Cyberpunk 2077 was all the time good. Deep down, beneath the disgraceful mess that was the last-generation model of the sport and controversy about a few of its tonal components… there was a extremely good recreation. A really nice recreation, even. With that stated, the general public battering that developer CD Projekt RED took for the state of that launch recreation was price it. It’s much more price it now.
The worth of the essential pillorying that the launch model of Cyberpunk 2077 took is multifaceted, however with the discharge of the sport’s official ‘model 2.0’ and its new growth, Phantom Liberty, we will now say an important goal that kicking served was merely to gentle a fireplace beneath the corporate behind it.
CD Projekt RED considers itself an unbiased developer of honor; and the one option to restore and keep that repute was to set the sport proper. With Phantom Liberty and its accompanying free replace to the bottom recreation, the darkish way forward for Night City fulfills its potential – and truthfully, if taken as a brand new launch, it’s in all probability top-of-the-line video games of 2023, a very stacked 12 months.
While my main focus here’s a evaluation of Phantom Liberty, I do exactly need to speak about model 2.0 of the primary recreation for a second. As properly as eye-popping and borderline experimental graphic know-how that appears totally ridiculous for those who’ve received a robust sufficient PC, model 2.0 is a whole overhaul of Cyberpunk’s programs. This is a big sufficient replace that many builders would’ve undoubtedly charged for it – however this considerate reset is free to all homeowners of the sport on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. Last-gen gamers are sadly out of luck; Cyberpunk’s last replace in that guise was patch 1.6.
That sucks for those who purchased the sport on last-gen and haven’t but received entry to a more recent machine – and CD Projekt’s determination to push the sport out on consoles clearly not prepared for it should perpetually be a black mark in opposition to its repute. But as I stated this time final 12 months, that is additionally what the sport desperately wanted to do – to chop the under-powered useless weight – and that has primarily allowed it to soar.
There’s simply… loads of new stuff. Skill bushes have been rethought, retooled, and re-deployed with many abilities which might be all-new or so totally different as to be unrecognizable. Quite a lot of issues the sport was mocked for even when it was alright, like the dearth of a correct GTA-style police response system or some fight AI goofiness, have been immediately addressed. But then you may see how one factor has led to a different in developmental phrases: a correct police response means automobile chases, which in flip invitations correct automobile fight. So now you may swing a samurai sword from the facet of your bike or blast lead from the home windows of your automobile – however it’s also possible to quick-hack enemy autos and even strap Mad Max-esque weaponry to vehicles.
The rethink of the Cyberware and Perks system is probably the most impactful factor, nevertheless – and it’s all smartly-done. Armor is rightly decoupled from clothes finally, and is now tied to your Cyberware, the physique modifications that outline Cyberpunk’s world. The programs round equipping Cyberware are much less restrictive than earlier than, with how a lot you may equip tying again to your talent tree selections. Rest assured, it’s all higher.
In reality, as I lately opined on Twitter, or X, or no matter bloody identify we’re now calling it – when Cyberpunk 2077 is firing on all cylinders, it’s fortunately a ten/10, a must-play, a superb recreation. I’d go as far as to say it is nearly as good as The Witcher 3. I’d go additional: when it’s good, I favor this recreation to The Witcher 3. Put that pitchfork down! To be sincere, I felt that manner earlier than. But the distinction with the most recent replace is that good adjustments, modern additions, and a basic tightening up of the expertise technically and in any other case signifies that you’re way more usually capable of get pleasure from the perfect of Cyberpunk with out distraction.
So, with replace 2.0 famous, we will now speak about Phantom Liberty in earnest. The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine growth particularly is likely one of the all-time greats, a subline send-off to Geralt and to the collection as an entire for an organization realizing it was going off to the troublesome process of incubating an all-new property. Now, even with sequels on the horizon, Phantom Liberty is a farewell to Cyberpunk 2077 – however I additionally suppose it’s one thing of a promise of what this universe can do.
Phantom Liberty is much like the primary recreation in tone, however gives simply sufficient distinction to face aside. It’s much less about company and gang warfare and is extra of a correct ‘espionage’ thriller that sees V contacted by a mysterious determine who guarantees they will remedy V’s ailment – one thing that’s doable in the primary narrative of the core recreation, however solely at nice value. Night City has no completely satisfied endings, it appears – however the DLC entices the participant and protagonist alike with the promise that this time, maybe, issues could be totally different.
The journey takes V to Dogtown, a previously-inaccessible, heavily-guarded space of Night City. Dogtown is inside the metropolis limits, however isn’t beneath the management of the town itself. It’s principally a fiefdom of a mercenary king. Instead of police, his personal militia retains a fragile peace by way of drive and fireplace. Night City is supposed to be the worst place in America – however its streets really feel totally managed and calm in comparison with Dogtown.
The begin of the DLC gives some cinematic storytelling up there with a few of Cyberpunk’s greatest, rivaling issues like the large heist mission, the Johnny flashbacks, and the sport’s finale. V has to sneak into Dogtown, after which watches helplessly as a jet carrying the President of the New United States is downed, crashing inside Dogtown’s limits. Thus begins a mad scramble to succeed in and save the President from bloodthirsty mercenaries who need to acquire on her.
Once united with the President, there’s a beautiful part of both stalking or combating by way of streets, bypassing checkpoints meant to cease the chief of Cyberpunk’s free world from escaping to a secure home. It’s tense, tightly-wound stuff, and an ideal playground to check out 2.0’s new talent bushes, together with the Phantom Liberty unique ‘Relic’ tree that unlocks notably highly effective new skills.
The President arranges a meet with agent Solomon Reed (Idris Elba), and from there Dogtown opens up. V turns into free to come-and-go, and at this level Phantom Liberty is not only a rollercoaster of a narrative – there’s an entire new metropolis zone so that you can discover, full with Cyberpsychos, new autos, shops, garments, weapons, facet quests, gigs, and extra. There’s even a few all-new mission varieties. Meanwhile, the espionage journey continues in ever-escalating, brilliantly-designed important missions.
Within the facet content material, one factor I actually like is how Dogtown meshes with Night City as an entire. Once you’re free to return and go as you please, facet quests and missions will often criss-cross out and in of Dogtown’s borders, again to the town correct. In this, it feels much less like an remoted ‘growth area’ and extra a part of the Cyberpunk story correct.
Quite a lot of DLCs like this really feel self-enclosed – however by way of sending you again into Night City right here and there and by having the odd acquainted character present up, even when it’s simply fixers, Dogtown feels correctly rooted to the primary recreation. It didn’t really feel bizarre when, partway by way of my Dogtown spelunking, V’s cellphone rang and it was Judy, with a fateful name from the primary story that from previous expertise I knew I had to reply to straight away. I hopped in a automobile, handed the scans at Dogtown’s heavily-guarded border, and raced again to the town correct. It feels proper within the stream of the sport.
The important story missions, in the meantime, are elegant. Elba is having loads of enjoyable, which certain helps. But actually, that is the perfect form of DLC: a group that has experimented with and mastered its recreation programs and engine – and now is aware of tips on how to stretch them to their most potential. Phantom Liberty is sort of a Cyberpunk 2077 biggest hits bundle – with wonderful new stuff sprinkled atop it. There’s extra spectacle, extra problem, and extra likelihood to flex your RPG muscle tissues with fascinating character builds. I ought to observe, too, that this logic crosses over into a number of the growth’s facet missions, too. I discovered a few gigs with battles and dilemmas that felt akin to important story missions.
The level, anyway, is that Phantom Liberty is a developer on its A-Game, decided not solely to offer a previously-troubled recreation a very good send-off, but in addition clearly eager to display what it may do. It’s a bittersweet feeling, too, as a result of we all know that CDPR plans to desert its RED Engine, which powered The Witcher and Cyberpunk, for Unreal. Looking at this now system-rich and incredible-looking recreation and growth (although I’m working it on a 4090 with DLSS and every part maxed, to be clear), it’s laborious to not really feel a pang of unhappiness that this precise setup is probably not used once more, given how good Phantom Liberty is.
If you’ve already performed Cyberpunk, this growth is an effective sufficient motive to return, and when mixed with Update 2.0’s adjustments, will truly serve fairly properly to make it really feel like an entire new expertise. If you skipped it again in 2020 as a result of of all the issues, the excellent news is that that is not a recreation with potential or a very good recreation that hints at true greatness – it’s not really nice. It’s lastly the follow-up I hoped for – nay, anticipated – from the group that made The Witcher 3. It’s a must-play.
