Warning: Spoilers ahead for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.Every story needs a few unlikely surprises to keep its audience on the edge of their seats, and sometimes, ditching the cliche plot armor expected to be granted to main characters does wonders for a tale’s popularity.Game of Throneswas already substantially influential for much of its debut season, but it wasn’t until the death of Ned Stark and the chillingRed Weddingthat the series became a cultural phenomenon, as the brutal executions showed that no character was safe inA Song of Ice and Fire. Naturally, video games followed suit, andCyberpunk 2077also imbibed the formula in its storytelling with a flurry of tragic demises to some of V’s closest allies. The latest update,Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, continues the trend from the base game, featuring deaths that hit close to home.
The initial launch ofCyberpunk 2077had little to write home about in terms of gaming experience, but the core story has always been a strength of the CD Projekt Red title. Death is Night City’s currency, and the protagonist isn’t guaranteed a happy ending to their travels either, as the chip inside their head is slowly killing them. The baseCyberpunk 2077saw notable characters like River Ward, Johnny Silverhand, and Jackie Welles lose their lives, andCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertycontinues the trend of V enduring painful losses in the name of character building, taking a page out ofGame of Thrones' ruthless playbook.
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Phantom Liberty Presents Players With a Hard Choice
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertycontinues to make waves in the gaming industry, posting massive sales numbers and bringing fans back to the title in troves after the disappointment of the initial launch. While the changes in performance and features are factors inCyberpunk 2077’s resurgence, the newNight City regionand the accompanying storyline have also drawn plaudits for its emotionally charged narrative. The base game could be grim at times, with several NPCs meeting unplanned ends due to their involvement with V. ThoughPhantom Libertypresents a reduced kill count, it places its few impactful deaths at the feet of its player base. While the base game featured a high overall kill count likeGame of Thrones, the DLC has utilized the other part ofGame of Thrones' successful formula by killing off important characters.
A choice system is the ultimate decider of who lives and dies inPhantom Liberty, and CD Projekt Red puts gamers between a rock and a hard place by making them pick sides.Siding with Solomon Reedleads to a chase of Songbird through the Blackwall and ends with So Mi begging V to end her life. Additionally, siding with Reed spells doom for Alex, as she is overwhelmed by Hansen and murdered by Kurt with Songbird’s help. On top of this, players must kill Kurt to get past him in pursuit of Songbird, making a total of three story deaths by choosing Reed. On the other hand, choosing to help Songbird escape only requires Reed’s demise, as he cuts off V’s escape route and demands the handover of So Mi.
Although the loss of life by siding with Songbird is significantly lesser than following Reed’s path, no decision is markedly better than the other. The main story ofCyberpunk 2077may have offered many NPC deaths, but for the most part, those characters dying didn’t hit too hard because of limited interactions between themselves and V, and the pre-determined nature of their demises. In the case ofPhantom Liberty, the main storyfeatures two characters who are more essential to driving the narrative than all others, and CD Projekt Red puts players in the driver’s seat to make the eliminating choice.
The memories players craft withCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’s main characters make it extra difficult to choose, and there is no morally right choice - evenJohnny Silverhandsays he has no idea what to do. However, there’s a way to keep both Songbird and Reed alive if players can’t decide between the two. The emotional investment inPhantom Libertyand the game’s willingness to kill off fan favorite characters is a typicalGame of Thronesplay, and one thatCyberpunk 2077and its DLC pull off perfectly.
Cyberpunk 2077:Phantom Libertyis available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
