The Best PC Games Of 2023 Leave a comment

A lot was riding on Phantom Liberty, the one expansion that Cyberpunk 2077 would get. It was an opportunity for developer CD Projekt Red to make good on unfulfilled promises left from the original release, but what it did with Phantom Liberty goes beyond rehabilitating a reputation.

It’s a standalone story about the faults of loyalty, complicated relationships caught in a web of politics, and how the pressures of a gruesome and cynical world put people in precarious, life-or-death situations. It posits itself as a spy-thriller with espionage smartly woven into the personal drama of new and returning characters. Along with the poignant and intimate storytelling are some of the best action setpieces in Cyberpunk 2077–especially with the revamped skill trees and cyberware from the 2.0 update, Phantom Liberty brings the best out of its gameplay systems and a greater synergy between the way you build V and the battles you face.

Idris Elba has a commanding presence as key character Solomon Reed, but it’s the story of Songbird that makes Phantom Liberty emotionally impactful. Regardless of which route you first choose for the ending, you’ll be hit with some wild revelations you’d never see coming–and so, it’s imperative that you see both routes. Phantom Liberty is an incredible 25-30-hour ride and a complete experience on its own, but it even gives you a new ending for the original game; if you’d been on the Cyberpunk journey all this time, it hits hard. This expansion is an achievement not just for Cyberpunk 2077, but for games as a medium.

While it may be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the PC version in particular sets a new bar for how impressive games can be visually. Playing at a stable 60fps in 4K thanks to DLSS and throwing in some ray tracing, if you have the hardware, elevates the already-incredible experience. Phantom Liberty is one of those games where graphical fidelity genuinely adds to the experience, making the rough streets of Dogtown and the up-close and personal conversations all the more striking.

In the GameSpot review of Phantom Liberty, I gave it top marks with a score of 10 and concluded, “Beneath the violence and edginess, the actual cyberpunk world is always going to be about the toll on human life, and Phantom Liberty largely understands that. It’s cruel, sobering, and bittersweet, and it’ll stick with you well after V lays down their weapons.” — Michael Higham