The cyberpunk genre is a very specific category and doesn’t have too many games in the triple-A sphere, which is part of the reason whyCyberpunk 2077drew so much attention when it was first announced in 2012. Drawing from the science fiction department, cyberpunk is marked by AI, cybernetics, corrupt megacorporations, and waves of change and rebellion.Cyberpunk 2077hits each one of these bullet points but focuses mainly on the large corporations and their influence on society, leaving players with the desire to explore more of the cyberpunk genre.
Cyberpunk 2077is one of the biggest open-world RPG within the cyberpunk setting, but many other video games will provide further immersion into such a unique science fiction subgenre.
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Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
As another first-person shooter,Far Cry 3: Blood Dragonis a great place to start, and players don’t need the vanillaFar Cry 3game to play it. Rather,Blood Dragonis a standalone spinoff game set in a parallel universe. A very tongue-in-cheek parody of 1980s action movies, players will assume the role of a cyborg sergeant named Rex “Power” Colt. And if players were left feeling likeCyberpunk 2077was too much story and not enough action, this game will remedy that. It’s much less plot and much more violence, jokes, and 80s movie references.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Onto more recent triple-A titles,Final Fantasy 7 Remakemay not seem like a cyberpunk game to fantasy gamers that Square Enix often attracts. It’s set in thefuturistic and dystopian metropolis that is Midgar, and players assume the role of Cloud, who used to work for Shinra Electric Power Company, a megacorporation not unlike Militech and Arasaka. And, like V, Cloud is also a mercenary getting wrapped up with terrorists.
With Cloud’s Buster Sword in the place of guns as the primary weapon, it’s a departure fromthe shooter actionCyberpunkplayers are used to, but thisFinal Fantasygame continues the trend of real-time combat, unlike most JRPGs. And as one might expect from Square,Final Fantasy 7is a cyberpunk game with a fantasy spin on it, different from other games on this list.
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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Many hopedCyberpunk 2077would be a strong follow-up to theDeus Exgames, what’s largely considered to be the original cyberpunk series. And withso many strong contenders likeHuman RevolutionandInvisible War, it’s hard to choose just one out of the bunch. But being the most recent release,Deus Ex: Mankind Dividedis the most widely accessible among the gaming community currently.
Blending together shooter and stealth elements alongside the conspiracy theories, societal issues, and artificial organs known as “augmentations,“Mankind Dividedwill provide an even truer cyberpunk experiencethat players would find withCyberpunk 2077. But like CD Projekt Red’s newest title,Mankind Dividedwas also birthed out of controversy, partially because of its use of the phrase “Aug Lives Matter” in its marketing, referring to the divide between normal humans and those with cybernetics installed.
Invisible, Inc.
What wouldCyberpunk 2077look like with turn-based tactics and roguelike elements? Inspired bytheXCOMgames,Invisible, Inc.puts emphasis on stealth, gadgets, and espionage. It’s a great game for players seeking something without tens of hours of commitment because each run will only last a few hours, though replaying is a major draw forInvisiblethanks to its procedurally generated levels and unlockable characters. In terms of lore, players will also find elements iconic to cyberpunk, like a corporate-dominated world, but it’s also affordable in comparison to the $59.99 price tag of modern triple-A games.
VA-11 HALL-A
There are lots of indie games out there featuring iconic cyberpunk elements, likeSupergiant’sTransistoror ION LANDS’Cloudpunk, butVA-11 HALL-Astands out among the rest because of its rich conversations catalyzed by the perspective of a bartender.
Set in the year 207X in Glitch City, players will get the full cyberpunk experience: human life blending with machines, a corrupt government, and civilians looking for any way to escape, whether that’s physically or mentally. It’s the biggest leap from the rest in terms of gameplay, but for cyberpunk fans looking to go lore digging or longing for an immersive experience,VA-11 HALL-Awill deliver because it’s a visual novel.
Cyberpunk 2077is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.
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