Summary
Cyberpunk 2077has had one of the better comebacks in modern gaming. It was launched minus a ton of features promised throughout its long-gestating development, and became divisive among those that played it, despite receiving mostly favorable critical scores and earning award recognition along the way.
CD Projekt Red got to work post-launch, adding numerous updates and patches, eventually culminating in a significant update and expansion calledPhantom Liberty. Wonderful character interactions,tense player choices, a mind-blowing virtual concert, incredible set pieces, and more, provided a glimpse of what the future of this once highly anticipated IP could be.
Contains Spoilers For Some Phantom Liberty Quests
8Rescuing President Myers
Phantom Liberty starts off fast and doesn’t let up for a significant amount of time with an engaging opening set piece where you must rescue the president of the New United States of America after her plane was shot down over Dogtown - the new setting for Phantom Liberty and a section of Night City free from NCPD and corporations.
The pacing of this section is breakneck, barely allowing time to gather your thoughts as waves of Dogtown soldiers converge to try to stop you from escorting President Myers to safety. In the sparse, quiet moments of this rescue, you get a better understanding of the overall setting of Cyberpunk, learning more about the New United States of America and beginning to make some tough decisions as Myers tests your loyalty and your motives. It’s a fantastic way to set the tone for the rest of the expansion.
7Lizzy Wizzy Performs Her Hit Song
Cyberpunk 2077’s first person view allows you to befully immersed in the world of Night City. Phantom Liberty takes full advantage of that immersion and doubles down with a full performance from Lizzy Wizzy (voiced by Grimes) as she sings her hit song Delicate Weapon. This concert comes towards the end of a superb spy mission where you must navigate a party, talk to other characters, and keep an eye out for important targets at the same time.
It could be easy to miss the performance as you aren’t locked into watching it, but staying is a rewarding, immersive experience, so make sure you stick around.
. you may get close with a front row view, watch nonchalantly from the upper balcony, or mingle with the crowds around. The production of the performance itself is fantastic, with truly breathtaking visuals and lighting. It perfectly encapsulates what makes Cyberpunk 2077 an experience all its own, the small moments nestled between bombastic sci-fi set pieces.
6Roulette With The Twins
Before Lizzy Wizzy graces the stage, you make your way over to the roulette table where Aurore Cassel and her twin brother Aymeric are located. These French netrunners will play a bigger role as the expansion progresses, but for now, you need to gather some information about them over a friendly game of roulette.
You truly feel like a spy infiltrating a high-profile party during this scene, as you must make tough dialogue choices that will hopefully help to get the information you need without raising too much suspicion about your true motives. With a fun roulette backdrop, this intimate game of dialogue-driven cat and mouse is some of the best writing in Phantom Liberty.
5Dancing With Alex
Idris Elba’s Solomon Reed is aNUSA sleeper agentbrought back for this mission and star of Phantom Liberty. You work with him throughout the entire expansion as you infiltrate Dogtown to find and rescue Songbird, a talented netrunner and right hand of President Myers, and figure out who was behind shooting down the president’s plane. Reed introduces you to Alex, another NUSA spy who has a long, and troubled, history with him.
You gradually get acquainted with Alex as the three of you tirelessly put together a plan to execute the mission. The night before it comes to fruition, Alex opens up more than usual, talking about her past and what she hopes for in the future. It culminates with you two dancing to a song on the jukebox in her bar. It’s one final moment of happiness ahead of what is to come.
4Reed And Alex Show Their True Colors
Reed is an enigma and Alex has one foot out the door on the spy life, but they show their true colors after you successfully pull off a heist to capture the Cassel twins you met while playing roulette. After hacking their vehicle and escorting them to a secure location, Reed and Alex execute them without any hesitation. You only needed their identities after all.
It’s one of the most shocking moments in Phantom Liberty and shows you just how experienced (and detached) both Reed and Alex are. This is real, and they are some of the best spies the NUSA has in their arsenal. In the bigger picture, the twins' deaths were inevitable, but the moment causes you to take a step back to figure out who you have been working with this whole time and maybe re-evaluate some choices you will soon have to make.
3The BIG Decision
Throughout Phantom Liberty, both Reed and Songbird have been trying to get you to see their side of the story, to understand where they’re coming from and to essentially choose who to side with when the time comes to make that decision. Both have promised to help you find a way to prevent you from dying.
This is the point of no return for Phantom Liberty. Who you choose to side with will take you through a unique set of missions exclusive to each choice while also having you question your morality and convictions as those missions progress.
Reed is all about laying his cards on the table and showing loyalty to you and the mission. Songbird has lied to you basically every step of the way, but craves freedom away from being a puppet for Myers and the NUSA. Once you infiltrate the heart of Dogtown to rescue Songbird, the game presents you with your toughest choice yet. Either choice comes with its own consequences, making you think long after the credits roll if you truly made the right decision.
2Phantom Liberty Becomes A Horror Game
Siding with Reed sends Songbird spiraling out of control. She breaches the Blackwall and becomes even more dangerous, reckless and powerful than ever before. Chasing down Songbird brings you to an abandoned underground Militech facility where she will make her final stand.
The atmosphere smothers you in this section as it quickly turns into a horror game. You must navigate the claustrophobic, dark and rundown facility while an AI security robot tries to seek you out and end your life in an instant. It’s a heart-pounding, white-knuckle conclusion that will leave you holding your breath and sighing with relief once it’s over.
1Confronting Reed On The Walkway
Siding with Songbird forces the two of you to go on the run from Reed and the rest of NUSA. It culminates with you making your way through the Night City Metropolitan Airport in hopes of getting a dying Songbird onto a spaceship to the moon, where she promises to get the help you need, a promise made in the beginning. Of course, things in Phantom Liberty aren’t ever what they seem.
As she grows weaker, Songbird drops all lies and tells you that there isn’t a plan to save your life. She was using you to save her by helping her become free of the NUSA. you may choose to kill her or escort her to the ship where you will have one final confrontation with Reed before the story ends. You can kill him and save Songbird, or give Songbird over to him where he once again promises to help you find a cure, with one of the two choices unlocking another ending to the main game. Phantom Liberty is a story of choices and personal conviction.No choice is ever easy, and that’s what makes these moments unforgettable.
