Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty finally makes me feel like the cyber ninja I always wanted to be
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is here with the 2.0 update, reinventing the game’s progression again. The new skill trees present are Cyberpunk 2077‘s second overhaul after the 1.5 update initially changed them.
Seeing Cyberpunk 2077‘s evolution is remarkable as someone who stuck with it since its disastrous launch. I revisited it often to see the new inclusions, slowly transforming Cyberpunk 2077 into a comfort game. Night City’s streets and back alleys slowly burned into my memory as I drove across the neon-lit cityscapes, taking on gigs and taking a different route in the story.
Adding onto this comfortable vibe, I almost always attempted the same build. I went into Cyberpunk 2077 to be a cyber ninja. From launch day to now, I wanted to primarily toss away guns to be a slick lesbian who throws knives before closing the distance with a sword. I sometimes indulged in netrunning, but that was never my primary goal.
If I repeat a build in a game, it typically feels incredibly similar to the previous attempt. Maybe some tweaks with a perk here and there, but never anything drastically different. Cyberpunk 2077 is different because each cyber ninja build made me feel like I was playing a way better game.
Being a cyborg ninja before 1.5 was a tad rough
To say I made many concessions with my first cyber ninja would be an understatement. Swords were still usable and pretty cool, but knives were fatally flawed. Throwing knives is an option like with the current version, but only after choosing the Dagger Dealer perk. This isn’t an issue, but its usefulness vanishes as soon as I have to awkwardly pick my knife back up from a corpse.
Again, this isn’t an issue if knives were a consumable resource, but they weren’t! Throwing a knife just removed it from the three weapon slots available! This meant staying true to my aspirations involved sifting through menus after throwing a couple of knives and carrying a bunch with me. Again, either that or trying to get my knife back from an enemy.
This was insulting. My dreams vanished like a shinobi with optical camo there and then. I was made to use technology popularized after the 17th century, and it hurt.
Messing about Night City had its moments still. To compensate for the lack of throwing knives, I primarily hacked enemies as my long-range attack with a pistol and assault rifle as backups. A hacker/ninja combo was cool and efficient, if far from my original idea.
I finished Cyberpunk 2077, enjoying my time but overall underwhelmed. It crashed constantly, and bugs swarmed Night City, so I moved on to other games.
Cyberpunk 2077 was a fine game with some beautiful scenes, but it didn’t live up to a decade of hype. I tolerated this unstable mess because I love jank, but I was still burned. This was a lesson in hype, and I figured a comeback story wasn’t in the books since it was a single-player game and people move on quickly.
Update 1.5 transformed me into Night City’s silent killer
Cyberpunk 2077‘s 1.5 update, otherwise known as the next-gen update, was always going to reel me in. My PS5 lacked many games native to it, and I figured to see what CD Projekt Red fixed. It was around here that I grew to love Cyberpunk 2077.
The visuals for instance received a noticeable overhaul. Night City was less flat and came more to life, especially after sundown, and I indulged in the photo mode. There was also new content including apartments and missions, and the perks system was overhauled.
What I wanted to see most is if throwing knives still sucked, and they didn’t! Guns no longer restricted me as I could return as a full-blown cyber ninja. My body may have the latest technology, but not what I held in my hands.
As my skills improved, I began juggling knives with ease. Most fell beneath my feet with a quick throw to the head, and chaos reigned as my expert netrunning skills whittled numbers before I entered the hostile area. This build was safe even if it prevented me from experimenting with things like the time-slowing Sandevistan.
This was how the game should have launched, I thought to myself. Bugs persisted, but this resembled the game I wanted it to be. It only took a year, but I let myself divulge in Night City’s splendor before cutting through thugs as if they were butter.
I played on and off throughout 2022 and even watched Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, an awesome show in its own right. A new expansion being announced still surprised me, but I was back on board with Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 made me Night City’s explosive phantom
It was another year before I returned to Cyberpunk 2077 in anticipation of its expansion and latest update. If the 1.5 update was to fix what was there, 2.0 gutted everything and replaced the foundation with something better.
Progression is where this new foundation is most evident. Reworked cyberware and no randomization of loot somehow streamline progression while still adding depth. I am now considering what enhancements suit my character’s build while forming an attachment to my gear.
The cherry on top of this bloody sundae is the overhauled skill trees. Things like crafting tiers and throwing knives are not tied to perks, opening up space for interesting options to take their place.
I naturally made my character another cyber ninja to see how she differs. Her playstyle still deviates from my original concept in 2020, but for once it’s by design rather than restriction.
With stats split between Cool, Reflexes, and Technical Ability, my latest ninja can work as quietly or loudly as she needs to. Her primary weapons are still her trusty sword and knife, but a firearm is always by her side if needed.
She also has several hidden tricks, one being her trusty Sandevistan, which saved my life numerous times. The same goes for her Projectile Launch System, an arm cannon that works great in a pinch.
The best part of this latest build is undoubtedly the air dash. Dashing on the ground is awesome, but air dashing has her gliding across the sky. Combining these with powerful throwing knives and the Sandevistan makes for a build that eviscerates groups before anyone’s reflexes kick in.
After three years, my V has become a soul made of rage and fear. She can be everywhere like a ghost and is now truly a thing of beauty.
More Stories by Andrea Gonzalez
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