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Developer (Platform): CD Projekt Red (PlayStation 5)
Publisher (Release): CD Projekt (2023)
Length: 20-30 hours
Genres: Adult; Sci-Fi; Cyberpunk; Espionage; Action
❗️Disclaimers❗️:
strong scenes of violence and gore
flashing lights warning
this review contains low-level spoilers
recommendation: must play
👍 Pros 👍
Has its own identity separate from the base game
Twists, turns, and expertly woven genres are all delicious
The soundtrack is phenomenal (already added some to my own personal playlist)
👎 Cons 👎
It’s much better than the base game (is that even a con?)
Some glitches and bugs prevent progress (can’t open phone, can’t open map, etc.) but a quick reload worked as the solution
👀 Synopsis & Trailer 👀
V receives a call from the mysterious Songbird who promises she can save V’s life. Running out of time and options, V can’t refuse, travelling to the city within Night City of Dogtown. If Night City stands ready to chew you up and spit you out, Dogtown stands ready to show it how true torture is done.
V knows they’re grasping at straws, but they can’t even begin to fathom the lair of secrets and lies they’re about to enter: from saving the President to rogue AIs beyond the Blackwall.
Being a merc in Night City is one thing, but espionage and shadows might be too much for V to handle, and all for a cure that might not even exist…
🧩 Plots 🧩
Riveting
Engaging
Enjoyable
Uneven
Boring
🎭 Characters 🎭
Alive
Developed
Okay
Inconsistent
Soulless
👾 Gameplay and Graphics 👾
Flawless
Smooth
Competent
Buggy
Unplayable
🧠 Final Thoughts 🧠
Phantom Liberty is how you do DLC. It compliments but never erases the base game’s experience. In fact, for me, Phantom Liberty’s shorter, more concentrated length, themes, lighting, sound design, story, and just about every aspect completely eclipses the base game. Phantom Liberty ditches the petty grudges of megacorps and rebellions and ups the ante to the big leagues with assassination attempts on the President of the New United States of America (NUSA) and undercover operations against the tyrant of Dogtown.
I cannot praise CD Projekt Red enough for just how deftly they weave espionage, thriller, and, surprisingly, horror so effortlessly that other developers should look on and take notes. Stealth, psychology, battles of sheer will, Phantom Liberty showcases newcomers Idris Elba (as Solomon Reed) and Minji Chang (as Songbird) in such spectacularly heartbreaking stories that will have you by the balls (or ovaries, and, ew, I’ve made myself uncomfortable).
Twists, turns, you’ll be exposed to it all, and, just when your nose is pressed right to the screen, CD flips from spy thriller to techno-horror and your expectations for both will never quite be the same (for this, I recommend siding with Reed when it comes, you will not be sorry). Update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077 was an apology for the broken state it released in, but Phantom Liberty is a promise to try and avoid those mistakes in the future. If it weren’t DLC and 2023 weren’t so packed with fantastic gaming experiences, Phantom Liberty would be a serious contender for Game of the Year. Heck, in some places, it still might grab that title.
The Phoenix Project 