Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Phantom Liberty is a remarkable expansion, and a bittersweet end for Cyberpunk 2077. Augmented. Everything seemed to be going well until the President of the New United States crash landed in front of me. Only an hour earlier I had snuck through the mile-high walls of the new district of Dogtown and suddenly I found myself battling through hordes of faceless goons to protect POTNUS and escort her to safety. Together we fought flocks of drones and a giant robot, stopped to investigate a ruined m...

Phantom Liberty embodies the best of Cyberpunk 2077 for a thrilling RPG-shooter with an evocative story, compelling side content, and unforgettable conclusions. The appeal of Night City was in its impressive scope and dazzling visuals, which painted a bleak neon-lit future dictated by technological exploitation and unfettered capitalism. Within that were tragic, human stories to pull at your heartstrings and a whole lot of violent action often perpetuated by its gameplay systems. But what if yo...

Human after all. Remember how many lootable items were originally in Cyberpunk 2077? The abundance of certain collectibles was a good example of how Cyberpunk's grand story could occasionally clash with the cheap shock humor found around it. Phantom Liberty aims to refine that balance, and after some soul-searching, has seemingly found what kind of Cyberpunk story it wants to tell, and nails it. Balancing the punk-rock verve of Mike Pondsmith's tabletop RPG with an exquisitely crafted spy story...

Phantom Liberty doesn't reinvent Cyberpunk 2077, but it is CD Projekt firing on all cylinders to tell a great RPG story. Given Phantom Liberty's superspy theme, I expected, nay, demanded a good high-society shindig infiltration level, and Cyberpunk 2077's first and only expansion pack delivered. The centerpiece of the soiree mission was a long, tense dialogue puzzle where I had to earn the trust of a pair of deliciously awful French twins while playing high stakes roulette. I had to engage, pro...