While those who own the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 will know that the mysterious Songbird calls V and grabs their attention with a promise to save their life, some players who are looking to be more immersed in the story will want to know when the right moment will be to actually start the expansion, providing V with a canon reason to go to Dogtown and enjoy the Phantom Liberty DLC without disrupting the base game's campaign structure. Below, players can find the best time to start Phantom Liberty to access Dogtown and potentially find a way to save V's life from the Relic.
Cyberpunk 2077: A Complete Guide to Johnny's Relationship
Becoming the best chooms with Johnny Silverhand isn't going to be easy, but knowing exactly what to say in every Cyberpunk 2077 mission will help.
Potential spoilers ahead for Cyberpunk 2077's base game campaign.
When's the Best Time to Start Phantom Liberty?
What's the Canon Time to Start Phantom Liberty in Cyberpunk 2077?
There are a few different approaches players can take to start Phantom Liberty. Players who are uninterested in making a more coherent narrative between the base game and the expansion's story should start Phantom Liberty before Nocturne Op55N1, which is the final Act Three mission. This will ensure that their V is the max level possible with some great endgame loot so that Dogtown, while still challenging, can feel a little easier, as there are new threats faced in this cut-off district of Night City that won't be a cakewalk for most players.
However, there are a few narrative approaches to think about when it comes to the canon and lore of Cyberpunk 2077. V has one goal in mind throughout their journey, and that's to keep their mind and body from being overwritten by the Relic, with Johnny Silverhand being the unwilling pilot that's phasing out V's soul. As such, there are two best times to start Phantom Liberty:
- Start Phantom Liberty after completing Chippin' In, an Act 3 mission with Johnny Silverhand that furthers the bond between V and the tapeworm in their head. This is arguably the best time to start Phantom Liberty for a few reasons. Firstly, this occurs when V is in the midst of Act 3, meaning V is running out of time and options, as all that's left is an invitation from Hanako Arasaka, which is almost certainly not to be trusted. Another reason is that after Chippin' In, Johnny and V become close friends. Taking this relationship into Phantom Liberty will help make their buddy-like dialogue and trust in the expansion feel more earned, and it's an opportunity to learn more about Johnny as the expansion progresses to show how far the duo has come since their first meeting in V's apartment.
- Start Phantom Liberty after Transmission, the final Voodoo Boys mission in Act 2. After exhausting all options with the Voodoo Boys and discovering the terrors that lurk beyond the Blackwall, V is given a new lead that could save their life thanks to Songbird's strange call. Venturing to Dogtown after the Voodoo Boys questline provides a canon motivation for risking it all, as V has just been left in the rain by the Voodoo Boys, so Songird might be the last hope.
Cyberpunk 2077
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
