“This is 100% how this game should have been released on day one 4 years ago"
HOW I PLAYED: I played on PC via the Ultimate Edition on Steam. I played through the main campaign of Cyberpunk 2077 via the GOG launcher on PC. I was able to bring over my save file to play the Phantom Liberty DLC. I played the game at 1440p max settings with a mix of Ray Tracing on and off. With RT ON I was hitting 60-80fps with DLSS Quality, and with RT OFF I was hitting 100-110 fps.
PC SPECS: R7 7800X3D, RTX 3080, 32GB DDR5 6400mhz, 4TB M.2 SSD, LG UltraGear 32' 1440p 165hz Display, Windows 11
STORY — 18/20
Cutscenes in Cyberpunk 2077 reached the upper echelons of the gaming industry, and the Phantom Liberty DLC maintains that standard. With the addition of A-list actor Idris Elba, it brought the level of acting and dialogue delivery to a whole new level. I found the moments with President Rosalind Myers to be exceptionally well done as well. Again the game takes a lot of inspiration from action movie classics like "Escape From New York" and "Die Hard".
World Building is done through all the new characters introduced and even through Night Cities GROWL.FM station (Voiced by Sasha Grey). The dialogue between characters in cutscenes struck me as exceptionally well-crafted, akin to that of a sharp, sophisticated movie script. Dogtown was well built out to be a savage wasteland of crime and destruction. My only minor issue with DLCs like this is that Dogtown was never mentioned in the main game, so its sudden emergence as THE PLACE for all badasses feels somewhat questionable.
Overall Story of the Phantom Liberty DLC was an interesting one that reminded me of great action dramas of the 90's. I learned enough in my main story playthrough to be very skeptical of who I trust, so I was very cautious in my playthrough. Experiences may vary depending on how you take in character dialogue. The multiple endings were all great and wrapped up the story arc in a very nice bow, and I left feeling satisfied.
GRAPHICS — 20/20
Character Models are as insane as ever in Phantom Liberty! The details of Idris Elba's face and the art direction for Songbird are a new standard for visual fidelity in games. Usually, character detail like this cannot be achieved unless your game is a "Cinematic experience" type game (see Hellblade, Alan Wake II). I still find it a shame that you spend so long customizing your version of "V" and your character model never appears in any cutscenes. I am also glad a lot of the characters didn't have ridiculous features just for the sake of having them, which takes me out of immersion.
Environments in Phantom Liberty boil down to the one new area "Dogtown". The aesthetic in Dogtown is gritty and worn down like a mix of the slums of Night City mixed with some of the outskirt areas. Some jaw-dropping set pieces in Dogtown show off some insane destruction. And I was surprised at the level of platforming introduced to get us INTO the new area, which was a nice surprise.
Special FX in Phantom Liberty exceeds the base game in some ways. You can see the team at CD Projekt Red has pushed the limits of their RedEngine in the DLC. The cinematic moments interwoven with dialogue and gameplay were superb!
Animations in Phantom Liberty were expertly choreographed. I was happy to see how far Cyberpunk has come along since its disgraced launch, even from when I played the base game 6 months prior!
AUDIO — 15/20
Boss Music is dynamic, driving, and adept at building momentum. It serves more as an anxiety inducer than the typical boss music. There are no memorable tracks, but they achieve their goal to set the stage for the current moment V is in. I just left feeling wanting for some big epic boss music that stands out.
Sound Design in Phantom Liberty is incredible. Playing this game with a good set of headphones immersed me in the experience. The balancing of dialogue, background music, and ambient sounds & FX was flawless. I never once felt that I needed to adjust any levels. The voice acting was on the same level as box-office-crushing action movies. All of the actors hired to play roles in this game delivered their performances with genuine commitment, which is uncommon in celebrity video game voice acting.
The variety in PL and Cyberpunk for that point is kind of lacking. This isn't the game's fault as it is trying to hit an aesthetic which it does! The game also has radio stations that you can flip to if wanted. But a lot of these tracks are on repeat. There is the signature Cyberpunk 2077 theme, but it is heard so little.
GAMEPLAY — 30/40
Mechanics in the Cyberpunk 2077 base game were cumbersome to me personally and I felt with the 2.0 and 2.1 update they were massively overhauled. The Skilltree prior seemed too complicated in my opinion and didn't feel intuitive. I know to the upset of some fans, simplifying the skill tree was a big improvement for CD Projekt Red and I am personally glad they decided to do it.
Pacing in Phantom Liberty was very well done. I felt immersed in a seamless progression of excitement, moving from one engaging moment to the next. Although there was a section involving 'Mr. Hand' that felt slightly like "fetch query", it didn't significantly detract from my overall experience.
UI/UE is consistent with the overall feel of Cyberpunk 2077. I feel like all the necessary information is on screen and has nothing obstructing the player's immersion. Some of the menus have a lot of customization which might be a little "noisy" for some, but it is balanced pretty well.
Boss Quality in Phantom Liberty, much like in the base game, is passable. While there are a few standout encounters, they are overshadowed by the generic nature of the regular NPC enemy bosses. I find myself wishing for more FPS games to incorporate larger-than-life bosses with imposing health bars, making this aspect a bit of a disappointment for me.
Gameplay Variety in Cyberpunk 2077 PL is robust. Much like the main game, there's an abundance of side missions offering diverse experiences, from stealth espionage operations to car thefts and investigative cases reminiscent of True Detective. Alternatively, you can unwind in your dilapidated hideout, enjoying a cigarette while gazing out at the chaotic vista of Dogtown. The freedom is yours to decide!
Replayability is great in Phantom Liberty. With multiple endings determined by your in-game choices, CD Projekt Red ensures players can explore various narrative paths. After completing the game, it conveniently places you back at crucial decision points, allowing for divergent gameplay experiences with each playthrough.
BONUS — 1/3
CD Projekt Red adds some great accessibility options in Cyberpunk which are still here in the Phantom Liberty DLC. It is always nice to see more options than the bare minimum "Closed Captions".
OVERALL — 84/100
GREAT
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a fantastic addition to the 2020 game. I feel CD Projekt Red lived up to the "It's Fixed" campaign they ran before the DLC was released. This is 100% how this game should have been released on day one 4 years ago. It is a real shame that giant studios allow themselves to release their games in such a poor state yet expect top dollar from us as players. I do commend CDPR on their commitment to buckling down and working to get Cyberpunk 2077 into a playable state and even higher to an amazing state. Most AAA studios would just cut their loss and let the game die, so it shows a lot of commitment to stick with it even when it probably costs 100's millions of dollars to do.
I can 100% recommend this game in its current state, which I could not previously out of good conscience, Way to step up CDPR!
TLDR: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty on PC fulfills CDPR's original vision, seamlessly integrating captivating characters and expanding the gritty world of Night City with Dogtown. With top-tier graphics and refined mechanics, it offers engaging gameplay and multiple endings for replayability, despite some minor issues. Overall, it's a must-play addition to the Cyberpunk universe.
84/100 - GREAT
Xbox - https://amzn.to/4a90hI4
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