This review contains spoilers
Currently going through a Cyberpunk playthrough for the first time with no real context for Cyberpunk's history or CDPR's other outputs such as The Witcher 3, Phantom Liberty's high acclaim as well as wanting to get fully into CRPGs like this tempted me with sweet words to embrace it and enter the world of Night City. I'm still not done, but I did instantly jump into Phantom Liberty's story the second and purely focused on it as much as I could. The rest of the game's... fine, I'll finish it up right after but I won't focus too much on that. I mostly want to talk about Phantom Liberty in a sort of ramble-y way since I just finished it and was basically entirely thinking about it during my shift before I did the final mission.
Phantom Liberty's entire thesis statement is localized entirely in its name. Phantom; a ghost. A figment of the imagination. Like an illusion you see for a split second, the little white noise in your eyes. Liberty. The "american ideal". The thirst for pure freedom of options, for us to do what we want with no constraints. Presenting us with that deep-seated desire, but as fleeting wants that don't transpire is what this expansion is all about; wanting to escape a past that you never manage to outrun.
Dogtown is defined by its past, entirely dependant on its militaristic society to prevent itself collapsing to the outside world. Reed is haunted by guilt of lying to Alex, and wanting to reconnect with So Mi, the spectres of the men who died alongside him haunting him. Alex can't help but have pure hate for Reed, but it is a hurdle that Reed attempts to bypass in a "getting the gang back together" sense. And So Mi.
Man.
So Mi is... she's hard to describe. But that's not a negative. In fact, it's the best part of Phantom Liberty. So Mi is selfish. She's utterly narcissistic and preoccupied entirely with her survival; and you can't blame her. Of course she'd be like that; she can't trust Reed with his status as an FIA agent. Of course she can't trust Myers, who she knows only wants her for her ability with the Blackwall. She can't trust anyone to not want her for some secret want. She can't trust you. She never does. But that's what makes her ending so good.
She doesn't trust you, but you sure as hell trust her. You want to stick by her. You want to help her live because it means you'll live. It's a pure, selfish desire alongside So Mi's that reflects perfectly as parallels who crossed over. And when it's revealed the Matrix can only save one of them? It's no exaggeration that Phantom Liberty's complicated web of relationships, trust and betrayals truly shines in the faceoff with Reed. Do you let your anger abandon So Mi? Do you, despite her lies, want to help her? That's the thing: it's empathy that wins out! You see yourself in So Mi! Who cares if she betrays you and lies to you; no wonder she is! Who wouldn't? It's perfect bait, a perfect pawn that becomes an extremely necessary ally, and a savior who becomes someone important to you and who you want to save because she matters to you!
So Mi and V's relationship is an amazing way of bouncing off of this conflict. Phantom Liberty is an amazing expansion for making such a complicated web work out in such an exceedingly perfect way. But for me? Despite everything, I'd still put all my coins to So Mi. It's fine if she betrays me. I want her to live. I see how she suffers because of her past, and how that is me. And I want her to get that relief, because I sure as hell am gonna try to get it for myself.
Phantom Liberty's entire thesis statement is localized entirely in its name. Phantom; a ghost. A figment of the imagination. Like an illusion you see for a split second, the little white noise in your eyes. Liberty. The "american ideal". The thirst for pure freedom of options, for us to do what we want with no constraints. Presenting us with that deep-seated desire, but as fleeting wants that don't transpire is what this expansion is all about; wanting to escape a past that you never manage to outrun.
Dogtown is defined by its past, entirely dependant on its militaristic society to prevent itself collapsing to the outside world. Reed is haunted by guilt of lying to Alex, and wanting to reconnect with So Mi, the spectres of the men who died alongside him haunting him. Alex can't help but have pure hate for Reed, but it is a hurdle that Reed attempts to bypass in a "getting the gang back together" sense. And So Mi.
Man.
So Mi is... she's hard to describe. But that's not a negative. In fact, it's the best part of Phantom Liberty. So Mi is selfish. She's utterly narcissistic and preoccupied entirely with her survival; and you can't blame her. Of course she'd be like that; she can't trust Reed with his status as an FIA agent. Of course she can't trust Myers, who she knows only wants her for her ability with the Blackwall. She can't trust anyone to not want her for some secret want. She can't trust you. She never does. But that's what makes her ending so good.
She doesn't trust you, but you sure as hell trust her. You want to stick by her. You want to help her live because it means you'll live. It's a pure, selfish desire alongside So Mi's that reflects perfectly as parallels who crossed over. And when it's revealed the Matrix can only save one of them? It's no exaggeration that Phantom Liberty's complicated web of relationships, trust and betrayals truly shines in the faceoff with Reed. Do you let your anger abandon So Mi? Do you, despite her lies, want to help her? That's the thing: it's empathy that wins out! You see yourself in So Mi! Who cares if she betrays you and lies to you; no wonder she is! Who wouldn't? It's perfect bait, a perfect pawn that becomes an extremely necessary ally, and a savior who becomes someone important to you and who you want to save because she matters to you!
So Mi and V's relationship is an amazing way of bouncing off of this conflict. Phantom Liberty is an amazing expansion for making such a complicated web work out in such an exceedingly perfect way. But for me? Despite everything, I'd still put all my coins to So Mi. It's fine if she betrays me. I want her to live. I see how she suffers because of her past, and how that is me. And I want her to get that relief, because I sure as hell am gonna try to get it for myself.