It is no secret that Cyberpunk2077 had a rocky start when it first launched in 2020, with the game being one of the more notable examples of bugs and performance issues that dampened players' enthusiasm. Although CD Projekt Red faced an uphill battle after it was removed from the PlayStation Store shortly after its release due to these issues, the company committed to improving the experience for players. The result of this work culminated with the release of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyand the 2023 DLC was the push it needed to catapult the game into the same league as some of the best RPGs of the modern gaming era.
One year later it is clear: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is an outstanding expansion that can compete with other cult franchises from CD Projekt Red, The Sorcererwith the legendary Blood and Wine DLC for The Witcher 3which was recently dethroned by Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree as the best-rated DLC of all time. Together with the new content in Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk2077 also received its 2.0 update on the same day, which overhauled many of the game's systems that had divided players at launch. The combination of these releases gave players who Cyberpunk2077The initial difficulties were a reason to give the game a second chance, and they more than made up for the game's slow start.
Phantom Liberty made Cyberpunk 2077 seem like a brand new game
Cyberpunk 2077's 2.0 update has refined the gameplay
Even without touching the content of Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk2077Update 2.0 completely changed how players approached the game. With changes to the perk system, cyberware, and armor, players were able to think about creating builds that felt more focused and emphasized certain playstyles. The addition of vehicular combat and improved police AI also created a new way to play based around the Carhacker perk and the dozens of in-game vehicles that players could acquire, leading to epic high-speed gunfights across Night City.
Dogtown has breathed new life into the Cyberpunk 2077 map
As expected from a DLC expansion, Phantom Liberty expanded the areas of Night City accessible to players to include the new district of Dogtown, located southeast of Pacifica. Along with this new region came the emergence of a new enemy faction called BARGHEST, led by former NUSA Colonel Kurt Hansen. Dogtown also included a number of new side quests and jobs provided by the fixer Mr. Hands, fleshing out this district in a way that naturally fit with the rest of Night City and gave players a good reason to continue exploring the game's environment.
The story of Phantom Liberty sets the stage for the future of Cyberpunk 2077
The biggest attraction of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty was the new storyline tied to the expansion, allowing players to take a detour from their mission to remove the Relic chip in V's head and put an end to Arasaka. Instead, players were tasked with protecting the President of NUSA after her plane crashed in Dogtown with the help of netrunner Songbird and FIA agent Solomon Reed. Narratively, this story was a drastic departure from the corporate underworld of Cyberpunk2077The base game of “The 40 Fingers” sees players in a larger conflict with the NUSA government.
However, Phantom Liberty’s main quest took many of the role-playing elements of the base game’s storyline and developed them into something that Cyberpunk2077The sequel, codenamed Project Orion, could serve as a major strength. Players faced much more impactful choices during Phantom Liberty's main quest, with several key decisions taking players down entirely different branches of the narrative. Certain actions would even unlock a brand new ending for Cyberpunk2077 This could have significant implications for Project Orion if it is declared canon, and shows how important this expansion could be to the future of CD Projekt Red's franchise.
