game or made into an even more hostile alien zone.

The main “Save the President” story wraps up quickly, and then you can freely travel between Dogtown and Pacifica. But aside from some quick errands, the DLC only has you doing a little in the rest of Night City.

Night City doesn’t feel as tactile or inviting as a good immersive sim or even the Elder Scrolls games.

It was strange that the DLC has so little interaction with the base game’s great cast like Judy, Rogue, Kerry, or Takemura. The lack of involvement from the romanceable characters felt particularly odd. I could tell my beau I was on a crazy new CPIA job, but it felt like saying, “I’ll be in the expansion for a while; don’t wait up.”

While Dogtown looks very distinct from the rest of Night City, it uses the same basic design, which is disappointing. With the promise of a denser, smaller area, I hoped CD Projekt would make something more like a Deus Ex hub.

Now that patch 2.0 has fixed the loot and progression, Cyberpunk’s biggest issue seems to be a lack of motivation to explore outside missions.

Night City needs to be more tactile and inviting, like a good immersive sim or the Elder Scrolls, where you can break into apartments and read diaries. Dogtown’s smaller scale could have added that interactivity. The visual splendor of Night City has always contrasted with the need for world interactivity.

Even so, I’m extremely happy with Phantom Liberty. CD Projekt can compete with the big studios for cinematic storytelling and writing/worldbuilding – I prefer it to Sony’s acclaimed first-party games.

I’ve eagerly anticipated a Cyberpunk expansion since finishing the game in 2020, and Phantom Liberty is a splendid sendoff after nearly 10 years of work.

What new features does Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty introduce?

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty introduces a new district to Night City called Dogtown, as well as a new storyline, characters, quests, gigs, boss fights, and more.

It also introduces a new Relic skill tree and abilities, over 100 new items, weapons, cars, and clothes, vehicle missile launchers, and an increased level cap of 60.

Is Phantom Liberty the only expansion pack planned for Cyberpunk 2077?

CD Projekt Red has not announced any other expansion packs for Cyberpunk 2077 at this time. However, they have said that they are committed to supporting the game for a long time, so more expansions will likely be released in the future.

What are the system requirements for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty?

The system requirements for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty are the same as the system requirements for the base game. You can find these requirements on the official Cyberpunk 2077 website.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Review [2024]