(And plays good, too!)
It genuinely feels like Phantom Liberty might be what Cyberpunk 2077 was always striving to become. The expansive DLC, shown off in a big new trailer at Xbox’s Games Showcase at Whatever Not E3 is Called Now, is paced to tell a very specific story, but also one that gives the impression that it’s only a part of a bigger picture.
During our hands-on time with the game we’re dropped into Dogtown, a new (and seemingly huge) area, and joined by an operative named Songbird. Our mission is basically to find out who’s trying to murder the Whatever The Leader of Whatever The US is Called Now, and yet at the same time Songbird can help us figure out what’s wrong with our Johnny Silverhands affliction. The new area feels seedier but also more flooded with neon, and definitely looks better than the original launch — there’s no PS4 or Xbox One to worry about this time, so the visual fidelity, details, and performance are improved. Did I mention neon? Because the neon is more neon-y.
The new Relic skill system adds combat modifiers (cloaking at certain points, slow-mo, and even a way to see weaknesses and vulnerabilities better) and it makes the action feel much more like Jason Bourne instead of John Wick. It’s solid, and better, and is an evolution that’s JUST enough.
Phantom Liberty aims to be the realization of what Cyberpunk is and can be, and even a short demo shows that off. Thick with mood and setting, and action that pushes instead of pulling, it’s finally on its way to living up to that potential. Phantom Liberty launches on September 26, 2023.
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