Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Overview (PS5)

CD Projekt Crimson has a little bit of a knack for crafting DLC adventures. The Witcher 3 was blessed with two excellent expansions, and the Polish developer can now add Phantom Liberty to its record of extremely top quality excursions. Cyberpunk 2077’s first (and final) growth is an emotional rollercoaster, and options a few of the finest, most memorable moments and missions in your entire RPG.

Phantom Liberty unlocks when you’re finished with the Pacifica storyline within the base sport’s marketing campaign, so you may take it on fairly early if that is your choice (or you can begin it chilly from the primary menu). Nevertheless, due to its penchant for callbacks to characters and occasions from the primary story, we’re tempted to say that it is best loved as a late-game journey. What’s extra, quite a lot of difficult boss fights and fight encounters recommend that it is best to come back outfitted; the recent setting of Dogtown feels prefer it’s constructed for gamers who know what they’re doing.

A brief name with a mysterious lady named Songbird is all it takes for V to become involved. The preliminary hours see our beloved merc blast his or her manner via a collection of linear missions, every of them pushing large set items and surprisingly cinematic chaos. It is a barnstorming begin — just like the opening scenes of a very good motion film — and as soon as it is over, you are free to discover Dogtown correct.

Primarily lower off from the remainder of Night time Metropolis, Dogtown is dominated by Barghest — former troopers who merely caught round following an deserted invasion of the bigger metropolis. Free from the regulation and unwilling to reply to the officers of its neighbour, Dogtown virtually feels post-apocalyptic exterior of a handful of areas that cater to the district’s elite. Given its lack of political positioning, it is also a spot the place Night time Metropolis’s key gamers seal their dirtiest offers — and that form of stuff ties straight into the growth’s well-paced plot.

CDPR has dubbed Phantom Liberty a “spy thriller” and that description finally ends up being fairly correct. Past the explosive opening, the story slows issues down and steadily introduces a forged of intense characters. This contains the grizzled Solomon Reed (performed by Idris Elba), who finally ends up stealing the present with a usually charismatic efficiency, filled with the form of cynical swagger you’d anticipate from a semi-retired undercover agent.

Teaming up with Reed, V is tasked with digging under Dogtown’s dusty floor and uncovering the plans of its overlord, the intimidating Barghest commander Kurt Hansen. An online of intrigue and deception is rapidly spun between all the central characters, and there are moments of real ethical battle as V falls deeper and deeper into the rabbit gap. It is an typically gripping narrative, and the impressively various mission design holds up all through the growth’s 30-ish hour runtime.

That stated, there may be one particular part that feels a bit… misplaced. It is actually inventive in idea, and fascinating in execution, however with out spoiling something, it sticks within the thoughts due to how essentially completely different it’s in comparison with the remainder of Cyberpunk 2077. It maybe drags on just a bit too lengthy, however it’s not sufficient to distract from in any other case engrossing storytelling. And sure, there’s a new ending to V’s story that is unlocked via Phantom Liberty.

However if you wish to take a break from stated story — which does deal with some heavy themes at instances — you may all the time take a tour of Dogtown. The hellhole is roughly the identical dimension as one in every of Night time Metropolis’s different districts, however it’s densely filled with eye-catching landmarks and gameplay alternatives. There are a selection of strange facet quests to trace down, whereas dynamic occasions add some spice to exploration.

Arguably one thing that is lacking within the base sport, these infinite dynamic occasions pop up on a frequent foundation, offering an non-obligatory goal. Airdrops are unique to Dogtown, and principally offer you an excuse to homicide a bunch of punks and seize the loot for your self. In the meantime, carjacking jobs are unlocked all through Night time Metropolis through a facet quest, with everybody’s favorite mullet-sporting fixer El Capitán asking you to klep a close-by automobile and drive it to a safehouse in a single piece.

Each actions inject some extra life into Cyberpunk 2077’s world. The carjacking duties particularly can result in some brilliantly hectic automotive chases, which naturally highlight the automotive fight system that is a part of replace 2.0.

Shifting on to extra minor inclusions, Phantom Liberty boasts loads of crunchy new weapons and funky clothes objects. Contemporary autos are additionally up for grabs — some come outfitted with mounted armaments — and there is even a model new talent tree that takes benefit of the relic chip that is caught in V’s head. The tree does not have many branches, however it could drastically improve the talents of your chosen cyberware, doubtlessly pushing your character construct to a complete new degree. All of this makes for a really rewarding DLC by way of V’s development.

Conclusion

Phantom Liberty is commonly Cyberpunk 2077 at its highest. A gripping narrative full with nice characters provides one other dimension to the open world RPG, whereas the primary mission and facet quest design stays high notch all through. It is a super growth that delivers a very memorable expertise.