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Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure role-playing game from CD PROJEKT RED. You play V, a mercenary in Night City whose attempt to steal a prototype implant turns into a fight for survival when the device begins overwriting V’s personality with that of Johnny Silverhand.
This guide explains the setting and spoiler-light premise, what the Phantom Liberty expansion adds, which edition and platform make sense for a new player, and the official PC hardware targets.
What is Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player, open-world action-adventure RPG developed and published by CD PROJEKT RED. It launched on December 10, 2020. Its world combines mercenary work, exploration, firearms, cyberware, character upgrades, relationships and branching decisions.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteYou control V, a customizable mercenary trying to build a reputation in Night City. The central job is a theft: V and allies target a unique experimental implant that the publisher describes as a key to immortality. When the heist fails, the prototype becomes embedded in V’s head. It is slowly rewriting V’s personality with Johnny Silverhand’s, creating the survival problem that drives the main story.
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- CREATE YOUR OWN CYBERPUNK: Become an urban outlaw equipped with cybernetic enhancements and build your legend on the streets of Night City. · EXPLORE THE CITY OF THE FUTURE: Night City is packed to the brim with things to do, places to see, and people to meet. And it’s up to you where to go, when to go, and how to get there.
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The game’s structure is deliberately broader than a sequence of missions. You can pursue the main plot, accept gigs from fixers, explore districts, meet characters, develop relationships and improve V’s abilities. Choices can affect the story and the people around V, although the exact consequences depend on the decisions you make.
Who makes Cyberpunk 2077?
CD PROJEKT RED, the Polish studio behind The Witcher series, developed Cyberpunk 2077. The company’s official overview and launch materials describe the game as a large open-world RPG set in a future shaped by corporate power, advanced technology and body modification.
What is Night City?
Night City is the game’s fictional megalopolis and the setting for both the base game and its expansion. The official game description presents a map that runs from the polished high-rises of Corpo Plaza to the Badlands outside the urban core.
A city built for different kinds of play
Districts are not simply visual backdrops. Their architecture, inhabitants and available work contribute to the tone of each activity. Dense city blocks provide one kind of environment, while the Badlands offer a more open landscape. You decide where to go and how to get there, then discover characters, secrets, jobs and optional encounters along the way.
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- THE ULTIMATE CYBERPUNK 2077 EXPERIENCE - Includes the critically acclaimed spy thriller expansion Phantom Liberty
- CREATE YOUR OWN CYBERPUNK
- Explore the city of the future – you decide when you want to go where and how to get there
- Decide how the story ends – your choices in the main game as well as in the spy thriller adventure Phantom Liberty lead to a complex web of consequences
What you do in Night City
- Main missions: Advance V’s conflict with the implant and the forces connected to it.
- Gigs: Take mercenary jobs that can be approached as stand-alone assignments or as parts of larger character threads.
- Side quests and relationships: Spend time with recurring characters and make choices that can influence later events.
- Exploration: Search districts for hidden locations, unmarked encounters and additional work.
- Character development: Install cyberware and select upgrades that support the way you want V to operate.
How the story works without spoilers
V begins as a mercenary pursuing a high-risk opportunity. The prototype implant’s effect turns that job into an immediate medical and personal crisis: V is alive, but the device is gradually replacing V’s identity with Johnny Silverhand’s. Johnny is therefore not just another character in the cast; he is directly entangled with V’s mind and future.
The story examines survival, identity, corporate control and the idea of preserving a person through technology. You do not need to know the endings to understand the premise. The important starting point is that every major decision takes place while V is trying to solve the implant problem and manage the consequences of the failed heist.
How gameplay and choices fit together
Build V around your preferred approach
Cyberware and other upgrades let you shape V’s capabilities over time. You can invest in a setup that suits direct combat, stealth, technical solutions or a mixture of approaches. The official game description emphasizes playstyle upgrades rather than requiring one fixed build, so experimentation is part of progression.
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Gigs, side quests and relationships are not merely filler between main missions. They introduce people, locations and decisions that expand the world around V. Because the game is choice-driven, two players can encounter different conversations, opportunities and consequences even when they begin from the same premise.
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Exploration is part of the campaign
Night City is designed for you to choose your route and priorities. You can follow the next objective, accept nearby mercenary work or deliberately explore another district. The open-world design means there is no single required order for every activity.
What is Phantom Liberty?
Phantom Liberty is a spy-thriller expansion set in Dogtown, a walled-off and dangerous district of Night City. V becomes involved with Solomon Reed, a NUSA secret agent, in a story built around political intrigue and shifting loyalties.
What the expansion adds
- A dedicated Dogtown setting and spy-thriller storyline.
- New gigs and side quests.
- Additional weapons and items.
- Replayable open-world activities.
- A dedicated Relic skill tree for additional character development.
At its launch, Game Director Gabe Amatangelo described the project this way: “Phantom Liberty is the culmination of years of hard work on the part of all of our teams.” That statement identifies the expansion as a substantial addition, but it does not predict how any individual player will experience its story or activities.
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Can a PS4 player use Phantom Liberty?
No. PlayStation states that the PS4 version’s last patch was released on November 8, 2022 and that the version is no longer supported. A PS5 is required for later patches and to buy and play Phantom Liberty on PlayStation.
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Which edition should a new player choose?
The practical choice is whether you want only the original campaign or the original campaign plus Phantom Liberty. The Ultimate Edition combines the base game and the expansion, making it the straightforward bundle for someone who intends to play both.
| Option | What it includes | Important checks |
|---|---|---|
| Base game | Cyberpunk 2077 and its Night City campaign | Does not include Phantom Liberty; confirm the platform version and current patch support. |
| Ultimate Edition | Base game plus Phantom Liberty | Confirm regional availability, physical or digital format, and the exact store listing. |
| Older PS4 copy | PS4 version of the base game | PS4 support ended with the November 8, 2022 last patch; it cannot provide the PS5-only expansion experience. |
CD PROJEKT RED announced a physical Ultimate Edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in select markets. PlayStation’s US store page lists a PS5 Ultimate Edition. Store pages are regional, so the edition name, contents, price, format and availability shown in one country may not apply elsewhere.
Where to start on each platform
PS5
- Choose the base game if you want to begin with the original campaign only.
- Choose the PS5 Ultimate Edition if you already expect to play Phantom Liberty.
- Check your local PlayStation listing for the current edition, language, format and included content before buying.
PS5 is the relevant PlayStation starting point for current patches and the expansion. A PS4 disc or download should not be treated as an equivalent substitute.
Xbox Series X|S
The announced physical Ultimate Edition covers Xbox Series X|S in select markets. Check the local Xbox listing for whether you are viewing the base game or the bundle and whether the format is physical or digital.
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- DISCOVER UPDATE 2.0: Experience new and overhauled gameplay mechanics to fulfill your wildest cyberpunk fantasies. The free Update 2.0 brings brand new ways to play Cyberpunk 2077, including totally redesigned perks and cyberware systems, pulsating vehicle combat and car chases, a revamped police system, enhanced enemy combat AI, and more
- CREATE YOUR OWN CYBERPUNK: Become an urban outlaw equipped with cybernetic enhancements and build your legend on the streets of Night City
- EXPLORE THE CITY: Night City is packed to the brim with things to do, places to see, and people to meet. And it’s up to you where to go, when to go, and how to get there
- BUILD YOUR LEGEND: Go on daring adventures and build relationships with unforgettable characters whose fates are shaped by the choices you make
PC
Start by deciding which performance target you want, then compare your hardware with the official Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty requirements. The minimum and recommended rows below are for non-ray-traced 1080p; ray tracing and higher resolutions require substantially more capable hardware.
| Target | Graphics hardware | Memory | Storage | Advertised result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum, 1080p non-ray-traced | GTX 1060 6 GB, Radeon RX 580 8 GB or Intel Arc A380 class | 12 GB RAM | 70 GB SSD | 30 frames per second target |
| Recommended, 1080p high non-ray-traced | RTX 2060 Super, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A770 class | 16 GB RAM | Not separately stated in the cited table | 60 frames per second target |
These are target tiers, not guarantees for every combination of processor, driver, operating-system configuration and in-game setting. Before buying or upgrading, consult CD PROJEKT RED’s current system-requirements table for ray tracing, higher resolutions and any later changes.
Cloud play
CD PROJEKT RED’s 2023 Phantom Liberty launch announcement named GeForce NOW as one PC access channel. That announcement is historical; it is not a guarantee of current service support, storefront compatibility or availability in your region. Verify those details directly before relying on cloud play.
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How long does it take to finish Cyberpunk 2077?
PlayStation’s official FAQ gives an estimate of between 20 and 30 hours to complete one storyline. The page does not identify an underlying study or date for that estimate, so treat it as the FAQ’s guidance rather than an independently validated average.
Your total time can be longer because the game includes optional gigs, side quests, relationships, exploration and upgrade systems. A player who follows the main storyline closely will have a different schedule from someone who explores districts and completes optional character arcs. Phantom Liberty adds its own campaign and side content on top of the base game.
A practical first-playthrough plan
- Pick the supported platform. On PlayStation, choose PS5 if you want current patches or Phantom Liberty. On PC, verify the hardware tier before purchase.
- Decide on the edition. Select the base game for the original campaign alone or Ultimate Edition for the base game and expansion together.
- Play the opening before optimizing everything. The early missions establish V, Johnny and the implant problem; you can refine your upgrade choices as you learn which approach feels natural.
- Mix main missions with optional work. Gigs and side quests provide additional context and let you test different cyberware and combat approaches.
- Keep manual saves before major decisions. Choices can change later conversations and opportunities, so separate saves are useful when you want to explore another path without discarding your current one.
- Start Dogtown when you are ready for the expansion’s tone. Phantom Liberty is a spy-thriller story with its own political conflicts, characters and Relic progression rather than simply another set of ordinary gigs.
Common buying mistakes to avoid
- Buying the PS4 version expecting the expansion: the PS4 edition is unsupported and cannot provide the PS5-only Phantom Liberty experience.
- Assuming every store listing is identical: region, format, price and bundle contents vary, especially for physical releases announced only in select markets.
- Judging PC suitability from resolution alone: ray tracing and higher resolutions have different requirements from the 1080p non-ray-traced targets.
- Expecting one fixed route through the story: the open-world structure lets you choose jobs, destinations and relationships, so different playthroughs can diverge.
- Confusing a completion estimate with a total-content guarantee: the 20-to-30-hour figure is PlayStation’s estimate for one storyline, not a promise that all side content fits inside that window.
Bottom line
Cyberpunk 2077 is best understood as V’s survival story inside a choice-driven open world. Night City supplies the districts, characters and mercenary work; the implant and Johnny Silverhand supply the central personal conflict. For a new player who wants the complete current PlayStation experience, a PS5 copy that includes Phantom Liberty is the simplest starting point. On PC, make the purchase decision from the official performance tier that matches your resolution and graphics goals.
Quick Recap
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