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In Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, I feel like I'm in a scene plucked from Casino Royale. I descend down the swanky, gilded stairs that lead down to a glitzy party at the top of the Black Sapphire, a towering skyscraper open only to the social elite of Dogtown. Serving as a fortress for Barghest leader and big shot Kurt Hansen, I didn't exactly get invited to this soiree, but since I'm dressed to the nines in a fancy suit, I fit right in with the glamorous crowd. Glittering lights frame a golden stage that sits at the center of an open nightclub of sorts, with bars dotted around, and roulette tables nestled in the back of the complex. I walk up to a server and pluck a flute of champagne from their tray, knocking back the fizzy nectar before I start to walk around and eavesdrop on some of the partygoers.
Every now and then I report some intel to Soloman Reed, aka Idris Elba, who stands nearby watching over the floor. It's at this exclusive shindig that I feel like the DLC has truly transformed Cyberpunk 2077 into the spy RPG I've been yearning for.
You know my name
The spy vibes are only helped by the many clandestine objectives I've had to complete to reach the Black Sapphire - from swimming through a flooded tunnel in a covert diving suit, to guiding Reed through enemies from the scope of a sniper. Then, when I look out over the stage after meeting with Songbird and watch Lizzy Wizzy perform Delicate Weapon, it feels like I've entered another world, far removed from the violent, dangerous streets of Dogtown and my merc lifestyle. Instead, I've become an undercover secret agent caught up in the shady dealings of the higher powers and the vices of the district. I end up enjoying myself so much during this mission that I keep wanting to revisit it in other saves just to recapture the spy RPG experience it delivers.
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Phantom Liberty didn't change my mind about the best Cyberpunk 2077 ending
It's no wonder I think of Casino Royale as I immerse myself in the Black Sapphire. Not only does the mission actually involve a roulette table, but the mission in question is actually called You Know My Name, which seems to be a direct reference to the Chris Cornell song for the 2006 Bond movie. The casino-shaped objective is by far my favorite, since it sees you place bets at a roulette table as you try to collect data on twin netrunners to essentially steal their identities. Just before I head over, Solomon briefs me by the bar, and the rundown immerses me in the role of a god-honest secret agent who's about to get to work. But it's only when I try to smooth talk the pair and get them to say as much as possible, placing bets on the roulette table between conversation beats all the while, that I feel like I've really become a suave undercover spy.
As a huge fan of detective games and movies, I'm always on the lookout for more games like LA Noire. In the lead up to release last year, I had hoped Phantom Liberty's billing as a spy-thriller would scratch this particular gumshoe itch of mine. Heck, I even tried to replay the base game as a hardboiled detective. While the DLC overall throws you into more action and asks you to decide if you can really trust anyone in the seedy underbelly of Dogtown, the You Know My Name mission has really satisfied my hunger for spy-shaped experiences. From the minute Alex – an FIA agent with ties to Reed – pointed me to a briefcase with a silencer pistol and asked how I felt about getting all dressed up, I knew I was about to sink my teeth into just the kind of experience I'd been looking for.
I've already played through the mission twice, and I absolutely know I'll find myself descending down those glitzy stairs in the Black Sapphire whenever I want to relive my spy RPG fantasy all over again.
