Games Happy

Now, full disclosure – I’m a type of individuals who at all times thought that Cyberpunk 2077 was bloody good. However, I admit, I used to be additionally enjoying it on a mega-spec PC and suffered subsequent to not one of the issues that plagued gamers on the last-generation consoles. Let’s not mince phrases: the way in which Cyberpunk launched on these machines was unacceptable; it shouldn’t have launched on these machines in any respect.

You don’t get a second probability at a primary impression, in fact – however I do imagine in second possibilities extra usually. CD Projekt has actually tried to earn a type of over the 2 years since Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled launch, with a string of patches providing all the pieces from bug fixes and stability tweaks to full-blown additions to the sport.

Having left the last-generation variations behind again in model 1.6, the builders have now been free to harness the ability of the newer machines in an try to ship a extra full model of Cyberpunk. That every one culminates this week and subsequent – first with the discharge of Cyberpunk 2077’s ‘2.0’ launch, a serious patch that overhauls the very coronary heart of the sport, after which with Phantom Liberty, a full-fat, hefty-sized enlargement full of new content material. The primary of those releases is free for all and the second is just not, however I’m right here to report that every one of it’s fairly rattling good.

I believe, in honesty, you’ll be finest served if you happen to take these two updates as one total package deal. Whereas Phantom Liberty may be booted alone, it’s rooted into the primary story. Going straight to Phantom Liberty merely skips you thru sure components of Cyberpunk 2077 and drops you into Night time Metropolis on the level that the enlargement unlocks with some decisions pre-made for you. Alternatively, you’ll be able to merely boot an previous save and choose up the hunt that manner – or better of all, embrace the idea of a recent begin for the sport and boot an all-new save file. That’s what I ended up doing.

So, what do you get? Nicely, Model 2.0 is a complete overhaul. CD Projekt RED is not any huge stranger to this – it ripped main methods out of The Witcher 3 and rebuilt them in the identical manner – however it is a way more transformative providing. On the coronary heart of the shift is a retooled Perks and Expertise system, with the whole RPG development system of the sport now roughly unrecognizable from what launched in 2020. 

The paradigm between perks and Cyberware, the cybernetic physique modification side of the universe, has shifted solely. Garments are actually purely beauty, as an example, with armor ruled by skin-strengthening implants put in at Ripperdocs. How a lot Cyberware you’ll be able to set up, in the meantime, is restricted by your Perks and Degree – and tops out far, far increased than within the authentic sport, leading to crazier builds with way more various and particular expertise.

With Phantom Liberty additionally put in, that mysterious further empty slot on the talent tree lastly fills in, providing the ‘Relic’ Expertise – a separate space, with its personal foreign money, that unlocks much more superior and deliciously highly effective choices to your arsenal. This talent tree is truncated in comparison with the others, nevertheless it makes up for it by largely being about interacting again with skills from the opposite timber – enhancing them, and permitting you to grow to be an actual specialist in one thing just like the Monowire. 

For all these adjustments, Cyberpunk 2077 is a vastly higher RPG consequently. I felt extra possession over my V than I ever have – and because of an ease of entry to respec, I used to be free to experiment and discover a play-style that purchased me essentially the most glee (in my case, an unbelievable hacker who fries brains from afar earlier than dashing in to mop up the remnants with super-speed and a samurai sword). Even easy stuff, like taking clothes out of the stats equation, ups the role-playing worth – my V now clothes for style sense reasonably than stats.

To make use of all of those new skills, you want a problem, in fact. The missions of normal Cyberpunk 2077 are largely untouched, although there are newly-patched wrinkles to take care of alongside the way in which. The threadbare police system that was extensively mocked again in 2020 has been changed with extra what you’d count on – police now reply with extra depth the upper your wished stage, and have interaction in police chases and the like. Automotive fight is definitely a broader addition to the sport generally, too – now you can shoot-and-drive on the similar time, and even mount some weapons to automobiles for Fury Street type shenanigans. 

Over in Phantom Liberty, nevertheless, new and previous mechanics are given the possibility to shine. Years on, CD Projekt RED now understands what it has in Cyberpunk 2077. It is aware of the sport higher than it did at launch. And so the enlargement is that the majority superb of issues: a sport confidently leaning into its strengths – and generally delighting in subverting expectations with that data.

What I’m saying is, the mission design of Phantom Liberty is fairly properly chic. It’s Cyberpunk 2077 at its finest. The unique sport has a great deal of wonderful moments – the heist, becoming a member of the Aldecados, that solo assault ending path, the funeral, the serial killer… however, these moments had been the fantastic exclamation marks that punctuated a great but additionally fairly commonplace and as-expected open-world expertise. Phantom Liberty, nevertheless, is simply the hits. On a regular basis.

The principle story of Phantom Liberty is great, filled with teases, twists, and droplets of lore that make you rethink even a number of the Cyberpunk universe correct in addition to Dogtown, the enlargement’s setting – however even the aspect missions inside Dogtown are one thing particular. Each one is a designer seemingly wanting again on the sprawling content material of the primary sport and asking, ‘how can I make one of the best mission of that kind within the sport?’ Reader, lemme inform you, most of those missions ship. Briefly, even the aspect missions slap.

A part of what makes this work is Dogtown, the setting for a lot of the enlargement’s motion. It is a cut-off section of Night time Metropolis, lawless, a dog-eat-dog zone the place the strongest survive. On the prime of the pile on this city-within-a-city is Kurt Hansen, a jarhead kind that guidelines with an iron fist. What was as soon as a lavish and opulent new district is now a wasteland that makes the remainder of Night time Metropolis look clean-cut.

Initially, V has to sneak into Dogtown, loses the power to speak with Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand, and is on her personal. For a short time, it looks like the enlargement may be a stand-alone, self-enclosed story. However after some explosive on-rails motion that units up the stakes, you’re set free. Johnny is returned to you, and you may enter and go away Dogtown as you please.

This helps to mesh the whole enlargement into the remainder of the story. There’s a spread of recent gigs, aspect quests, and different content material obtainable in Dogtown. Some aspect missions uncovered there even take you again to Night time Metropolis. If a good friend again within the metropolis calls needing assist, you’ll be able to hit the highway and get again to them, placing the enlargement on pause with no loading screens, as Dogtown is a part of the seamless open world. Or, alternatively, you’ll be able to intentionally main-line the enlargement story; the selection is yours. 

Phantom Liberty’s story provides a unique form of story to the remainder of Cyberpunk. I don’t actually need to spoil it – nevertheless it’s a well-reasoned change of tempo. The official description of it was a spy thriller is spot-on, which provides a pure distinction to the primary sport’s concentrate on company and gang warfare. Right here, you’ll save the President of the New United States after her jet will get shot down like Jack Bauer, infiltrate and allure your manner by means of events such as you’re James Bond, and dealer fragile alliances such as you’re Jason Bourne. V begins to really feel like greater than a merc with a dying sentence, and the stakes of the story really feel important and private suddenly – which may be tough to perform.

Naturally, there’s some tough decisions alongside the way in which, together with a ‘onerous’ department between two very completely different pathways and futures for V and Phantom Liberty’s solid. And sure, relying on sure elements of Phantom Liberty, you’ll be able to unlock a brand new ending and a brand new destiny for V and Johnny within the core sport that… Nicely, let’s simply say – it’s price it.

Whereas there’s a differentiating issue within the story, the vital factor is that this all nonetheless suits with what Cyberpunk 2077 is. The flourishing however damaged society that’s cradled within the shattered ruins of Dogtown is as a lot a commentary on this world as the remainder of Night time Metropolis, and it has a totally completely different really feel whereas feeling completely in step with the town the primary sport established. Acquainted faces out of your Night time Metropolis adventures return, together with loads of gloriously deadpan new materials from Keanu – however the stars of this present are the brand new faces for Phantom Liberty.

From main characters like Idris Elba’s Solomon Reed to minor bit gamers, Phantom Liberty is filled with intriguing and enticing characters that you simply’ll need to spend time with. It’s additionally filled with usually glorious dialogue and performances, which are sometimes at their finest particularly when it’s leaning into the spy thriller nature of the narrative. There’s nothing fairly like a really tense dialog that feels prefer it may explode into violence at any second, with every dialogue selection a danger that might ripple again by means of the remainder of the story.

All of it is a lot to mainly say: I believe that Phantom Liberty may be among the best expansions I’ve ever performed. Actually, it’s up there with The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine, which was additionally among the best. That makes it worthy of a prime rating in itself – however when paired with Cyberpunk’s unbelievable overhaul – it’s a comeback for the ages.

Cyberpunk 2077 was, like I mentioned, at all times good. I’d go as far as to argue it was nice, in actual fact – as long as you had the machine to make it work. There by no means ought to’ve been a PS4 or Xbox One model. That’s the reality. However in some methods, the humiliation of that botched launch may’ve been among the best attainable outcomes. It has clearly made CD Projekt RED rethink and refocus. It set a fireplace within the stomach of its builders and made them spend the 2 years not simply constructing a pretty add-on, but additionally bolstering the unique sport to be one of the best it may be.

With Cyberpunk 2077 model 2.0 and Phantom Liberty mixed, the result’s simple: this sport is great. The unique sport is drastically improved, if not reworked, by the mix of the free 2.0 and paid Phantom Liberty additions. In the meantime, Phantom Liberty itself is an all-time nice enlargement, taking all the finest components of Cyberpunk 2077 and cranking all of them as much as eleven into a superb stand-alone narrative in its personal proper. If Cyberpunk 2077 had launched on this state, it would’ve been lauded as an immediate basic, an all-time nice – however the truth that this has arrived two years late shouldn’t detract an excessive amount of from the energy of the expertise. 

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