There’s no secret that Cyberpunk 2077 was met with a large amount of scorn and criticism when it first launched in 2020. From poor performance on the current-gen to outright being broken on the last generation of consoles, this wasn’t what CD Projekt Red wanted or hoped for.

Over the last three years, they’ve made great strides with the game, both in playability and general performance. There was still a considerable stretch to go before we got the game we were promised, though. With the recent release of Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty, it’s fairer to say that we may now be there now.

First Update 2.0, then Phantom Liberty

With the close proximity of the releases, it’s difficult to discuss Phantom Liberty without mentioning Update 2.0. The development team at CD Projekt Red have been diligently working away to make the base game better since its launch, back when it was a broken mess of a game. They introduced a whole array of promised content, for free, in an attempt to not only fix what they’d given us, but to deliver on the (over) promises they’d made.

It’s no small comment to make that Update 2.0 completely revolutionizes the game, and makes it an incredibly different experience. From unscripted vehicle combat, a police system overhaul and a complete redesign of the skill tree, it is clear that there was a lot of time and effort spent on 2.0.

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The introduction of vehicle combat brings a new dynamic to the game, as well as a much-needed improvement on the driving controls, and the new police system means that police act a little more realistically. Go on a murderous rampage in the middle of Night City? The police will be on you pretty sharpish. In the middle of one of the game’s expansive deserts? You’ll have some time before they decide to trouble you, if they even bother. It all feels more realistic, especially in a world full of future tech, where crimes and the like should be easier to cover up.

The updated skill tree is impressive, but certainly overwhelming, and it is clear why, with the other changes that have been made, CD Projekt Red advised a fresh playthrough. The new skill tree gives so much variety that the chances of your V having anywhere near the same feel or abilities is nill. Your playthrough will be different from mine as a result. Approaches are different. The results will be the same.

Phantom Liberty Changes the Game

Phantom Liberty is the first and last full expansion of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red have become known for huge, sprawling, well-written video games with the same being said for their expansions. The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine was bigger than most standalone games, for example. Phantom Liberty won’t be boasting the same significance, not in size at least, but I’m glad to tell you that the studio’s usual impressive writing is in abundance.

Set during the main story of Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll be contacted by a mysterious stranger, later revealing themselves to be So Mi, or Songbird as she prefers to be called. She’s in trouble and requires your help to rescue a soon-to-be in danger, President Rosalind Myers. Your prize? A cure from the relic (Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhands) killing you.

Of course, things are rarely that simple, and after a few twists and turns, what should have been a simple rescue mission for you turns into a government conspiracy, spy-game escapade that has the previous gang-banging, everyday choom of a criminal V turning into an FIA approved agent of the government.

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This is Phantom Liberty’s greatest strength. It acknowledges everything happening to V on many occasions, with the usual seizures affecting events at certain times, and there are one or two conversations about it, but the story, the conversations, and the events all stand-alone from what came before/alongside it with the base game.

When first booting up the game years ago, I defied any single person to think that the universe as a whole would have been a good setting for a spy thriller, but here we are, three years later and my time with Phantom Liberty is some of the most fun I’ve had with the game full stop. With huge set pieces that feel straight out of Skyfall – you’ll know it, trust me – and Mission Impossible, as well as some of the studio’s own devising, you’ll either feel like the biggest and best secret agent or an absolutely terrible one. Either way though, you’ll be having fun.

Throw Idris Elba’s Solomon Reed into the mix, with his eerily convincing American accent making an appearance, you’ll quickly find yourself wishing this was more than just an expansion. Keanu Reeves drew some criticism for his performance in the base game, but unlike Reeves, it was announced that the studio signed Elba for the role, and then designed the character around him, and with the actor’s input. This shows. There isn’t a line of dialogue wasted, and whilst it can be said that voice acting may not be his strongest suit, it is clear that Elba doesn’t phone in a single line or scene. He enjoys this role.

One of the only detractors of the expansion is the new area, Dogtown. It introduces new players into the mix, with the charismatic if terrifying Kurt Hansen being Lord and Commander of the area, but it is also incredibly cramped. Opening in a destroyed and repurposed football (the NFL type) stadium, you’ll be disappointed once you venture into the wider area, with the majority of it being vertical, rather than spread out. This may just be me, but I spent more time lost in the cramped areas in my car than I did actually enjoying my time there. At least in the immediate vicinity of the Moth Bar, anyway.

Related: Idris Elba Is the Best DJ in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

The story of Phantom Liberty is far from simple, and not one to be spoiled in a mere review. Enjoy it for yourself. However, the biggest takeaway of the story is that it also brings a completely new and very different ending to the story of V, at least compared to the horror and sadness of the base game’s four endings, anyway.

This may be the first and last expansion to Cyberpunk 2077, but it could be the most important of CD Projekt Red’s history. The developer was riding on a considerable amount of goodwill after the strong performance of The Witcher 3 and the expansions, but the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 did a huge amount of damage to that. With the launch of Phantom Liberty, we’ve finally got an idea of the scope and vision of the developers in this universe, and like a lot of others, after my time with the expansion and Update 2.0, I’m now excited for Cyberpunk 2077 2.

8/10

Phantom Liberty was played on PlayStation 5 and reviewed on a code supplied by Evolve PR.

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