The epitome of almost everything wrong with the modern video game industry. The release of Overwatch 2 amounted to a glorified balance patch, leaving the game watered-down and devoid of what made 2016 Overwatch as addictive and charming as it once was, robbing everyone of the option to ever return to it.

Ultimately, all of this was for the inclusion of an incredibly predatory monetisation system which stripped out any sense of progression, locking basic cosmetics and even future playable characters behind egregious paywalls and time gates. Any fun to be had as a casual player was diminished thanks to the overadjustments made to character and team balance, simply to pander to the minority that is the competitive crowd. I feel bad for the developers, because there is clearly passion behind aspects such as the visual and audio design, but everything surrounding it radiates one of the most greedy, disdainful auras in video games today. Not to mention the pre-release lies about the delivery of full scale PvE content - the entire reason Overwatch 2 was supposed to have been conceived in the first place. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Overwatch.

Great news for Source Filmmaker enthusiasts though.

Phantom Liberty's release marked a considerable turnaround for a game that notoriously underdelivered and was vastly undercooked. With the addition of the gameplay systems overhaul making up Update 2.0 dropping alongside the expansion, as well as the past consecutive major updates, Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably in the state it should have been at launch. I personally waited for the expansion and updates to arrive three years after the fact, and so I admittedly have a bias towards the game in its current state.

What Phantom Liberty itself brings to the table is a rich, engaging plot with believable and charismatic characters, intrinsic flaws and all. The moment-to-moment thrills and setpieces of the main story will have you eager to find out what happens next, leaving you unsure of which characters you can truly place your trust in. Within the opening hours of the expansion, you will arguably find yourself in situations rivalling if not surpassing the highest points from the base game. Each and every new gig is varied and adds further depth to the overarching narrative, with not a single piece of side content deserving to be slept on. The setting of Dogtown is also a visual and audio treat, delivering some of the most immersive sights and vistas I've personally experienced in a game in recent memory. This expansion hits hard on every level, and there's no doubt that the dilemmas Phantom Liberty faces you with, and their consequences, will stick with you long after you have seen the credits roll.

The world of Night City is a beautifully crafted web which desperately deserves to be further explored with an unshaken development cycle. While the open world itself is fairly unremarkable in its content, it's the writing, characters, and pure style and attention to detail which truly elevate it to another level. I can only hope CD Projekt Red will continue to build upon the strengths of both the base game and Phantom Liberty with Project Orion in the future.

Idris Elba is best girl.