How Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Became a Survival Horror Game (For One Mission)

Somewhat Damaged, one of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty's final quests, transforms the action-packed RPG into a terrifying survival horror experience. A relentless robotic hunter stalks you through chambers and corridors, and there’s nothing your weapons can do to stop it. To find out how this level and its mechanical monster were created, we spoke to staff from developer CD Projekt Red. With their insight, we examine how Somewhat Damaged makes use of logical environment design, increasingly stressful objectives, and resourceful AI scripting to manifest Phantom Liberty’s terrifying crescendo.