I find it really hard to write a proper review for this expansion. Rating for me: 5 stars, easily. But explaining the why is hard. The main game has been a mixed bag for me. On one side, I had a lot of fun playing it. But I still found it hard to recommend. Many parts felt empty or shallow. Some parts have been fixed with updates. Others are probably unfixable, and suffer under design limitations. Now as for Phantom Liberty: I guess, similar to the patches, people sat down and evaluated the situation carefully. What parts are good, where are the limitations, how to improve or bend them, and what is not possible at all. And I think they did a phenomenal job. The weight of the issues and limitations of the main game are almost unnoticeable. The expansion is nicely integrated into the main game. Main story is great, side missions are very well made. The new district looks and feels very nice. I found all of the main characters (and most minor ones) very likeable, and relatable. Even V and Johnny. Dogtown feels more alive, thanks to the repeatable quests, but also because the detail density is much higher. While maybe not offering the most hours of playtime, it's still massive, if you factor in all other aspects: Design, dialogs, music, animations, voices... Everythings's top quality. I would have preferred more freedom developing V's character myself. But that's just not what Cyberpunk 2077 is. At least it's something I didn't miss as much as I've missed it in the main game. The V in Phantom Liberty is much more relatable, and the decisions you have to make don't feel that artificially limited. All in all, I can recommend Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty to most people. I have huge respects for the people that were building it, and for determination fixing it after the problematic launch. I'm a bit sad that this will be the only expansion, but I'm excited for what's coming next.
In short: It's a space shooter. Heavily focused on combat mechanics and aesthetics. I really enjoyed playing this game. Pros: - I really liked the two protagonists. And the way they comment the various situations. - Once you've become used to the controls and abilities, the movement can feel very fluid. - Graphics and acoustics are very nice. - The overall story and development is interesting. - I did not experience a single technical issue, even though I played it right at launch (when it was exclusie on Epic Games Store). It's a bit sad that it's worth highlighting it. Cons: - Even though the story is interesting, execution felt a bit shallow at times. - Other characters are not developed very well. - Flying and shooting are basically the only gameplay mechanics. On one hand, I liked that that kind of focus, and probably the right decision. On the other hand, it reduced the options for interactions with the world.
