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#Evaluate: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Evaluate: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

It’s been almost three years since CD Projekt Crimson first launched Cyberpunk 2077 into the world. And amid all the problems and updates, the query has consistently been whether or not Cyberpunk is again; whether or not it could proper the course of its failed launch and regain floor within the eyes of those that have been fervently anticipating it. 

I’m undecided something may have cleared these authentic, lofty expectations, however Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty looks like a becoming swan music for a beleaguered but nonetheless charming RPG.

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty (PC [Reviewed], PS5, Xbox Sequence X|S)
Developer: CD Projekt Crimson
Writer: CD Projekt Crimson
Launched: September 25, 2023
MSRP: $29.99

Phantom Liberty is the one and solely enlargement CD Projekt Crimson is placing out for Cyberpunk 2077, and it’s vital to notice that it arrives simply alongside an enormous 2.0 replace. These items intersect in vital methods. Replace 2.0 smoothes over numerous Cyberpunk 2077’s notable shortcomings. Phantom Liberty injects a flood of recent content material, by its marketing campaign and new quests, in addition to a complete new space in Dogtown.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Your mission, for those who select to simply accept it

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is framed as a spy thriller, and it nails that feeling. A netrunner named Songbird (Christine Minji Chang) contacts V and informs them that they’re with the President of the NUSA, and their ship—Area Pressure One—is about to crash, proper in the midst of the hotbed of Dogtown. 

The story primarily juts into the narrative of Cyberpunk 2077, which has up-and-coming mercenary V making an attempt to save lots of themselves from a soul-stealing Relic of their head that’s slowly overwriting their consciousness with useless rockerboy Johnny Silverhand. CDPR justifies the tour with a easy, albeit efficient, dangling carrot: Songbird is aware of in regards to the Relic, and guarantees a treatment in return for V’s assist in rescuing NUS president Rosalind Myers.

Dogtown, although, is a walled-off Fight Zone informally dominated by former NUS colonel Kurt Hansen, and never precisely a peaceable piece of Night time Metropolis. Explosions, gunfire, and an enormous mech battle later, and V is holed up with the president, looking for a manner out, which they discover in former grasp spy Solomon Reed (Idris Elba).

Screenshot by Destructoid

What spins out from there’s a fairly compelling spy story. The intertwining net of double-crosses and lingering stress amid all of the spies and operatives is engaging, and V being caught up within the center makes for good framing. The start is huge and loud, and doesn’t let off the gasoline for a number of missions in a row. Phantom Liberty’s conclusion is even higher, and can in all probability be the a part of this enlargement most individuals discuss. It’s acquired a number of gut-wrenching selections, some huge set piece moments, and actually dives into the lives of spent troopers who’ve given their all, now questioning what they gave all of it for.

Reed and Songbird particularly shine in these moments, with each Elba and Chang respectively delivering. Songbird, particularly, turned one in every of my favourite characters in Cyberpunk 2077’s world, even stood up even in opposition to the sport’s stellar companions. And Elba, whereas feeling a bit understated at first, will get extra to work with because the tensions ramp up. Each actually make among the extra dramatic moments and monologues of Phantom Liberty shine.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Keanu Reeves additionally delivers a strong efficiency, returning as Johnny Silverhand for the enlargement and getting some genuinely compelling asides, increasing on his historical past as an NUS deserter. The ever-present battle and battle, and the best way these profession spies have been shorn down through the years beneath the shadow of their flag, actually works.

Brothers in arms

A few of Cyberpunk 2077’s historic points do crop up, although. The center portion of Phantom Liberty indulges in one in every of my much less favourite features of Cyberpunk 2077: the “anticipate a name” pacing. A number of instances, the story slams on the brakes. Whereas the intention could possibly be signposting when it’s okay to go do different open-world actions, it by no means stopped feeling jarring.

Fortunately, Dogtown does add so much to do. It’s extraordinarily lively, thanks to a couple space components CD Projekt Crimson has launched. The massive one is airdrops; noise will blare and a ship will swoop in from overhead, dropping a crate of products and a crimson smoke sign. An enterprising merc like V may, at that time, swoop in and take out every other would-be raiders, snatching the provides for themselves.

These fights aren’t too concerned and, relying on what degree you’re at while you begin this marketing campaign, generally is a bit straightforward. However, airdrops additionally present a relentless supply of money, elements, shards, and high-tier gear. I routinely looted new, efficient gear, and it looks like airdrops are Cyberpunk 2077’s manner of introducing a repeatable loot alternative for a few of its finest gear. It’s very Future, however in a great way.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Particularly for endgame gamers, the arsenal of weapons Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty provides to V is great. A few of that is wrapped up in fight, post-2.0, feeling so much stronger and extra diversified than simply being a shooter. However Phantom Liberty loves at hand some distinctive, memorable weapons to the participant.

The “Her Majesty” silenced pistol turned a staple of my playthrough, as did a tech sniper rifle that would pierce surfaces when charged. What I dug about these choices, and different weapons I picked up in Dogtown, is that they inspired me to play a little bit totally different than I used to. Whereas I might nonetheless spend most my time within the internet world, hacking enemies, the silenced handgun made it simpler to contemplate a stealth possibility extra typically. Fight feels prefer it’s in a very good place within the 2.0 Cyberpunk universe, even after I don’t all the time must resort to it.

Canine eat canine city

Facet quests are additionally fairly robust. I haven’t finished all of them, and haven’t seen any that hit the height highs of Sinnerman or Dream On, however they’re good, particularly within the writing division. Just a few highlights embrace a Braindance fan getting zapped whereas watching one in every of his favourite stars and believing he’s now her; a shady clinic underneath siege from scavs; and recovering some prototype cyberware, solely to find the job’s much more advanced.

They’re all paced properly, inform a strong and contained story, and even get some follow-ups after you’ve ticked them full in your journal. These facet quests additionally dig into among the extra attention-grabbing matters inside the world of Cyberpunk, too. Particularly if you need among the extra futuristic dystopia vibes.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Alongside the brand new set of missions and story Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt Crimson additionally introduces a brand new ending particularly for a selection made close to the top of the enlargement. Whereas Phantom Liberty has its personal ending and backbone, with a wrap-up that lingers even after the enlargement’s credit roll, there’s additionally a full further ending to the sport correct.

Alongside a extremely stellar ending to the enlargement, the extra ending to Cyberpunk 2077 correct is admittedly good. Oddly sufficient, it feels a bit like a send-off for the sport itself; I’d really advocate these taking part in Cyberpunk 2077 to get a “conventional” ending first, then run again to get the brand new ending. It feels particularly intriguing for returning gamers, and places a bittersweet be aware on not simply V and Johnny’s journey, however the whole run up thus far. It’s the place Phantom Liberty feels essentially the most like a send-off for Cyberpunk 2077 as a complete.

Ghost within the shell

Like I mentioned above, speaking about Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty additionally entails speaking about its 2.0 replace. Whereas the 2 didn’t straight coincide, they’re each ample purpose for coming again to Night time Metropolis, and the replace is an enormous a part of what makes the enlargement really feel totally different.

Notably, Cyberpunk 2077 has reworked its ability timber. There are a lot fewer incremental quantity upgrades, and as a substitute, extra perks and choices that give V new or expanded instruments. The brand new Relic tree, straight tied into Phantom Liberty and Dogtown, is an enormous a part of this, including additional options for arm-installed cyberware, optical camo customers, and those that wish to shoot shiny crimson spots on enemies for enormous injury. However even inside the branches of every attribute, expertise really feel extra impactful.

Screenshot by Destructoid

My V was a netrunner within the base recreation, and I stored it that manner going into Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. The brand new choice to ‘queue up’ quickhacks appeared daunting and unclear at first, till I ultimately found out that it labored so much like taking part in a card recreation. If I used to be sensible and deliberate out my quickhack sequence, the perks of that tree rewarded me with quick RAM restoration, bonus results, and extra. Relatively than casting cyber magic spells at enemies, I felt like I used to be taking part in Slay the Spire or Magic, dumping injury playing cards in a particular sequence to deal essentially the most net-based devastation.

It’s a extra interactive and, consequently, rewarding feeling for hacking, and it felt like that carried out by the opposite choices I noticed and experimented with in different timber. Fight in Cyberpunk 2077 was already fairly cool, and I felt like the unique ability timber didn’t all the time add sufficient to that; with these new perks, V will get to do far more cool stuff, far more typically, and development feels that rather more tangible.

Night time Metropolis nonetheless seems and sounds nice. That a lot hasn’t modified main into Phantom Liberty, and Dogtown has some unbelievable vistas to gaze out over. There’s new music and radio stations, plus new weapons, pick-ups, and nearly new all the things. Whereas it’s nonetheless constructed on the Cyberpunk 2077 you realize, the mixed Phantom Liberty and a couple of.0 dual-header has a sheen of ‘new’ that makes a contemporary playthrough tempting.

Future days

However Phantom Liberty remains to be constructed on Cyberpunk 2077 as a base, and alongside the narrative pacing qualms I had above, there are additionally nonetheless bugs in want of ironing out. I had enemies clip by the bottom a couple of instances, automobiles stutter ahead and round, and some different points. Most notably, I had my quickhacks wiped from my cyberware with the replace, one thing CD Projekt instructed me they might look into and repair.

The bugs and quirks are nonetheless current, although not as game-shatteringly problematic as they have been up to now, from my expertise. On a complete, Cyberpunk 2077 feels prefer it’s gained again some floor. And so, to reply the query about whether or not Cyberpunk is again, I do really feel it’s a minimum of in a state the place CDPR may really feel content material shifting on to no matter’s subsequent.

Screenshot by Destructoid

And I do hope there’s a subsequent. That’s a hearth that Phantom Liberty kicked up in me. Seeing the NUS getting concerned in all of the goings-on of Night time Metropolis added one other layer of intrigue and stress that roped me again into this world. Even after I was uninterested in having to open my journal and arbitrarily wait 24 hours to see the following step of my most important quest, I generally took it as an opportunity to stray off the trail and discover some facet actions, raid an airdrop, or simply get right into a cop chase.

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is a superb enlargement, with a conclusion that simply secures it a spot on CD Projekt Crimson’s monitor report for excellent expansions. The spy thriller story works properly, the story beats hit, and the brand new perspective on Night time Metropolis provides a very good purpose to return for individuals who’ve already seen Cyberpunk 2077 by as soon as. Phantom Liberty is a becoming swan music for Cyberpunk 2077, and has me to see what plans CD Projekt may need for this tailored world sooner or later.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

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