I kind of agree, which makes me sad that they don’t want to continue on with the game.
Hilarious_Disastrous
Yeah. Notice how you meet your clients in Hands’ gigs? They showed the story instead of telling it. Also the set pieces are much better written. Also the set pieces of gameplay are much better designed. The Chimera chase and Gate K9 are such an adrenaline rush. And that peek-a-boo with the murderbot in Cynosure? Five stars.
I just cannot believe how well done every part of it is… the gigs, the scenery, the backstory, it all just “makes sense”… I don’t think it makes the base game *worse* it just is so far beyond any other gaming experience out there, the base game included 😭😭
Edit, afterthought: the “stakes” just feel so high in the DLC, the base game just doesn’t feel like I’m “at risk” as much. Sure, there is risk you are supposed to assume as the player, but in Phantom Liberty I **feel** it, if that makes sense 🤷🏻♂️
TheUnum
I think the vast majority will agree.
AnimeGokuSolos
Hot take Song bird ending is better then Reeds
Lewornist
Hand mission were so fucking good
InDeathWeReturn
That is certainly an opinion
Not saying you are wrong, I just don’t agree because it was too much James Bond for me
deployingdecoy
I still prefer street kid stuff over spy thriller but I can’t argue that the expansion was way more fleshed out. If the entire game was as good as act 1 / had as much gigs and side stuff as Watson and Regina’s gigs then the base game would’ve been way better
Shtou
Not for me, since I greatly enjoyed almost immersive-sim-like freedom for problem solving which was achieved by great city design which bled into level design.
Dogtown is total contrast in this aspect. Most of new content is cinematic linear missions. Which are really good, yes, but only on first time.
That being said I play mostly for combat now, lol.
Murderboi
You can’t even compare it.. it’s like 2 different types of movies.. PL was a James Bond movie.. while the base game was more like 3 different stories somehow meshed into one.. this comes simply down to development.. base was messed up and PL was focused and coherent
VastAmoeba
The first act in the base game is phenomenal. Everything else was forced through to meet deadlines.
PL got the first act treatment.
Shengpai
True. Its literally like you’re playing a new game.
LegFederal7414
Nah
vain_oxide
It was so good I wish it was longer. Also just like how the base game always takes you back to the moment right before you speak to Hanako, I wish PL allowed you to start again at a certain mission before all the major decisions are made… i never got to explore all the other possible endings
Jojoangel684
A better loved DLC than base game is trademark CDPR at this point.
Witcher with Blood and Wine
Cyberpunk with Phantom Liberty
rover_G
I enjoyed the original main+side quests much more, but the PL gigs and side jobs are 100% better
UnfeteredOne
This is a good opinion, and I am inclined to agree
TripinTino
well that’s usually how it goes w expansions. they know what the fan base wants and implement it. look at base game witcher and blood and wine. witcher was great but blood and wine was fantastic
GulianoBanano
I’m glad you just said “Opinion” and didn’t call it a hot take like so many other people would
don_denti
But is it a hot take to say that I like the characters in the base game more?
And that kinda transition from Act I to Act 2 with the heist in the base game is something that they have to replicate again and again and again. It was incredible.
Spider1132
Phantom Liberty was definitely more polished, but the base game is still better. Size, variety of characters and stories and more relevant to V.
allnameistaken_
I wish the whole base game were like this… the pace is so much better
TalenTrippin
No. I get where you’re coming from though. I absolutely love phantom liberty but i personally think there were a lot of missed opportunities with it’s characters, storytelling, certain gameplay aspects and overall structure compared to base game. base game has far too many memorable moments, stronger characters overall and story beats that phantom liberty does not compete with imo
Your_Friendly_Nerd
Don’t think there’s anyone that’s gonna argue with you on that
TCE_Nomad
I agree, and it’s understandably so
HardCoreLawn
Yeah.
But it’s far easier to have sky high standard when it’s only a 20th the size of the base game and maybe 80% of the job for developers (game engine/ modelling/ mechanics, interface etc) was already completed.
**Edit:** Building the base game was the hard work. If you can make a third of the base game’s sales from a DLC that needs a tenth of the base games time to produce, then it’s a better investment than building a new game. Especially if it’s higher quality.
IMO, CDPR should have done at least 1 more smaller DLC before moving on. Even something simple, narrative, and lore focused that’s more cinematic than gameplay based.
Bad_User2077
Base game was better. Losing Jackie, betrayed by Dex, Peter pan, playing on stage with Samurai. All these moments were epic. And finish it by assaulting Arasaka tower.
27 Comments
I kind of agree, which makes me sad that they don’t want to continue on with the game.
Yeah. Notice how you meet your clients in Hands’ gigs? They showed the story instead of telling it. Also the set pieces are much better written. Also the set pieces of gameplay are much better designed. The Chimera chase and Gate K9 are such an adrenaline rush. And that peek-a-boo with the murderbot in Cynosure? Five stars.
Phantom Liberty is a masterpiece. I made this [edit](https://youtu.be/GDFr5Nl4xS4?si=_3i77AbaaKc3SYUl) to cope with my massive ending depression…
I just cannot believe how well done every part of it is… the gigs, the scenery, the backstory, it all just “makes sense”… I don’t think it makes the base game *worse* it just is so far beyond any other gaming experience out there, the base game included 😭😭
Edit, afterthought: the “stakes” just feel so high in the DLC, the base game just doesn’t feel like I’m “at risk” as much. Sure, there is risk you are supposed to assume as the player, but in Phantom Liberty I **feel** it, if that makes sense 🤷🏻♂️
I think the vast majority will agree.
Hot take Song bird ending is better then Reeds
Hand mission were so fucking good
That is certainly an opinion
Not saying you are wrong, I just don’t agree because it was too much James Bond for me
I still prefer street kid stuff over spy thriller but I can’t argue that the expansion was way more fleshed out. If the entire game was as good as act 1 / had as much gigs and side stuff as Watson and Regina’s gigs then the base game would’ve been way better
Not for me, since I greatly enjoyed almost immersive-sim-like freedom for problem solving which was achieved by great city design which bled into level design.
Dogtown is total contrast in this aspect. Most of new content is cinematic linear missions. Which are really good, yes, but only on first time.
That being said I play mostly for combat now, lol.
You can’t even compare it.. it’s like 2 different types of movies.. PL was a James Bond movie.. while the base game was more like 3 different stories somehow meshed into one.. this comes simply down to development.. base was messed up and PL was focused and coherent
The first act in the base game is phenomenal. Everything else was forced through to meet deadlines.
PL got the first act treatment.
True. Its literally like you’re playing a new game.
Nah
It was so good I wish it was longer. Also just like how the base game always takes you back to the moment right before you speak to Hanako, I wish PL allowed you to start again at a certain mission before all the major decisions are made… i never got to explore all the other possible endings
A better loved DLC than base game is trademark CDPR at this point.
Witcher with Blood and Wine
Cyberpunk with Phantom Liberty
I enjoyed the original main+side quests much more, but the PL gigs and side jobs are 100% better
This is a good opinion, and I am inclined to agree
well that’s usually how it goes w expansions. they know what the fan base wants and implement it. look at base game witcher and blood and wine. witcher was great but blood and wine was fantastic
I’m glad you just said “Opinion” and didn’t call it a hot take like so many other people would
But is it a hot take to say that I like the characters in the base game more?
And that kinda transition from Act I to Act 2 with the heist in the base game is something that they have to replicate again and again and again. It was incredible.
Phantom Liberty was definitely more polished, but the base game is still better. Size, variety of characters and stories and more relevant to V.
I wish the whole base game were like this… the pace is so much better
No. I get where you’re coming from though. I absolutely love phantom liberty but i personally think there were a lot of missed opportunities with it’s characters, storytelling, certain gameplay aspects and overall structure compared to base game. base game has far too many memorable moments, stronger characters overall and story beats that phantom liberty does not compete with imo
Don’t think there’s anyone that’s gonna argue with you on that
I agree, and it’s understandably so
Yeah.
But it’s far easier to have sky high standard when it’s only a 20th the size of the base game and maybe 80% of the job for developers (game engine/ modelling/ mechanics, interface etc) was already completed.
**Edit:** Building the base game was the hard work. If you can make a third of the base game’s sales from a DLC that needs a tenth of the base games time to produce, then it’s a better investment than building a new game. Especially if it’s higher quality.
IMO, CDPR should have done at least 1 more smaller DLC before moving on. Even something simple, narrative, and lore focused that’s more cinematic than gameplay based.
Base game was better. Losing Jackie, betrayed by Dex, Peter pan, playing on stage with Samurai. All these moments were epic. And finish it by assaulting Arasaka tower.
Base game is just better.