Parents' Guide to Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Game Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Windows 2023
The cover art for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, showing a female "Protagonist V," one of the central characters in the game. She is holding a futurist gun.

Common Sense Media Review

Marc Saltzman By Marc Saltzman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 18+

Fun add-on to Cyberpunk 2077; violence and mature themes.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 18+?

Any Positive Content?

  • One of the "Protagonist V" heroes of the game is pictured here. The photo is a close-up look at the young black man's face, with small electronic circuits along the sides of his temples and cheek (to suggest he's "modified").
  • An action scene from Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, with someone exchanging fire between a futuristic sports car and a police officer leaning out of the back of a cruiser.
  • A scene from the game, with a person on a motorcycle exchanging gunfire with someone in a futuristic car.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

 

 

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age 16+

Based on 2 kid reviews

 

 

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What's It About?

The first official expansion pack to Cyberpunk 2077 adds a new storyline to the gritty, futuristic first-person role-playing game. In CYBERPUNK 2077: PHANTOM LIBERTY you once again play as a cyberpunk mercenary named V -- a character you can fully customize -- but the single-player adventure now delves into the world of spies, and adds a fresh district in Night City (Dogtown), new characters (and familiar faces), assignments and side quests, boss fights, and bonus weapons and items (vehicles, apparel, cyberware, and more). Like the main game Cyberpunk 2077, this is an open-world that encourages exploration and interaction. Created by CD PROJEKT RED (also of The Witcher fame), you'll work with NUSA (New United States of America) secret agent Solomon Reed (voiced by actor Idris Elba) as well as NUSA intelligence operative Songbird (a.k.a. Song So Mi). In fact, Songbird, whom you'll interact with first in the game, provides intelligence on what's happening in this very dangerous part of town. You'll learn about the mysterious Space Force One crash and disappearance of President Rosalind Myers, if it's tied to the Barghest private army (under the control of warlord Kurt Hansen), and what else may be at play here. (And yes, Keanu Reeves' character is still in this game, too.) The single-player DLC (downloadable content), which costs $29 by self (or as part of a bundle with the main game), looks and plays similarly between all three versions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say ( 2 ):

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a thoughtfully conceived and craftily executed addition to the main Cyberpunk 2077 storyline. If you like Cyberpunk 2077 -- especially after developer CD PROJEKT RED addressed many of the bugs that plagued the game when it first debuted in 2020 -- you'll no doubt love this new sub story within the same universe, packed with future spies and double-agents, a dark storyline, well acted performances, and intense first-person action. Between its superb new story and side missions, the new content could take about 20 hours to finish, which is a lot of meat for hungry players waiting for another reason to pick up Cyberpunk 2077. Without giving too much away, there are decisions that need to be made, which will lead to multiple endings one of which adds a major twist to the main game, extending the playtime even further (tip: remember to save the game before making any big decisions). The on-foot and in-vehicle action is complimented by the deep spy premise, futuristic tools at your disposal (like changing your appearance to evade enemies), Mission Impossible-like reconnaissance tasks, deeper skill tree, well-written dialogue and impressive performances. And much like the main game, the graphics are gorgeous. Phantom Liberty will be familiar to those who've played Cyberpunk 2077, but some of the initial issues with this ambitious adventure remain, including some technical glitches (freezes and other bugs, like inexplicably falling through the floor of a hotel elevator), and a bit of a clunky interface (especially when you're in the middle of a heated scenario and need to change things up within a second or two). Overall, Phantom Liberty is an excellent addition to Cyberpunk 2077.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the mature content in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Does it add to the appeal or would the game be just as much fun without it? Do players really want this adult content in an interactive adventure?

  • Parents concerned with adult themes found in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and other "Mature"-rated titles should bookmark Common Sense Media to review best practices in handling this kind of content for younger family members.

  • In this game your character can do drugs and drink, even allowing you to drink and drive. How is this message problematic? Does it show the actual consequences of these actions? Talk about some ways you can discuss and deal with drinking and smoking in video games.

Game Details

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The cover art for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, showing a female "Protagonist V," one of the central characters in the game. She is holding a futurist gun.

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