While Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t exactly live up to CD Projekt RED’s lofty promises when it launched, slowly but surely, the studio worked its way to make the game not only respectable, but actually live up to its potential. This comes full circle with the game’s Phantom Liberty expansion set to launch next week. Will history repeat itself once more for CD Projekt RED? Read on to find out in our in-depth Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review.

Seeing Red

The clock is ticking for V as he searches for a cure to save him from a relic, an experimental chip infested with the mind of Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves); a known anarchist who, decades prior, detonated a nuke in Night City, killing hundreds of thousands in the process. For V, it’s a battle over control, but for Johnny, it’s about finishing what he started so long ago, his fight with the megacorp Arasaka. As it turns out, they’re the very ones behind the relic, and thus, a temporary truth is made between V and Silverhand as they set their eyes on Arasaka, taking down anyone who gets in their way. 

But what if this wasn’t the only way for V to save himself? What if, by some miraculous chance, a netrunner who happens to be working with the New United State (NUS) president just so happened to be in a similar situation as V and knew that the only way to save herself was to enlist the aid of V, and in the process, offer a cure to save him from the curse of Silverhand?

Well, lucky V, that just so happens to be the premise of Phantom Liberty, as he soon finds himself working alongside the president, venturing off into the territorial space of Dogtown, waging a war, and coming to heads with its dictator, Kurt Hansen.

But like all things political, things aren’t quite as they appear, as ulterior motives begin to surface, raising questions of who can be trusted. 

It’s a mystery that you’ll need to unravel, and one that’ll see you cross paths with a suave secret agent, Solomon Reed, who is played by none other than actor Idris Elba. Together, you’ll rip through Dogtown, uncovering all its secrets. However, this comes at a price, one that may be too high, even for a dying man. 

Players will be thrust into this new world that CDPR has built, garnering relationships with new and familiar characters and making new enemies, all while being pushed to the limits and forced to make some of the game’s toughest decisions yet, all of which can have some dire consequences.

Phantom Liberty, in some ways, is both an expansion and an entirely new game. It’s not like most DLC/expansion stories where its plot takes place outside of the main campaign, which eventually forces players to go back to it once beaten. Instead, what CDPR offers with Phantom Liberty is an alternative path to the main plot. It’s a choice that, if taken, drastically alters the player’s experience of Cyberpunk 2077. So much so that you could beat Phantom Liberty without ever needing to beat its original campaign. I don’t think I’ve ever played a story expansion that wasn’t just that — an expansion or extension of the main game. Yet here, this “expansion” is more treated as a full game with how incredibly well it’s implemented.

You could jump right into Phantom Liberty, play through all it has to offer, finish it, and, in the process, also complete the main game, and that could pass off as your story for Cyberpunk 2077. That’s not to say that the base game is terrible, as I still highly recommend everyone, even new players, to play through it first. But undoubtedly, Phantom Liberty is a massive step — no leap — from what the original experience had to tell us. 

There’s a lot I want to talk about, but so much of it is in the realms of spoilers that all I’ll say is that the story in Phantom Liberty alone makes it well worth the experience. The moment you first step into Dog Town, you’ll realize this is a very different game, and all for the better. 

The bonds you’ll make with the characters, the twists and turns you’ll go through, every moment will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, with surprises and consequences awaiting around every drug-filled, adrenaline-pumping corner. 

Now you all may be a bit cautious, seeing that CDPR has gotten yet another celebrity to star in the game, something that even I considered to be a marketing grab in the original with Keanu Reeves. But let me tell you, the studio has learned from those complaints, ensuring that Idris Elba isn’t some throwaway character for marketing’s sake. He shares just as much screen time as he would have in his very own movie, meaning expect to see him throughout the entirety of the expansion. 

It’s a lasting impression, as his performance is top-notch, so much so I’d rate it amongst his bests, right up there with Luthor and The Wire. That may be due to the fact that Solomon Reed is very much inspired by those characters that you can’t help but make the comparison. It’s not his first video game performance he’s done, but it will undoubtedly be his most memorable as he brings a level of believability to Reed that you forget he’s playing a digital character.

The motion capture is on full display, too, and it’s incredible how such subtle expressions on a character can shift the tone of a scene. Idris really doesn’t hold anything back with Reed, though you may find, at times, his accent to come off a bit strange and inconsistent. Still, it’s a performance to remember once he gets rolling into all the drama of Phantom Liberty. 

It’s not just him, though, as the whole cast of new characters all bring stellar performances, and even Keanu’s Johnny Silverhand feels like he has a whole new layer of personality with well-thought-out growth behind him this time. 

I think fans are going to love to see how far these characters have come along with this expansion, and I’ve no question that it’ll be amongst the highlights of all the talk. 

And speaking of highlights, the music, it’s absolutely phenomenal. You might have given it a listen already, but without the context behind it, it just isn’t the same. If you get hit with sheer feels every time you hear “I Really Want to Stay at Your House” from the Cyberpunk Edgerunner anime, wait until you listen to Phantom Liberty’s soundtrack with actual context. I can tell you every piece I went back to listen to, I knew instantly the very moment they were from, and whew, the range of emotions, from happiness to sadness to even downright terror that creeps over me listening to those tracks again. 

I can’t say I remember many of the tracks from the base game outside the trailer themes, but the ones from Phantom Liberty? I get goosebumps just thinking about them. 

And despite being a rundown town with druggies roaming the streets, Dogtown is surprisingly gorgeous. For a small section of Night City, it sure packs a lot of explorable vistas, all beautifully crafted. I love how there’s a clear hierarchy of power in the town, too. You’ll see residents who are surviving a day at a time, scavenging the streets for food and clothing, while near the center, you’ll encounter residents flaunting their wealth with expensive clothing and vehicles while hanging out in invite-only nightclubs and ballrooms. The campaign get’s really fun with the lighting and coloring, and while I’m allowed to show you those parts, I won’t because they look so damn good, you should really experience it yourself. 

Elsewhere for other activities and content, Phantom Liberty introduces several new gigs, some of which have more chained quests, offering their own little side stories. These are outside the campaign, though some are also tied to it. 

You never know what will happen when you take on a gig, as evident in one I took early in my campaign where a character was telling a story, only for me to be transported into that story from the perspective of a different character.

Another I found myself wearing the skin of a legendary hitman, and every time someone dropped his name, fear would strike their face with an audible Spanish guitar melody played. It sounds ridiculous, almost something out of a soap opera, but it’s executed so well that I couldn’t help but chuckle each time.

They’re some of the best gigs crafted by the studio, though you may find them a bit light in quantity. That’s probably my biggest disappointment with this expansion, as after my 10-12 hour run of the campaign, I found that Dogtown didn’t offer a whole lot else outside of those gigs. There’s an “endless” event that happens where a cargo drops randomly on the map. These contain gears such as weapons and clothing, crafting material, and even relic points inside of them, and upon arriving, there will be enemies guarding the drop. It’s a welcomed addition, but hardly anything I’d get excited for. There are also new weapons and vehicles, some of which have mounted weapons on them, which brings us to the next big, exciting thing: Cyberpunk 2077’s big 2.0 update. 

• Related Reading: Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 Hands-On Preview – Police Brutality

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 – Revamped, Reinvented, and Rebooted

Phantom Liberty has plenty to offer, but for those who aren’t quite ready to jump into it, CDPR does have a surprise dropping, and that’s in the form of update 2.0. It’s free for all players, and with it comes massive revamps and long-awaited features. 

For returning players, you’ll notice that your skills and perks have been reset upon booting. That’s because they’ve been completely overhauled, not just in visuals to make them easier to navigate, but to the type of skills and perks available. There will be several ones that will be familiar, along with some new ones. One is the Edgerunner utility, which is based on the Edgerunner anime and even has a picture of David as the utility’s icon. 

This perk allows users to exceed their cyberwar capacity but at the cost of V’s health. It also has a chance to inflict players with Fury, upping damage taken by 10%, but also increasing critical damage boost by 50% and critical chance by 30%. Lucy and Rebecca (both from the Edgerunner anime) also have available skills, adding a dash of their personality to players’ play styles. 

And that’s sort of the point of the perks and skill tree revamp — to allow players to build the character they want to suit their playstyle. Want to play as a Netrunner who can quickly hack enemies and dice them up with Lucy’s finisher? What about a badass ninja capable of slowing down time, slicing incoming bullets, and even deflecting them back with a burning Katana? Maybe you’re all about brute force, smashing bones, and breaking faces. That’s all possible with the new perk and skill system introduced in 2.0. The best part is, despite this being a complete revamp, CDPR didn’t go out of its way to nerf things but gave players more options to become overpowered. Builds will play a significant role in the game once the 2.0 update is out this September 21.

In addition to the revamped 2.0 skill trees, Phantom Liberty introduces a set of skills under a new tree called Relic. These top-of-the-line implants are issued amongst the highest-ranking officers in NUS forces; at least, that’s what we’re told. In reality, they’re rather lackluster in quantity and upgrade paths. 

That’s most likely due to the revamped skill trees and implants in the Relic tree meant to be paired with other skills, but looking at it, it does seem rather lackluster for what’s offered. So much so that it’d probably been best to throw them in the trees they correspond with rather than as a separate one. 

Yeah, there’s not much to upgrade here, with over half the upgrades tied to the Mantis arm. Now, don’t get me wrong, the new skills are great, and mixing and matching them with other play styles opens the gameplay up immensely; I just wish it had a bit more. I like leveling things up, and seeing the cloak ability only have that many upgrades is disappointing. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a non-issue at release, or if it is one, maybe CDPR will give it a 2.0 treatment down the road. 

The level cap has also been increased to level 60 for Phantom Liberty owners. Personally, I would have liked to see more than ten levels added, but that’s me. 

The most significant addition to the 2.0 update is the new vehicle combat and police system. For vehicles, players will now be able to shoot freely from them, giving them the perfect countermeasure during chases. Chases happen now, too, with all factions over Night City and the police. These feel fantastic and add a new combat layer on top of the existing one. You’ll even be able to put those Netrunner skills to the test, as you can use quickhacks while driving. 

Some vehicles also have mounted weapons on them, most exclusive to the Phantom Liberty expansion. Machine guns and heat-seeking rockets will be available for you to use, allowing you to wreak destruction all over Night City. 

But the biggest change introduced in 2.0 is, without question, the police system. I teased this in my preview of the 2.0 update, and after spending more time with it, I’m thrilled with what CDPR has produced here. Mind you, I think it needs some improvements that I’ll go over in a bit, but for those thinking the police system wasn’t brutal enough, enter the 2.0 overhaul. 

When you commit a crime in Night City, the police officers will no longer spawn out of thin air but instead drive out to you. That, in some ways, does mean that they take longer to get to you, but this approach feels more natural. Now, a 1-star wanted level is relatively easy to evade, as it’s usually one or two cops that get called to the area. However, if daring, you could continue breaking the law, ramping up that wanted level by killing and causing havoc in an area. 

Instead of four stars, 2.0 now has five, with each level introducing a new police type and new police vehicles. Star Five will call in the Maxtacs, otherwise known as the Psycho Squad, who will be airlifted into the battlefield to add a bit of a cinematic touch. These guys are hard to kill and hurt like hell, and if they get called, chances are you won’t make it out alive. 

The AI of the police officers has been improved, too, with them attempting to barricade and flank players at any chance. If you’re on foot and trying to stand your ground, you’ll get surrounded by the police quickly. 

Attempting to flee via vehicle will be met with a city-wide chase. Multiple squad cars will trail you, shoot at you, and try to perform a breach to stall your vehicle. If they aren’t doing that, they’ll try to ram into you in hopes of flipping the car over. Some will even risk their own lives, playing chick with you, only they don’t chicken out. They do anything to disable your vehicle, even set up roadblocks throughout the city. 

Civilians react more naturally than in pre-2.0 as they flee the scene at any sight of trouble. The city also no longer has any defense systems, such as turrets. I don’t miss these at all, as the new police system is far more fun than constantly being shot at by some automated system from afar. 

How quickly you move up the wanted system has also changed—update 2.0 makes it “harder” to achieve higher levels. Pre-update, it only took 6-10 civilian kills to reach the max four stars. Killing that many in 2.0 will only get you to wanted level 2 or 3, with achieving wanted level 4 requiring nearly 50 kills from my tests and right around the same for wanted 5. I know, that’s a lot of kills, and maybe it should be nerfed a bit, but I did like how there was progression in the system now, giving you time to enjoy the different wanted levels. 

Now, I did mention that there are some improvements I’d like to see to the system. If you play the whole cops and robber scenario and go through the shootouts, chases, and the eventual getaway via vehicle, the police system will feel perfect. But that’s a specific way of playing, and you’ll likely realize that evading a five-star wanted level is easy. How easy? Well, you can simply drive through a path, such as a side road, and the police won’t chase you there. Escaping on foot is just as easy as there are many side alleyways to duck into quickly. Wait a minute or so, and that wanted level will be gone. 

It’s laughable considering what needs to be done to achieve Wanted level of five stars, as you’d expect they would start searching areas outside the main street. I suggested a fix for this in my preview, that being randomly spawning security cameras in place of the turrets, that way the wanted level remains and hopefully could, in some ways, improve pathing for on-foot officers to flock to areas they don’t typically go to.  

Aside from that, though, the new police system is essentially everything I wanted from Cyberpunk 2077 at launch, and knowing CDPR and what they’ve done over the last few years, I’m sure we’ll see improvements with upcoming updates to the police system. At the very least, it’ll be easier now for modders on PC to tweak it better. 

Electric Sheep Are Real, and They’re Marvelous 

When CD Projekt Red launched Cyberpunk 2077 back in 2020, I, like many, were left feeling heartbroken. It was a game that didn’t fully live up to expectations, lacking not only features but also providing a functional experience for last-gen players. So much so that it eventually saw its removal from storefronts.

It was such a shock to see from a studio that previously delivered on a title that, in my opinion, holds the golden standard for open-world RPGs even to this day. The Witcher 3 was a behemoth, and its expansions that followed after somehow managed to propel the game to new heights, that I’d considered it to be amongst the greatest of gaming experiences out there. An essential must-play for any gamer out there. 

And I know some will say it’s over-hyped and overrated, and I can accept that The Witcher 3 isn’t perfect around all its edges, but goddammit, it’s a fantastic game that delivered an experience like no other at the time, earning the studio fame, glory, and respect amongst gamers and developers alike. 

So when Cyberpunk 2077 launched in 2020, it left me wondering what the hell happened to CD Projekt Red? My feelings about Cyberpunk 2077 were on the completely opposite spectrum of what I felt about The Witcher 3, and I couldn’t believe this was the same studio that made it. Was it greed? Overconfidence? Becoming too complacent? We’ll probably never know. And what is even the point of me bringing all this up, especially at the end of a review? 

Well, it’s because I want to tell you that when it comes to Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt Red has come full circle, returning to their former selves that fans have thought so highly of. I had doubts going into this, though the studio has been making great strides with several updates over the years to warrant a revisit. But I held out, hoping for something bigger and what could be more significant than the game’s first expansion and newest feature update.

And it’s clear after playing through the expansion that CDPR has been listening to its fans. With Phantom Liberty, they have finally delivered the much-demanded experience players have asked for since launch. I’ll gladly say that Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, alongside the 2.0 update, might be one of the best gaming experiences I’ve played all year, and looking back, there’ve been tons of amazing games this year.

I’m only saddened by the fact that this is the only expansion Cyberpunk 2077 is receiving. But I’m glad the studio has gone all out with it, incorporating so much feedback over the years to make the very game we’ve dreamt about. Whatever lies next for CDPR, well, that’s something only the studio knows for sure, but whatever it is, I hope they’ll take the lessons they’ve learned to heart with Cyberpunk 2077 because if they do, they’re looking at a bright future. 

Score: 9.5/10

Pros:

• Story – When I first stepped into Dogtown, I knew the story of Phantom Liberty would be special. Little did I know just how special it would be, as it’s filled with fantastic story beats that’ll keep you hooked from start to finish. Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, and the rest of the cast don’t disappoint. 
• A visual spectacle – If you thought Cyberpunk 2077 was a graphical showcase before, wait until you venture into Dogtown. 
• Soundtrack – A perfect example of how music can elevate a game’s narrative. 
• Update 2.0 changes the game completely, with Phantom Liberty making full use of those changes. 

Cons:

• A bit light on side quests – These are usually the highlights of CDPR’s games, and Phantom Liberty left me wishing there were more. 
• Relic Skill Tree leaves much to be desired, but it’s also meant to work with the 2.0 skill overhaul.