Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a new expansion for the action RPG Cyberpunk 2077, which was released in 2020. The expansion adds a new story, a new district, new skills, weapons, and tech, and a new soundtrack.
The story revolves around a spy-thriller adventure where you have to rescue the president of the New United States from a hostile territory in Night City. You will encounter new characters, factions, and enemies, and face difficult choices that will affect the outcome of the story.
The expansion will be released on September 26, 2023, for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia. Like every other expansion or DLC, you will need the base game installed to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
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CD Projekt Red will release a 2.0 update for the base game along with Phantom Liberty. Also, Phantom Liberty will be the first and last DLC of Cyberpunk 2077. The expansion is largely seen as a bold attempt by CD Projekt Red to move on from the disastrous launch experience of the base game—and it appears they succeeded.
Therefore, it is not surprising that most fans of the franchise are eagerly waiting for the launch of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Well, while most must wait until September 26 to experience the game, thanks to YouTubers who got an early copy of the game, we already know what to expect—although we will not spill spoilers here.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty throws players into Dogtown
Phantom Liberty will allow players to explore Dogtown, a subdistrict in Night City. The dangerous suburb has become a sort of wasteland and taken over by dangerous gangs. Dogtown was forged by the Unification War between the Free States and the New United States.
In addition to new cosmetics, players will also have their hands on a long list of arsenal including dual blades that pop out of your arms. Upgrading the skill tree will grant you a host of abilities including a cloaking ability that makes you invisible to enemies. In fact, every new skill obtained can drastically change your playstyle.
One thing we discovered though was that you don’t have to complete the entire base game to gain access to the DLC. If you can’t hold your excitement any longer, all you have to do is complete the quest in Act 2 of the base game titled ‘I Walk The Line’ and you can jump right into Phantom Liberty.
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Once you are done with that quest, return to the main menu and pick Phantom Liberty from there. However, by following this route you will be required to create a new character. If you prefer to continue Phantom Liberty with the character from the base game, then you must finish the entire base game first.
One thing we really commend is how CD Projekt Red weaved Dogtown into the main story. Although it is coming almost three years after the base game, we believe releasing Phantom Liberty with Update 2.0 was premeditated by CD Projekt Red as a way of telling players how to approach the game—as a huge pillar to Night City.
The reviews on Phantom Liberty have been mixed
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty received mostly positive reviews from critics and players, who praised its narrative, visuals, gameplay, and music. Some of the highlights of the reviews are:
- IGN gave it a score of 9/10 and said that it was “Cyberpunk 2077 at its best” and “one of the best individual stories CD Projekt Red has told to date”.
- PC Gamer gave it a score of 87/100 and said that it was “a fantastic final outing for V and Night City” and “a tense spy thriller with some of the most grueling choices I’ve ever seen in an RPG”.
- Yahoo Entertainment gave it a score of 4.5/5 and said that it was “worth your time” and “aside from a small handful of blemishes, I’ve had a lot of fun falling in love with this dark new tale of Night City”.
However, not all reviews were positive. Some of the criticisms of the expansion are:
- Attack of the Fanboy gave it a score of 2.5/5 and said that it was “a mostly linear romp with a disappointing lack of choice and player agency” and “a missed opportunity to explore the intriguing themes of espionage and loyalty in a cyberpunk setting”.
- GameSpot gave it a score of 6/10 and said that it was “a decent addition to Cyberpunk 2077’s world, but not a particularly memorable one” and “a short and straightforward campaign that doesn’t offer much replay value or challenge”.
- Polygon gave it a score of 6.5/10 and said that it was “a solid but safe expansion that doesn’t take enough risks or push the boundaries of the genre” and “a familiar spy story that lacks the originality and creativity that made Cyberpunk 2077 standout”
It’s now only hours to the launch of Phantom Liberty. Do you think the update 2.0 will make you revisit the base game again? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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