Will Phantom Liberty mark Cyberpunk 2077's redemption arc?

CD Projekt Red's recent announcement of the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 and its release date has fans all over the globe quite excited to jump back into arguably the most hyped and talked about game of the decade. However, contrary to Cyberpunk 2077's pre-release hype and excitement, the game faced overwhelming backlash owing to the plethora of technical issues on launch.

To call Cyberpunk 2077 a disastrous release would be underselling the severity of the game's technical polish or lack thereof. The game was basically unplayable on previous-gen consoles, which, at the time of its release, were the "current-gen" consoles and the primary target platform for CD Projekt Red's ambitious sci-fi project. While the game performed much better on "next-gen" consoles and high-spec PCs, it was far from an ideal experience.

Suffice it to say, the release of Cyberpunk 2077 on December 10, 2020, tarnished the goodwill CD Projekt Red worked so hard to earn for the last decade within mere hours. The once shepherds of "modern gaming" with a "players first" mentality and consumer-friendly practices that felt like a team that genuinely cared for the players and wanted to do good by them has now delved into the same pitfalls as other bog-standard "AAA" developers.

This begs the question, is the hype fans have to surround the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion justified? Is it okay to trust CD Projekt Red with yet another game, knowing the burn impression Cyberpunk 2077 left on us fans? Will Phantom Liberty be the starting point of CD Projekt Red's redemption arc, or will it be the final nail in the coffin for the Polish developer and its long-time fans?

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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has the potential to be truly awesome as long as CD Projekt Red strays away from the mistakes of the past

Cyberpunk 2077 had much to live up to, from delivering an expansive story that reacts to every minute choice players make to a living, breathing open-world experience that mirrors the real world, albeit with retro sci-fi esthetics. Some of the features expected by fans were too out of reach for any action role-playing game targeted to release on the eighth generation of home consoles.

However, most of the things the game missed could be attributed to its rushed development. Things were missing from CD Projekt Red's sci-fi action RPG that game developers figured out almost a decade prior, such as a proper police chase system, believable NPC routines, and a functional stealth system with choices and consequences.

These features were, and are, an integral part of any modern open-world sandbox in modern gaming. You know, for all the flack Ubisoft and its open-world games get (and most of it, rightfully so), at least their games get the basics right, with franchises like FarCry, Ghost Recon, and even the modern Assassin's Creed featuring a fully functional and dare I say, enjoyable open-world sandbox experience.

Although Cyberpunk 2077's launch was nothing short of a disaster, underneath all that broken code, performance issues, and glitched textures is a game that's unlike any other. If you set apart the technical issues at launch, you will find Cyberpunk 2077 to be, despite its roots in sci-fi, a deep and personal story about the protagonist, V, coming to terms with his/ her limited lifetime, and trying to leave a legacy in their name.

While it might not be the revolutionary RPG that fans expected, it certainly is a game built with a lot of heart and passion. And I think, with the upcoming expansion for the game, Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt Red has the chance to mesmerize players with their storytelling prowess once again while also steering clear of their past mistakes.

As Phantom Liberty is exclusive to current-generation consoles and PCs, we can expect a polished and functional game come September 2023. Sadly, CD Projekt Red will not release the DLC for previous-gen systems. However, I do understand and respect their decision and feel it is the right choice, as it will unshackle the team from the limitations of the decade-old hardware.

CD Projekt Red has already stated that they're overhauling the entirety of Cyberpunk 2077 for the expansion, adding multiple features that fans have asked for since day one. From a completely restructured cop system with chases and Maxtac units for high heat levels to a fully reworked skills system to facilitate replayability and streamline the progression system, a lot is already confirmed to be coming with Phantom Liberty.

I'm certain that with Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk 2077 will finally become the game that we all have been hoping for since the title's announcement back in 2012. While it is unfortunate that it took this long since launch for CD Projekt Red to finally bring the game on par with their original vision, it's also praiseworthy that the studio did not abandon it, unlike many other AAA studios, and remained committed to seeing their vision through.

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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is scheduled to release on September 26, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC.