I finished Phantom Liberty several days ago and wanted to share some thoughts on this stunning DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 — which, apparently, will be the first and last we’ll see for this title. I have a few scattered reflections to share… so let’s try to go in order… All spoiler-free, I promise!

The Best Place to Enjoy Night City

The first important thing that deserves a moment of reflection is the platform on which I played this title. This was, in fact, the first time I played a title completely via streaming on GeForce Now. It wasn’t the first time I’d used Nvidia’s streaming platform — you’ll find other articles on this blog about past comparative tests. But it was the first time I decided to start and finish a title completely on this platform. Yes, it’s a DLC, not a full title… but you get the idea. The reason is fairly simple… my RTX 2080 is starting to be pushed quite hard by such demanding titles when playing in 2K. Let’s say that sometimes, unfortunately, it also gets overwhelmed and forces me into annoying graphical compromises just to maintain a barely decent frame rate.
But that’s not how you should play a title like this, in my opinion. Personally, I’m for keeping settings high… “Ultra” if possible — because that’s how these titles were conceived by those who created them. That’s how the work itself was intended by its authors and that’s how I want to experience it… at least as long as my wallet allows.
Dropping settings too low always leaves me with a bitter taste… as if I were ruining the experience. A bit like finding yourself having to watch your favourite film on an old, broken television. Why do it? Nobody would want to.
Unfortunately, though, graphics card prices have risen… and significantly. At the time I paid around €700 for my 2080 (and it already seemed like a lot…)… today, to buy the new equivalent tier (an RTX 4080), you need almost double. Not for me, or at least not within my budget… I have other expenses.
So I thought… “why not buy a month of GeForce Now Ultra subscription for €20, which provides a shiny RTX 4080 via streaming, 2K resolution and high frame rate? Let’s try it!”
The result, let me say immediately, was truly very satisfying… in fact… really excellent.
With the support of my home FTTH connection and playing exclusively on PC with a wired connection, GeForce Now gave its absolute best. Imperceptible latency, no graphical artefacts, incredible smoothness….. In 4 words: Just-Like-Playing-Locally.
In fact… much, much better. Because I’ve never come close to that kind of frame rate in Ultra with my 2080 on Cyberpunk… not even when my card was recent.
So the first reflection I want to share is this: GeForce Now — full marks. With a small payment to play at this level, you don’t have to give up anything…. even if you can’t afford to buy the latest graphics card. Sure…..excluding those €20 for the streaming service. But I made sure to get every last cent out of them. Then I cancelled the service. I’ll reactivate it and start paying again when I have other demanding titles to play.

Phantom Liberty… the Meaning of “Phantom Freedom”

Here we enter spoiler territory but as I said I’ll try not to give any away. Let’s just say that the title is fully delivered upon, in all possible endings. With some patience, I reached them all.
In the end, in every case, it leaves that bittersweet taste of pleasure but melancholic dissatisfaction that is typical of Cyberpunk stories. There are never real winners, only people who survive… or fail to. And in the end the sprawling city swallows everyone… in the best case just some of them. Here the concept expands further because you’ll also have to deal with the government… with the concept of freedom and that of duty. It will be up to you to make your choices.
But the title already hints that freedom is only a phantom…. and this will at certain moments truly make you reflect, perhaps asking yourself how much of this is real for us living in our own time. Nothing? Something? …Everything? It’s up to you to find your own answer.

Graphical Issues, Bugs and Criticism

These are the last aspects on which I’d like to share a reflection.
But how many people ruin their own experience by focusing too much on these things? Many… too many in my opinion.
Are there bugs? Yes, there are.
Does the game have flaws? Yes, many.
Is the criticism justified? Of course… everyone has the right to their own opinion.
But the game is GOOD. The plot is engaging… the story will leave you reflecting, you’ll have plenty of questions about the characters…. and you absolutely must play all the alternate endings. Because it’s worth it.
There are particular branching points that will develop the story in a completely different way: save your game and return to them once you’ve finished. You won’t regret it.
Because in the end it will be like having read different books… and believe me, it’s worth it.

Verdict?

I’m not one for numbers and rankings… who am I to pass judgement on the work of so many people? What I can tell you, though, is that I enjoyed it… and the fact that I’m here writing about it confirms that. Money well spent… including the extra “contribution” for a spin on an RTX 4080. Is it the best game I’ve ever played? No, it isn’t.
But I leave Night City again satisfied and with that sense of dissatisfaction and melancholy that only well-told stories and well-crafted works can leave you with.

I couldn’t have asked for more.