Summary
While Phantom Liberty may finally be makingCyberpunk 2077worth the price of admission, the two experiences seem to be nothing alike. Both are RPGs built within a cyberpunk world, and Phantom Liberty is building on the foundations of the base game, yet they approach the concept in drastically different ways. It almost feels like they are two different ideas meshed into one, which some players may find a bit strange if they are jumping back intoCyberpunk 2077after years of exploring the base game.
Cyberpunk 2077’s entire narrativewas built around the concept of a heist gone wrong that resulted in players getting haunted by a mysterious AI. On the other hand,Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyseems to be making players more of a “chosen one” type of character who must save the president from the villainous ruler of Dogtown. While both experiences are fun, the driving force of each seems to be extremely different, which feels like a drastic shift in direction after years of telling a completely different tale.
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Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty Feel Entirely Different
Afterplayers build theirCyberpunk 2077character, they are thrust into the world of Night City. They meet a colorful cast of characters, complete various jobs to earn some money, and explore the city streets. Eventually, they are hired by Dex DeShawn to steal a mysterious biochip from Arasaka Corporation. What ensues is a heist that quickly goes wrong as the leader of the megacorp is killed by his own son, V is forced to insert the biochip into their body, and they have to flee the scene of the crime. After they think they made it out alive, Dex will shoot them in the head and leave them for dead in a landfill.
Instead of dying, V is brought back to life after the chip’s nanotech is activated. After it repairs V’s brain, it begins to overwrite their memories andJohnny Silverhand starts haunting the playerthroughout the rest of the story. Players must then embark on a new adventure across Night City to try to get the chip removed before it ultimately kills them. This results in a wild sci-fi adventure that sees them navigate the criminal underworld, get embroiled in massive plots, and kill a few people along the way. It is a fantastic ride from start to finish, which was made even better by the 2.0 updates many fixes.
WhileCyberpunk 2077may focus on a heist gone wrong, Phantom Liberty takes the story in an entirely different direction. After players meet the Voodoo Boys, they are contacted by the mysterious Songbird who directs them to Dogtown. Apparently,the President of the New United Statesis being targeted, and her plane is set to crash-land within that part of the city. It is up to the player to save her as they are apparently the only ones who can do it. What ensues is another frantic adventure that sees them fight through the streets of this walled off district as they try to do everything they can to get the president out alive.
Instead of beinga simple person in Night Citywho gets thrust into a massive conflict, players suddenly become the only one who can protect the president. This shift in story makes V out to be a hero after players have spent years playing them as someone else entirely. On top of that, the district itself feels unlike anything players have experienced within the main city. While these changes does not detract from the experience too much, it will likely still feel a bit jarring for some players.
Cyberpunk 2077:Phantom Libertyis available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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