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 why Cyberpunk 2077 drew 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 2077 hits 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 2077 is 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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As another first-person shooter, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a great place to start, and players don't need the vanilla Far Cry 3 game to play it. Rather, Blood Dragon is 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 like Cyberpunk 2077 was 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.
Onto more recent triple-A titles, Final Fantasy 7 Remake may not seem like a cyberpunk game to fantasy gamers that Square Enix often attracts. It's set in the futuristic 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 from the shooter action Cyberpunk players are used to, but this Final Fantasy game continues the trend of real-time combat, unlike most JRPGs. And as one might expect from Square, Final Fantasy 7 is a cyberpunk game with a fantasy spin on it, different from other games on this list.
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Many hoped Cyberpunk 2077 would be a strong follow-up to the Deus Ex games, what's largely considered to be the original cyberpunk series. And with so many strong contenders like Human Revolution and Invisible War, it's hard to choose just one out of the bunch. But being the most recent release, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is 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 Divided will provide an even truer cyberpunk experience that players would find with Cyberpunk 2077. But like CD Projekt Red's newest title, Mankind Divided was 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.
What would Cyberpunk 2077 look like with turn-based tactics and roguelike elements? Inspired by the XCOM games, 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 for Invisible thanks 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.
There are lots of indie games out there featuring iconic cyberpunk elements, like Supergiant's Transistor or ION LANDS' Cloudpunk, but VA-11 HALL-A stands 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-A will deliver because it's a visual novel.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.