Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review – redemption at last
This is the Cyberpunk 2077 we deserved. Although it has been almost three years since its initial release, the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion and major 2.0 update feels like a new beginning for CD Projekt Red's AAA RPG.
I've been playing Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 (which is what I'm calling it) for just over a week now. The game very helpfully gives you the option to skip ahead in the story to the point at which the new Phantom Liberty content begins (which I did), but the more time I spent with it, the more I wished that I had just started the game afresh. Because while there's a stunning DLC expansion to experience (more on that later), the sheer amount of revamp and redesign included for free as part of the Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.0 makes it feel like a brand new experience entirely.
Welcome to Cyberpunk 2077 2.0
Full disclosure: I rolled credits on this game back in December 2020 on an Xbox One X console as, if you'll remember, this title didn't get a graphically enhanced Xbox Series X|S or PS5 version until February 2022. I was hyped for Cyberpunk 2077, and although I did enjoy the main story, my experience with the game overall was very poor. It felt rushed and unfinished, and I wasn't alone; you only have to look at the class-action lawsuits that landed in CD Projekt Red's lap as evidence of that.
But enough of the old Cyberpunk 2077 – this is Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, and it's much, much closer to the game we all expected in the first place. Update 2.0 isn't just a patch, it's an overhaul of the entire experience, with most of the original game's disappointing features being completely reworked. The free update, which will only be available for current-gen consoles and PC, includes redesigned skill trees and perks system, revamped cyberware, new capacity system, vehicle combat and car chases, combat AI improvements, a new police system, UI and UX improvements, changes to loot, items and crafting, and even new radio stations.
Although some of the revamps are bigger than others, all of the updates work in harmony to create a more immersive and enjoyable experience. For instance, armour is now tied to your cyberware rather than clothing. On the surface, this feels like a small change (because is it), but implementing this mechanic in this way makes much more sense.
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One of the most significant changes is the revamped skill trees and perks system, which can be a bit intimidating at first, as you have to spend time reallocating your points due to the redesign. But it's worth the time as, again, it's implemented in a way that just makes sense. There are new abilities and a new Relic tree, making it much easier to create a character to fit your playstyle. For example, I've been loving the new Vulnerability Analytics perk, which shows you the weak points in enemies' armour.
New open-world activities, combined with the overhaul of the police and vehicle combat systems, make Night City feel alive in a way that it didn't previously. Driving around the original Night City was an apathetic experience, filled with dumb AI and non-existent consequences: nothing you did seemed to matter. But with Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, it feels much more GTA-like, with new police AI that accumulates actions over time and raises your heat level, with each level leading to different events and responses.
You can expect aggressive police responses such as MaxTac intervention, roadblocks, and actual pursuits. And it's not just your character who can cause these responses because Night City is full of police chases, shoot-outs and all kinds of ongoing criminal situations. Night City was always full, but now it feels alive.
Having dipped my toes into the graphically upgraded current-gen Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series X for a short time, despite its shortcomings, I had zero complaints about how it looked. The game is visually stunning, and that hasn't changed. In fact, the introduction of the incredibly dense and detailed Dogtown area means there's much more to look at, and boy, it's a good-looking game on PC. Also, having spent a lot of time with Starfield recently, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the lack of loading screens, even when moving into buildings and detailed areas. What a joy!
With all that being said, there were bugs that I experienced during my playthrough. Among other things, I saw cars spawning into each other causing mass destruction, various floating objects and on rare occasions, floating NPCs. But I didn't experience any game-breaking bugs and was able to complete the Phantom Liberty expansion without a hitch.
Cyberpunk 007
There's a lot that CD Projekt Red got wrong with Cyberpunk 2077, but one thing's for sure, it knows how to tell a dense, morally questionable and thrilling story. Phantom Liberty builds on that by adding a completely new dimension to the Cyberpunk 2077 experience, with your character, V, thrust into a spy thriller narrative that starts with a bang and never lets off.
There are stellar performances by the likes of Idris Elba, who plays FIA agent Solomon Reed, and of course Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, with characters like Colonel Kurt Hansen, Alex, So Mi Song and President Rosalind Myers having real depth and adding to the narrative in unique ways. There's a real variety in the missions on offer, with various twists and turns along the way, and trust me, you'll feel all the emotions as you play through the main story.
It's not all fun and games though, as you'll be faced with some tough choices as you advance through the story, with each one often leading to unintended consequences that feel like a punch in the gut, and the story can play out differently depending on the choices you make. There's one key moment in Phantom Liberty, with this choice leading you down one of two unique paths. Those two routes offer diametrically opposed experiences, complete with separate narratives, unique missions and locations, and of course, a different ending.
Having experienced all of these improvements first-hand, I can't help but wonder just what CD Projekt Red could have achieved with a bit more time the first time around. Yes, I know the original game was delayed from its original April 2020 release date to December that same year, but that obviously wasn't long enough. The release of Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty DLC is obviously a big step forward, but there's still a feeling of unrealised potential with this game, and it's sad that we may never see that potential fulfilled.
Take Dogtown, which is a brand-new area introduced as part of Phantom Liberty. This location sticks out like a sore thumb compared with the other areas of the original map, because it's by far the most dense, detailed and alive location in the game. With The Stadium sitting at its heart, there's so much to see and explore in Dogtown including nightclubs, bars, black markets, abandoned spas, run-down neighbourhoods and more, and each offers unique side quests and gigs. Again, you wonder just how good Cyberpunk 2077 could be if every area in the game had this level of detail and dynamism.
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The expansion features 13 new main missions, as well as a new ending for the base game, with 17 new side quests, new items and new open-world activities; and each mission and side quest feels rich and handcrafted. It's clear that a lot of time has been taken to make the experience resonate, with the main story being a genuinely stunning narrative experience. And it's great that you won't need to have completed the game to experience this new story, as the narrative is weaved into the base game.
Having played through Phantom Liberty once, I can't wait to start Cyberpunk 2077 completely afresh and experience what the new version of this game has to offer, DLC and all. The new changes introduced with update 2.0 make a second playthrough of this game absolutely essential, with Phantom Liberty introducing yet another layer to the game's compelling story. Welcome to Cyberpunk 2077 2.0.
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