When Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced, the gaming community was ecstatic and eagerly awaited a futuristic world developed by CD Projekt Red; part of the game’s hype came from the success of the Witcher 3 DLCs and the inclusion of Keanu Reeves as a primary character in Cyberpunk 2077.
Despite all the build and excitement, Cyberpunk 2077 will go down as one of, if not the worst, launches in videogame history. Since then, CD Projekt Red has worked tirelessly to improve the game; however, the damage was done and if it were not for the success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, CD Projekt Red might have dragged their feet on releasing Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
Now, obviously, if you are hear, you are looking for a Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty review. Be warned, we do not plan on holding back on any of our punches. This isn’t to say that the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC is bad; but, it does fail to live up to our expectations, especially since it is supposedly the only DLC Cyberpunk 2077 will receive.
Interestingly, it is possible to potentially lock yourself out of the DLC by declining to join the organization; however, this can easily be fixed by reloading an earlier save. PS. you will need to watch the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Cinematic Trailer to understand some of what they are talking about.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Developer: CD PROJEKT RED
Publisher: CD PROJEKT RED
Platforms: PC (Steam), Epic Game Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: September 25th, 2023
Players: 1
Price: $29.99
Story
When we first booted up Cyberpunk 2077, we will receive a call stating that we had the ability to upgrade some of our gear; now this could have been due to not playing since it came to the Xbox Series X or could have been due to the expansion.
But with new gear on the brain, we headed over to a Ripper Doc for some shiny new chrome. Shortly after, we are contacted by a mysterious caller called So Mi, Songbird, who promises to save our lives. In order to find out more about this supposed cure we are told to meet this mysterious figure at Dogtown.
This invitation to Dogtown leads the player down a mysterious rabbit hole of government conspiracies, espionage, betrayal, and treachery. After the president’s ship gets shot down over Dogtown, we are asked to save the president and keep her safe.
This all takes place before we meet Idrissa Elba’s character, Solomon Reed, who is the primary character in the Phantom Liberty DLC and leads the mission to rescue Song Bird. Just like any other spy movie or work, things are never as they seem and the plot thickens causing you to be uncertain who to trust.
The Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC gives players about 11 hours of new gameplay for the base story with a bunch of side gigs and quests to complete.
The two big flaws with the Phantom Liberty DLC are the endings that the game offers the player and the lack of romantic options with the new characters. A little bit over halfway through the DLC, CD PROJEKT RED teases the idea of V being able to have a romantic experience with one of the new characters but never follows through.
A tease of potential romance is one thing, but CD PROJEKT RED’s failure to provide a satisfying ending as a whole is a symbolic middle finger to its fanbase. The DLC offers four endings but each ending feels like you are still losing a part of yourself with the outcome. Do you betray the person who has offered you a cure or do you do what’s “right” for the government?
In the end, there are moments where it comes down to it does one life out way thousands if not millions. Either way, you take it, you are the bad guy. You betray someone who trusted you. The ending that seems like it is the worst possible outcome with casualties turns out to potentially be the best for the team.
With the new DLC comes a new ending to Cyberpunk 2077. After returning So Mi to the NUSA or So Mi escapes, one will promise you a cure. If you sided with So Mi and helped her escape, there will be no new ending. If you choose to side with Reed, there is a new ending, but that new ending feels worse than the previous endings. At the end of the day, there is no happy ending for V.
Verdict
Although Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty offers players a good bit of new activities to do, the lack of new quaint romantic partners or a happy/satisfying ending leaves us feeling unsatisfied. If this is truly how CD Projekt Red plans to end Cyberpunk 2077, they are doing the fans a massive disservice.
Yes, they give players a variety of things to do, but any developer can create random sidequests in their game to occupy their player’s time. In a way, the DLC just seems like a cash grab for Cyberpunk fans who want more content rather than providing their fan with substance. If somehow there is a future DLC for Cyberpunk, we hope that CD Projekt Red does better.
If you want more Cyberpunk content and don’t care, go out and buy Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. If you want a satisfying or badass ending, then either don’t play the DLC or hit them where it hurts and wait til it goes on sale. The only positive is you get more gameplay from the DLC for $30 than you do from other AAA titles at $60 or $70. Hell, if you want you can listen to Sasha Gray on the radio for a good time.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty was reviewed on an Xbox Series X using a copy provided by CD PROJEKT RED. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty was released on September 25th, 2023 on PC (Steam), Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S
