Many gamers are well aware of Cyberpunk 2077's rather abysmal launch in 2020. The action RPG may have been one of the year's most anticipated releases, but the world of CP2077 was riddled with glitches, unbalanced combat, and more. However, if anything was to be learned from the situation, it's that CD Projekt Red knew exactly what it did wrong, and aimed to fix the problems rather than have the developers duck their heads in the sand in embarrassment.

Not only has CDPR worked to improve the title with updates, patches, and smaller bits of DLC, but 2023 has breathed new life into the game through the massive 2.0 update and the addition of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. These change how the game feels completely, and critics and fans alike seem to agree that CP2077 has never felt better to play than it does now. Yet, while Phantom Liberty makes up for what the base game lacked in many ways, it also picks up the slack on its rather lackluster opening.

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The Slow Start to Cyberpunk 2077

Just like many other action RPGs of its kind, Cyberpunk 2077 starts off with players being asked to create their own version of the game's protagonist, V. As part of this, they're allowed to choose their Lifepath background, which not only changes dialogue options throughout the game, but gives them three versions of a playable prologue. Each of these starting quests has its own impact on V's story, but they all lead to the same place as they introduce V to Jackie, an important NPC that plays a large role in the overall plot.

While it's great that player choice affects how Cyberpunk 2077 starts in such a way, these playable prologues leave much to be desired. As they all lead to the same place, cutting to the chase and summarizing V and Jackie's friendship with a montage at the very end, it feels like it pads out playtime as the prologue keeps players from experiencing the real story for quite a while into the game until V meets Dex.

How Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty DLC Stands Out Immediately

Those who have paid for Phantom Liberty now have the option to start an entirely new playthrough at the very beginning of the DLC. If they wish to jump straight into the action, all fans need to do is hit the "skip ahead to Phantom Liberty" button when starting a new game. This gets them right to where the first mission in the expansion, Dog Eat Dog, is available, which is the beginning of the rather lengthy quest to save President Rosalind Myers at the start of its story.

Once the DLC begins, fans are greeted with action-packed cinematic cutscenes that give clues and important details about the expansion's storyline that keep the player's attention far better than the Lifepath prologues might. To assist new players who don't unlock Dog Eat Dog normally, Johnny Silverhand will summarize the events of the story for newer players. Silverhand's recollection of the events helps keep Phantom Liberty accessible to new players, as key starting points of the plot are skipped in favor of having V start out at level 15.

Ultimately, it's up to players what they choose to do, but fans who have waited to pick up Cyberpunk 2077 to play Phantom Liberty will definitely need to weigh the pros and the cons of skipping straight to the DLC. On one hand, 11 hours of CP2077 are skipped to get players into the action immediately, and V starts out with pre-set perks and skills. On the other, Phantom Liberty's start is far better than the first few hours of the base game has to offer, and players can refund the stats used to build V up leading into the action. It's yet another player choice that helps shape the world of Night City, and now even Dogtown, at large that's completely up to fans.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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