Ever since the release of Cyberpunk 2077 on December 10th, 2020, CD Projekt Red has been working endlessly to create a better overall experience for players everywhere. Having played the story campaign again recently on Xbox Series X, I can personally say that this game is in a far better state and the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion could be the final adrenaline shot that the series needs.
During Summer Game Fest Play Days, I got to spend some hands-on time with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty as part of an extended demo session. While my time was short, I walked away very impressed and wanted to spend even more time roaming the dangerous streets of Night City. Here are some of my thoughts on what you can expect from this expansion and why you should be excited if you’re already a fan of the base game.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty could be best described as a spy thriller expansion and you get that vibe right as soon as you start playing. The story revolves around New United States of America President Rosalind Myers shortly after her plane is shot down over a deadly undiscovered district of Night City titled Dogtown.
While exploring the Black Market scene with Songbird, an experienced Netrunner and Myers assistant, V notices the crash and immediately flees to rescue Myers at Songbird’s request. Shortly after dealing with various enemies and getting Myers to safety, V is then told to seek out the aid of Solomon Reed (Idris Elba), a highly decorated FIA agent, to extract further information. The trio then decides to work together to find out who orchestrated the hit and is pulling all of the strings behind the scenes.
From a narrative standpoint, this is where Phantom Liberty truly shines and the demo left me wanting to know what happens next. The combination of political intrigue and espionage is intricately woven into the secrets within Dogtown and dictates whether or not you should trust these new characters with your life. Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves) also returns as your stream of conscience openly challenging you to question the loyalty and motivations of others around you before making your own decisions.
In addition to having access to a new district, tougher enemies, and intriguing new characters to interact with, CD Project Red has also guaranteed a new skill tree, weapons, and quests. One pretty cool update that I did get to explore was the weaponized vehicle which not only looked cool but absolutely obliterated every enemy in my path. The studio has clearly made various improvements to preserve the life of the game and they will release plenty of details soon to better explain everything new that we can expect.
While I didn’t get to spend too much time with Phantom Liberty, I did experience enough to want to come back for more. This expansion is exclusive to next-gen consoles and PC meaning that the studio can push the limits unlike ever before. If you are a Cyberpunk 2077 fan then definitely stay tuned for more info on this expansion in the weeks ahead.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty launches worldwide on September 26th, 2023 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Are any of you planning on picking it up? Please feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
