When to p(l)ay the DLC

[Based Jar Jar Enjoyer]

As someone who hasn't played Cyberpunk yet, is the DLC something to be played after completing the main game? Or does it come somewhere in between or along the campaign?

Questioning whether the bundle is the best option, or whether I can just pay and play the main game, and get the DLC later if I enjoyed the main game.

[SHADOWSTORM]

Originally posted by Based Jar Jar Enjoyer:

As someone who hasn't played Cyberpunk yet, is the DLC something to be played after completing the main game? Or does it come somewhere in between or along the campaign?

Questioning whether the bundle is the best option, or whether I can just pay and play the main game, and get the DLC later if I enjoyed the main game.

after main story completion

[Grubbs008]

Originally posted by Based Jar Jar Enjoyer:

As someone who hasn't played Cyberpunk yet, is the DLC something to be played after completing the main game? Or does it come somewhere in between or along the campaign?

Questioning whether the bundle is the best option, or whether I can just pay and play the main game, and get the DLC later if I enjoyed the main game.

The DLC is better then the main story imo. It opens once you finish a specific story line in the game. You don't need to complete the entire story to play it. It makes more sense to do it part way through.

[SirKingJof]

You can play it once you've finished the main story if you wish but i'd say that's not intended.
It unlocks pretty deep in to the main story and it fits in to the main story hook.

[Based Jar Jar Enjoyer]

Thanks for the replies, all!

[GamingWithSilvertail]

Personally I start dlc at max level.

[Willow Rivers]

I do the DLC as soon as it unlocks. It integrates in with the main game nicely after you deal with the Voodoo boys.

[tbloyzz]

I always rush to the DLC, because it provides access to better gear and some additional content. However, this means you will be around level 20 and you will not be able to succeed on very hard difficulty or at least I cannot imagine that. If you are not prepared to temporary down your difficulty, you should probably do the DLC rather late or at least later.

[Mentally Unstable]

When you start a new game, you even get a quest that is specifically for starting phantom liberty and it states what you need to complete first before you can even access it. I guess that's the moment that the devs intend for us to start playing it.

[Bjørn]

Also, if you start a new game while having the DLC installed, there is an option to start a new game where you're already lvl 15 (I think), and with the required missions to start the DLC already completed.

I haven't tried this myself, and it's of course not recommended to do this if you're playing the game for the first time.

Also, I suspect it would be quite hard to do the intro missions for Phantom Liberty at lvl 15, but... I usually wait until I'm lvl 40-50+ before starting it.

[yahboi1988]

You can start the DLC pretty early in act 2. I suggest waiting until you're about level 35-45 to start it for the best experience. With the main game and DLC combined you will hit max level way before you run out of content.

[Tokenn]

There is a natural branching point in the main game that takes you into the Phantom Liberty EXPANSION. After you get through the intro quest of PL, you can move back and forth between the main game and the expansion seamlessly. PL has its own unique ending, but depending on choices you make, you may be shunted back into the main game to complete the original ending(s).

In short...buy them both, play the game...see what happens. It's a heck of a ride.

[The Yeen Queen]

Originally posted by Shadowstorm:

Originally posted by Based Jar Jar Enjoyer:

As someone who hasn't played Cyberpunk yet, is the DLC something to be played after completing the main game? Or does it come somewhere in between or along the campaign?

Questioning whether the bundle is the best option, or whether I can just pay and play the main game, and get the DLC later if I enjoyed the main game.

after main story completion

Err. No. Because main story completion is the end of the game. There is no "after game" play. Credits roll, game over. Unless you mean to do it right before the "point of no return" in the main game. But that's not "after main story completion", that's right before main story completion.

Phantom Liberty can be done at any point after you do the Voodoo Boys mission in Pacifica, and likely best to weave into the middle of the story.

[Edmund Greyfox]

It fits in naturally right after you've completed the quest line that takes you to the VD boys looking for a cure. In fact you get a call giving you the starting PL quest as soon as you walk out of the VD boys chapel. For me that tends to be level 25-30, but i spend a fair amount of time doing NCPD calls and local gigs at the beginning of act 2 before i start into the main quest lines.

[cinchona]

Originally posted by The Yeen Queen:

Originally posted by Shadowstorm:

after main story completion

Err. No. Because main story completion is the end of the game. There is no "after game" play. Credits roll, game over. Unless you mean to do it right before the "point of no return" in the main game. But that's not "after main story completion", that's right before main story completion.

Phantom Liberty can be done at any point after you do the Voodoo Boys mission in Pacifica, and likely best to weave into the middle of the story.

I actually completed the game, tonight. After the ending credits, it asked me if I wanted to go back to the main menu, or continue on for "one last gig." Now I'm back in the game and I got a few rewards for completing the main story. I also noticed that I can do PL now, so tat's what I'm going to do.

[Mewsha]

Something a lot of people don't tell you when this question is asked is that there are appearances of characters in the base game in the DLC, so I'd finish up pretty much everything except the final quest. You'll be warned before you start the final quest that it's a point of no return.

Make sure you do gigs and side jobs as well. Some side jobs won't appear unless you do certain gigs for a particular fixer. In the DLC you even have an established relationship with two of the fixers that gets built upon and would feel kind of awkward if you never interacted with them prior.

The side jobs that stick out in my mind that appear in the DLC are Violence (Pt 1 and 2), Spellbound, Queen of the Highway, Pyramid Song, Follow the River, and Off the Leash. They have minimal impacts on the PL story and side quests, but it's so cool to see callbacks included in the DLC like that. Your actions during Transmission, a main story quest, will also open up dialogue in a later quest depending on what you do. Also make sure you complete all of the Cyberspycho gigs for Regina as there's something related to it in the DLC.

Therefore for a first time player, I'd say the only place it naturally fits is right after you completed everything except the final main quest. Going back and forth are for those of us that already completed the game and just want the PL goodies. You also are able to go back and forth because some parts of PL take place outside of Dogtown.