Cyberpunk 2077 + Phantom Liberty: A Messy Masterpiece or Just a Mess ?

So, I recently finished Cyberpunk 2077 including the Phantom Liberty DLC and let me just say something that might get me cyber canceled 😂 Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat, I’ve read reviews that dared to compare Cyberpunk 2077 to The Last of Us Franchise, and honestly, I felt my brain short circuit like a malfunctioning Sandevistan. What the actual fuck ? That’s like comparing a bottle of fine wine to a can of Monster Energy. They’re both liquids, sure. But one makes you cry about humanity, and the other turns your veins into neon spaghetti.

That’s not just a hot take, that’s a war crime against storytelling. I mean, yes, Cyberpunk tries. It tries so hard. But The Last of Us is a tightly written, emotionally devastating narrative masterpiece, and Cyberpunk is a chaotic cocktail of cool ideas, brilliant aesthetics, and technical hiccups held together with duct tape and Keanu Reeves charm.

So, buckle up chooms. I’ve spent 46 hours in this neon lit fever dream (Yes, That Includes Phantom Liberty), and I’ve got a lot to say. Some of it good. Some of it glitchy. All of it real. If you’ve ever played a game and thought, “Wow, this is both a masterpiece and a mess,” congratulations ! you’ve played Cyberpunk 2077.

Night City: Where the Future Is Always Slightly on Fire

Let’s start with the good stuff first, Cyberpunk 2077 has one of the most jaw dropping game worlds ever made. Night City is a living, breathing dystopia that pulses with energy, sleaze, and rain soaked neon. You can literally spend hours just walking the streets, eavesdropping on weirdos, browsing ripperdocs, and watching advertisements that are somehow both hilarious and deeply disturbing.

But here’s the kicker: Night City is also… empty. Not literally, but emotionally. It looks alive, but rarely feels alive. You can’t interact with most things. Stores are useless. Most buildings are just set dressing. It’s like the world is all wallpaper and no depth. And that’s a damn shame, because the surface is so stunning.

What Is This Game Even Trying to Be?

At its core, Cyberpunk 2077 is like a Frankenstein’s monster built from parts of other games:

• GTA V’s open world structure ? Check.
• Borderlands’ gun porn and customization ? Yup.
• Watch Dogs style hacking mechanics ? Sure, in a very diet version.
• Death Stranding’s oddly intimate storage mechanics ? Weirdly, yes.

The result is this overstuffed, ambition fuelled hybrid that doesn’t always know what it wants to be. Is it a shooter ? A stealth game ? An RPG ? A noir detective simulator ? An emotional character drama ? Sometimes Most of the time it tries to be all of them at once and it kind of trips over its own futuristic shoelaces.

The FPS Drops Are Real and Spectacular (In A Bad Way)

Now let’s address the cyber elephant in the room: performance issues on the PS 5 🥲🙂

Even after the infamous 2.0 patch and the Phantom Liberty overhaul, the game still occasionally runs like a potato trying to process quantum equations. I’m talking 15 FPS dips in the middle of firefights. Texture pop ins that make NPC's look like low res blobs. Sound bugs that mute entire conversations unless you reload.

At one point, my motorcycle disappeared mid chase like WTF bruh ?. Just blinked out of existence. Another time, an enemy got stuck in the T-pose and started ascending like a budget angel. It’s hilarious, sure but immersion breaking ? Absolutely 🙂

Okay, CD Projekt Red, has made huge improvements, I’ll give them that. But a game shouldn’t need three years of post-launch patching to function properly.

Phantom Liberty: The DLC That Outclasses the Main Game

I’ll say it loud! Phantom Liberty is better than the main game in almost every way !

From the opening mission, you know you’re in for something special. The writing is sharper. The stakes feel higher. The world of Dogtown is a grimy, militarized corner of Night City that actually has real consequences. And then there’s Idris Elba as Solomon Reed ! cool, composed, and easily the most believable character in the game.

While the main story of Cyberpunk 2077 meanders and sometimes loses focus, Phantom Liberty keeps things tight. Espionage, betrayal, alliances. This DLC feels like a gritty spy thriller set in a cyberpunk hellscape.

It even gives you meaningful choices that completely alter the outcome. And unlike the base game’s endings, these actually feel earned.

Yes, You Can Swim. No, It Doesn’t Matter.

One of the early moments of bewilderment for me came when I accidentally fell into the water and didn’t die. “Oh cool,” I thought. “V can swim!”

But then… nothing. For 20+ hours, not a single mission required me to use this ability. It’s like the devs implemented swimming just for the hell of it.

Finally, Phantom Liberty gives you a diving mission, and it’s surprisingly good. But why keep this mechanic locked away in a mission deep in the DLC? Why not integrate it more into the main game ? 🤷🏼‍♂️

It’s yet another example of Cyberpunk doing something interesting, then immediately forgetting about it.

Choices, Endings, and Existential Dread

Let’s talk endings. Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t just have one or two oh no it has a portfolio of sad, ambiguous, or just plain depressing conclusions. And Phantom Liberty piles on with its own multi ending madness.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love games that offer player agency. But Cyberpunk overwhelms you with branching paths, many of which require you to replay a few hours of content to see what changes. And the emotional payoff ? Often lukewarm.

After finishing one ending, I sat there wondering, “Was that it ?” It didn’t feel like a resolution it felt like a shrug.

And Phantom Liberty ? The ending I got made me physically uncomfortable. That’s impressive storytelling, sure, but also not something I want to grind through four more times to see what else could’ve happened.

Love in the Time of Cyberimplants: Romance 101

Now let’s get a little spicy because no open world RPG is complete without a healthy dose of awkward flirting and side boob. Cyberpunk 2077 offers a handful of romanceable characters depending on your V’s gender and voice configuration, and while some of them are sweet, others are… let’s just say functional 😂

You’ve got:

Panam Palmer – The ride or die nomad queen who’s all sass, snark, and sniper rifles. (Only Available To Male V)

Judy Alvarez – Brain dance expert and soft hearted rebel, with a beautiful slow burn romance arc. (Only Available To Female V)

River Ward – Ex cop with a heart of gold and the world's most dad core missions. (Female V Only)

Kerry Eurodyne – Johnny Silverhand’s ex-bandmate and full time rockstar chaos gremlin. (Male V Only)

And yes, there are some flings too! rogue AIs, joytoys, rogue Rogue... you get the idea.

I Went with Panam, Obviously
From the minute I met Panam, I knew she was the one for V. Not just because she’s badass and beautiful (Though Duh), but because her entire storyline feels like a mini campaign inside the main game. You don’t just flirt you build trust. You fight beside her. You fix a tank together. You bond over dusty highways and fried wiring and family trauma.

And when that romance finally pays off? Let’s just say Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t pull any punches in the cinematic department. That tank scene 🥵 ? Iconic.

Panam’s route also gives you one of the more satisfying endings (This Is The Ending That I Picked) she genuinely feels like someone V could start over with, away from the noise of Night City. She’s your shot at a “normal” life, whatever that means in a cyberpunk dystopia.

Gunplay, Customization, and the Inventory from Hell

Let’s be honest the gunplay in Cyberpunk 2077 is serviceable. It’s not bad. It’s not amazing. It’s just… there. You shoot things. They die. Sometimes you shoot things and they don’t die because the bullet sponge factor is real.

Weapon customization is decent, but nowhere near Borderlands levels of fun. The smart weapons are cool until they glitch. The tech weapons feel futuristic until they jam mid fight. And melee ? Look, I tried going full katana. It lasted three fights before I went back to good ol’ headshots.

Also, whoever designed the inventory system clearly hates players. Sorting through endless clothes, guns, mods, and junk gets tedious fast.

Side Missions > Main Story. Most Of The Time

This is a pattern in CD Projekt Red games (The Witcher 3 Nailed This Too): the side quests are often better than the main storyline.

You’ve got gigs that spiral into deep character studies, one off encounters that tug at your emotions, and bizarre slice of life missions that add flavor to the world. Some of my favorite moments came from missions that had nothing to do with Johnny Silverhand or V’s crumbling consciousness.

Whether it’s helping a sentient vending machine find love or settling the score for a grieving mother. Cyberpunk’s best writing lives in the margins 🤌🏼

Johnny Silverhand: Rockstar or Roadblock?

Let’s talk about Keanu. His presence in this game is a double edged katana.

On one hand, he adds star power. His voice acting is mostly solid. And some of Johnny’s lines are actually pretty great. On the other hand, he’s often just… annoying ASF 😂 Popping in to monologue at the worst possible moments. Constantly undermining your decisions. Acting like he’s the protagonist of a completely different game.

By the time I hit Phantom Liberty, I was actively choosing dialogue options just to shut him up. Sorry, Keanu.

Why I Can’t Stop Playing (Even When I Want To)

Despite everything I’ve said the bugs, the weird pacing, the mechanical inconsistencies, I kept going back to Cyberpunk 2077. Why ?

Because there’s something magnetic about this game. It’s not perfect. It’s often frustrating. But it’s also bold. Stylish. Ambitious. It dares to do things most games wouldn’t even attempt, even if it stumbles along the way.

And once you get past the rough edges, you’ll find moments of brilliance. A late night ride through the city as moody synthwave plays. A decision that haunts you. A character who surprises you.

There’s something to love here. You just have to dig through the chrome plated chaos to find it.

Final Verdict: A Glorious Glitch Fest Worth Experiencing

If you asked me whether I’d recommend Cyberpunk 2077 (With Phantom Liberty) to a fellow gamer, my answer would be:

Yes, but prepare yourself 😂

Prepare for a world that doesn’t always work. For missions that might bug out. For moments that make you go “WOW” followed by moments that make you scream into the void.

But also prepare for one of the most visually striking, thematically ambitious, and narratively wild games you’ll ever play.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a beautiful, broken masterpiece. A game that’s constantly at war with itself. And somehow, that’s exactly what makes it memorable.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have three more endings to cry through. Or maybe I’ll just sit in my apartment, stare out the window, and listen to “I Really Want to Stay at Your House” for the 87th time.

Over to you, chooms. What did you think of the game ? Did you get the sad ending ? The weird one ? Or the one that made you rage quit? Hit the comments and let’s talk. Just… don’t compare it to The Last of Us. I beg you !

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