The Appeal of the Cyberpunk Genre
The unique blend of neon-drenched visuals, pervasive corporate decay, and deeply flawed protagonists found in *Cyberpunk 2077* has created a genre that deeply resonates with players. The atmosphere—a futuristic, corrupt metropolis—is often memorable, leading many to seek out similar experiences. While the original game offers a distinctive vision of a technologically advanced dystopia, several other titles capture the genre’s core elements: bad systems, flawed characters, and the relentless struggle against powerful institutions.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Set in the year 2029, *Deus Ex: Mankind Divided* follows Adam Jensen as he is assigned a mission to prevent rogue arms dealers from distributing weapons and augmentations. This initial task quickly devolves into a firefight after intervention by murderous mercenaries wearing distinctive golden masks. Players navigate a complex world involving the Illuminati, underground hacker groups, and the city of Prague. The narrative requires players to move through subway stations and corporate offices, grappling with the question of what can be done to maintain social order when augmented terrorists hold radically different visions for humanity.
Developer: Eidos Montreal/Square Enix
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Watch Dogs: Legion
This title focuses on themes of surveillance and control within a modern authoritarian state. After a mysterious group, Zero Day, frames the resistance hacker collective DedSec for lethal bombings in London, the group must clear its name and rebuild itself. The game’s core premise involves citizens attempting to free their city from constant surveillance. A key feature is the ability to create a character who can be anyone, allowing players to recruit various citizens on the streets. Gameplay combines hacking skills, stealth, and gun combat, unique among the titles for its ability to deploy newly recruited agents in battle via an invisible spy car.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
*The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt* follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter, as he searches for his daughter, Ciri. She is on the run because she possesses powers that draw the attention of the Wild Hunt, a spectral army. While the setting is a high-fantasy world rather than a futuristic dystopia, the game shares a dedication to dark storytelling and intricate schemes, mirroring the depth of *Cyberpunk 2077*. Notably, both games were created by CD Projekt Red, a developer known for complex choice-based narratives.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
The Ascent
The setting for *The Ascent* is Veles, a city-sized tower managed by the Ascent Group mega-corporation. Players begin as indentured workers performing maintenance deep within the facility, known as the deepStink. Their routine is disrupted when the Ascent Group suddenly declares bankruptcy, causing the tower to shut down overnight. To survive and uncover the truth behind the collapse, players must navigate a world of impending corporate anarchy. While the game utilizes a top-down isometric perspective—a noticeable difference from the massive open-world scale of *Cyberpunk 2077*—it maintains the aesthetic appeal of neon-lit urban decay and the struggle against corporate monopolies.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Cloudpunk
In *Cloudpunk*, the player takes on the role of Rania, a mail carrier for an illicit delivery service. The game establishes strict rules: never miss a delivery and never open the packages. Although there is no combat, the narrative focuses on navigating the challenges of a vertical, high-tech city rife with corruption. Like *Cyberpunk 2077*, the game explores themes of advanced technology and high-tech corruption. Rania’s journey highlights the precarious infrastructure of the city, asking players to ponder whether technological advancements genuinely improve life when the controlling powers disregard the populace.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Ghostwire: Tokyo
The plot of *Ghostwire: Tokyo* begins when the protagonist, Akito, survives a bike accident after being fatally injured. He is possessed by a nearby spectral detective named KK. After an occultist causes a deadly fog to engulf the city, the two entities team up to investigate the mysterious events and rescue Akito’s sister, Mari. This title diverges from a critique of corporate greed, focusing more on urban legends and supernatural occurrences. Players explore dense, futuristic environments, utilizing both advanced technology and ninja stealth skills in combat.
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Observer
The game follows Daniel Lazarski, a neural detective known as an “Observer,” who receives a distress call from his estranged son. When Daniel arrives at the apartment building, he finds the area under lockdown. The setting is a post-war society ravaged by a digital plague called the nanophage, governed by a strict class system and monitored by a cybernetically augmented police force. Trapped while investigating a murder, Daniel begins to hack into the minds of the building’s inhabitants, including the deceased. The experience is a first-person psychological horror game that challenges the player to consider the limits of self and identity, a theme echoed in the open-world RPG format of *Cyberpunk 2077*.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
VA-11 HALL-A
In *VA-11 HALL-A*, the player controls Jill Stingray, a bartender working in Glitch City. The focus is highly intimate and introspective; the goal is not to save the world or become a legend. Instead, the player listens to the personal struggles and hopes of the regular patrons. The city itself is controlled by nanomachines, making human life difficult. This slice-of-life simulation allows Jill to influence characters’ outcomes by mixing drinks based on their true needs, rather than just their stated orders, drawing the player into the deeply human side of the genre.
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch
Conclusion
While none of these titles replicate the scope of Night City, they all offer compelling alternatives for players drawn to the cyberpunk genre. Whether swapping corporate conspiracies for occult mysteries, exchanging the protagonist V for a bartender, or trading firearms for package deliveries, these games successfully explore what happens to ordinary people when technology and society become overwhelmingly complex and weird.
