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 the complete RPG.
Phantom Liberty unlocks when you’re accomplished with the Pacifica storyline within the base sport’s marketing campaign, so you possibly can 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, plenty of difficult boss fights and fight encounters recommend that it is best to return geared up; the recent setting of Dogtown feels prefer it’s constructed for gamers who know what they’re doing.
A brief name with a mysterious girl named Songbird is all it takes for V to get entangled. The preliminary hours see our beloved merc blast his or her manner by way of a sequence of linear missions, every of them pushing massive set items and surprisingly cinematic chaos. It is a barnstorming begin — just like the opening scenes of a great motion film — and as soon as it is over, you are free to discover Dogtown correct.
Basically reduce 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 legislation and unwilling to reply to the officers of its neighbour, Dogtown virtually feels post-apocalyptic exterior of a handful of places 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 solid of intense characters. This consists of 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 beneath Dogtown’s dusty floor and uncovering the plans of its overlord, the intimidating Barghest commander Kurt Hansen. An internet of intrigue and deception is shortly spun between the entire central characters, and there are moments of real ethical battle as V falls deeper and deeper into the rabbit gap. It is an usually gripping narrative, and the impressively assorted mission design holds up all through the growth’s 30-ish hour runtime.
That mentioned, there may be one particular part that feels a bit… misplaced. It is actually artistic in idea, and fascinating in execution, however with out spoiling something, it sticks within the thoughts due to how basically completely different it’s in comparison with the remainder of Cyberpunk 2077. It maybe drags on only a little too lengthy, but it surely’s not sufficient to distract from in any other case engrossing storytelling. And sure, there is a brand new ending to V’s story that is unlocked by way of Phantom Liberty.
However if you wish to take a break from mentioned story — which does deal with some heavy themes at instances — you possibly can at all times take a tour of Dogtown. The hellhole is roughly the identical measurement as one among Night time Metropolis’s different districts, but it surely’s densely filled with eye-catching landmarks and gameplay alternatives. There are a selection of extraordinary aspect quests to trace down, whereas dynamic occasions add some spice to exploration.
Arguably one thing that is lacking within the base sport, these limitless dynamic occasions pop up on a frequent foundation, offering an elective goal. Airdrops are unique to Dogtown, and mainly 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 by way of a aspect 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 further 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 automobiles are additionally up for grabs — some come geared up 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 would not have many branches, however it could actually drastically improve the skills of your chosen cyberware, doubtlessly pushing your character construct to an entire new degree. All of this makes for a really rewarding DLC when it comes to V’s development.
Conclusion
Phantom Liberty is usually Cyberpunk 2077 at its best. A gripping narrative full with nice characters provides one other dimension to the open world RPG, whereas the primary mission and aspect quest design stays high notch all through. It is a super growth that delivers a really memorable expertise.
