Exploring dystopian worlds resplendent with cybernetic enhancements and megacorporations, cyberpunk continues to evolve the more its science fiction-based future becomes reality. The following interactive interpretations of the subgenre draw upon a wealth of insight, whether it be in human relation, technological prowess, or even video game development. It is not so much the story or even the characters, so much as it is the world that marks the best cyberpunk games of all time.
In the wait for the postponed release of Cyberpunk 2077, these games are the best way to quell that ever-growing appetite for cyberpunk. Otherwise, escape through other options, from the best VR games to the most satisfying 2020 indie experiences.
Before the now-iconic Silent Hills playable teaserand Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima followed up Metal Gear with a cyberpunk classic, called Snatcher. Upon its 1988 release, despite limited sales, the graphic adventure garnered an immediate cult following. The narrative follows an amnesiac who joins an agency hunting Snatchers, or robots killing and taking the place of humans. With its semi-open world, coupled with thought-provoking themes and novel visual elements, Snatcher remains a benchmark in science fiction gaming and a must-play Kojima title.
Like Neuromancer by William Gibson, Philip K. Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a pivotal novel in the expansion of the cyberpunk subgenre. Its Hollywood rendition, Blade Runner, would go on to become even more renowned, evolving into the face of cyberpunk and influencing many years worth of media in its likeness. Though it may not be remembered as well as the novel or film, Virgin Interactives Blade Runner, released in 1997, captured a similar essence as its predecessors. Rather than replicate Ridley Scotts work, Westwood Studios instead told a story that intersected with the original, following Ray McCoy on a quest to destroy the last remaining replicants. Blade Runner stands among the best cyberpunk games of all time for granting fans an interactive experience within its remarkable world, now the inspiration for various cyberpunk offshoots.
Made all the more enigmatic from spiritual successors, like Deus Ex and BioShock, 1994s System Shock opened the doors on interactive cyberpunk and horror. The gameplay of System Shock alone was an innovative step forward in the industry, dropping players into the 3D environment of a space station in the year 2072. Reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the story of System Shock is led by an unspecified hacker in an attempt to thwart an evil computer system, known as SHODAN. A remake of the famed original is currently being developed by Nightdive Studios for release sometime this year.
For an isometric strategy game, Syndicate proved itself to be an outlier with a cyberpunk story and gameplay elements that set it apart from all the rest. It was released in 1993 by EA and garnered immediate success. The player assumes control of a corporation with the goal of global dominance through the aid of taxation and cybernetically enhanced operatives. Once a country is taken over by these pawns, the player can accrue money through taxation, but only if they are vigilant. If a country is pressured for too much, the citizenry may start a coup. Surviving assassination attempts via government agents or rival syndicates is also a key component of the game. Syndicate not only sparked various expansions, but also a sequel and reboot.
Without a doubt one of the greatest video games of all time, packing an emotional punch at every turn in its expansive narrative and exploration of a world riddled with tyranny, Final Fantasy VIIis exemplary of Japanese cyberpunk. The 1997 original PlayStation experience emulates Akira in many ways, showcasing the evil megacorporation of Shinra hoarding the planets last remaining sustainable resource. Cloud, the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII, is unwittingly flung into class warfare, going up against not only Shinra but the potentially world-shattering Sephiroth. The recently released Final Fantasy VII Remake is a testament to the greatness of its predecessor, giving only a tiny glimpse into the epic cyberpunk adventures of Avalanche and their fight to save the planet.
Deus Ex was a critical success upon its 2000 release, spawning several re-releases, PC mods, sequels, and prequels that would inevitably cement it as a video game series with unreplicable stature in the industry. The initial title tracks JC Denton, a United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition agent with nanotech augmentation, which ranges from 18 different in-game options. A central mechanic in Deus Ex is player choice, allowing players a multitude of varied avenues for mission completion. What makes the cyberpunk title stand out most is its heavy-hitting narrative based in an alternate history, wherein real-world conspiracy theories are fact. With six titles in the series, the last of which was seen via 2016s Mankind Divided, Deus Ex is due for a welcome return.
Simon Parkin of The Guardian says it best: its a clich that invites clichs: sprawling, neon-lit, Blade Runner-esque. Still, over-familiarity with the aesthetic does little to blunt the fierce appeal of Cloudpunks game world. Released mere weeks ago, Cloudpunk offers players a chance to visit a true cyberpunk world as an immigrant named Rania. The player is tasked to pick up and drop off packages at the behest of the Cloudpunk delivery service. The various adventures across the city, which is outlined by crisscrossing vehicles and high-rises, is what makes a seemingly laborious playthrough the hallmark of Cloudpunk. Not only is the games world mesmerizing, but its cyberpunk-laden story is compelling. The more Rania traverses the innards of the futuristic city, the darker Cloudpunk becomes.
Based in the city of Cloudbank, a well-known singer by the name of Red acquires a powerful sword, called the Transistor, following a botched assassination on her life. Through the help of robotic commandos, known as the Process, the malignant Camerata stops at nothing to hunt down Red and retrieve the lost artifact. Transistor, despite being an isometric RPG, still enjoys greatness through a wondrous narrative uplifted by an even more evocative soundtrack. The game was nominated for many accolades, inevitably walking away with IGNs Best Art Graphics and the D.I.C.E. Sprite Award in 2015. Due to its subversion of the more commonplace cyberpunk themes, Transistor remains among the best in the subgenre.
Inciting new ways of thinking about world traversal and surface lighting in video game development, Mirrors Edge gave cyberpunk new vibrancy. The action-adventure platformer, which was developed by EA DICE and published by EA in 2008, takes place in a dystopian near-future city, wherein a totalitarian and militaristic government reigns supreme. The player controls Faith Connors, one of many runners, navigating her across rooftops and ventilation shafts with their own varying degrees of impediments. Rather than explore a dark noir and neon-tinged world like others among the best cyberpunk games, Mirrors Edge instead focuses on minimalist and luminous environments that serve as the players only savior.
Bloober Team, known for horrors like Layers of Fear and Blair Witch, delivered a simultaneously terrifying and intriguing experience with 2017s Observer. In the year 2084, following a digital pandemic that wiped out large swaths of the globe, a megacorporation rules over Poland using detectives, known as Observers. After a cryptic phone call from his long-lost son, Daniel Lazarski uses his investigative prowess to find and hopefully save his only child, yet inevitably finds himself spiraling into damnation. The cyberpunk horror is getting a next-gen facelift with additional content available later this year upon the debut of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
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The best cyberpunk games of all time - Digital Trends
- Cities Skylines 2 goes full Cyberpunk 2077 in stunning new city building game coming to Steam - PCGamesN - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Player Finds Hidden Message in the Game - GameRant - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Dystopika is a chill city-builder where you can create the cyberpunk cityscape of your dreams - Gamesradar - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Make the Night City of your dreams with this cyberpunk city sandbox builder - Rock Paper Shotgun - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Metallic Rouge is a cyberpunk mystery worth unraveling - Polygon - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk devs promise new patch to sort out most common remaining issues - ReadWrite - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- New Cyberpunk 2077 Patch Inbound; Will Fix Finisher Animations and More Reported Issues - Wccftech - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Hidden Cyberpunk 2077 Detail May Reveal The Location Of Cyberpunk 2 (Orion) - Screen Rant - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Ruiner devs reportedly lay off over half of studio behind cyberpunk shooter - Rock Paper Shotgun - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is in the "conceptual phase," but might ramp up production this year as its devs consider ... - Gamesradar - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 publisher giving away one of gaming's most controversial titles free - GAMINGbible - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld Has Huge Weekend, Sells 5 Million and Overtakes Cyberpunk 2077 in Steams Most-Played Games List - IGN - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- CD Projekt Red Is "Considering" Multiplayer In Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel - TheGamer - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld beats Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 with an all-time peak player count of more than 1.8 million - PC Gamer - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 collides with Assassin's Creed in slick new action game - GAMINGbible - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- CD Projekt latest: next Cyberpunk game might have multiplayer, Witcher 4 enters "production phase" - Rock Paper Shotgun - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Witcher 4 could enter production this year, multiplayer being considered for Cyberpunk 2 | VGC - Video Games Chronicle - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel May Feature Multiplayer, as The Witcher 4 Set to Enter Production | XboxAchievements.com - XboxAchievements - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Turbo Overkill is like a Cyberpunk Doom, and it's coming to Xbox - TrueAchievements - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 sequel: everything we know about the sci-fi game - Evening Standard - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld becomes only the sixth Steam game to reach one million concurrent players, beating Cyberpunk 2077 in the ... - Gamesradar - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld becomes only the sixth Steam game to reach one million concurrent players, beating Cyberpunk 2077 in the ... - Yahoo! Voices - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- The reality of a cyberpunk universe in the real world - Verdict - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 sequel could have multiplayer - Project Orion - Gamereactor - Gamereactor UK - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld Passes Impressive Steam Concurrent Player Milestone, Beats Cyberpunk and Elden Ring - GameRant - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Follow-up to The Witcher 3 will be in development this year - ReadWrite - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Former Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk Devs are Developing a New Game that Could Be Better than Both - FandomWire - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld Beats CS2, Dota 2, and Cyberpunk 2077 to Become the Second Most-Played Game on Steam - Beebom - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- The Witcher 4 Could Enter Production This Year - TheGamer - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Palworld becomes only the sixth Steam game to reach one million concurrent players, beating Cyberpunk 2077 in the ... - Yahoo Entertainment - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Cyberpunk 2077 collides with GTA 6 in upcoming game you'll want to keep an eye on - GAMINGbible - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Black Friday 2023: Grab Some of Our Favorite Cyberpunk and Witcher Merch - IGN - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Is the Cheapest It's Ever Been - GameRant - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition For Xbox And PlayStation Have One Huge Difference - Screen Rant - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 story lead casually reveals players haven't found his favorite Easter eggs, so "I won ... - Gamesradar - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- The Best Games To Play on Steam Deck OLED From 'HiFi Rush' and 'Cyberpunk 2077' to 'Street Fighter 6' and 'Dave ... - Touch Arcade - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher 3 story lead "won't talk about" his favourite Easter eggs until players find them - VG247 - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- How To Complete Forward To Death Quest In Cyberpunk 2077 - TheGamer - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077: How To Get Inside The Riot Club - GameRant - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077: How To Get the Warden - GameRant - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- You can finally romance the hot French netrunner from Cyberpunk ... - VG247 - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Northland man's custom cyberpunk car to be released as Hot ... - 1News - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Here's Austin Powers Being A Huge Nuisance In Cyberpunk 2077 - Kotaku Australia - November 26th, 2023 [November 26th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077 finally has 'very positive' rating on Steam, 2 years later - GAMINGbible - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Why Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Being the Only DLC is For the Best - GameRant - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077: Things You Never Knew About Johnny Silverhand - GameRant - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Bringing A Baofeng Into The Cyberpunk 2077 Universe - Hackaday - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- What is Cyberpunk Genre Definition, Origins & Examples - StudioBinder - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077 review | TechRadar - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- More Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC News Coming In June - GameSpot - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Cyberpunk 2077 DLC Phantom Liberty gets release window, first trailer ... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Utah band Spirit Machines beats out 7,800 others to have song featured in video game Cyberpunk 2077 - ABC4.com - February 7th, 2023 [February 7th, 2023]
- Nvidia's RTX And DLSS3 Cyberpunk Support Demonstrate Why These Features Are The Future Of Gaming - Forbes - February 7th, 2023 [February 7th, 2023]
- How to hack the Cyberpunk 2077 Militech Datashard - pcgamer - January 6th, 2023 [January 6th, 2023]
- The Last Of Us Updates, An Award For Cyberpunk 2077 And More Gaming News For Wednesday, January 4 - Forbes - January 6th, 2023 [January 6th, 2023]
- Why Playing Cyberpunk 2077 As A Melee Character Is The Most Fun You Can Have With It - Kotaku Australia - January 6th, 2023 [January 6th, 2023]
- Win NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with Cyberpunk 2077 backplate! - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- The best Cyberpunk 2077 mods | PC Gamer - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- Best Of 2022: Cyberpunk 2077's Redemption Arc Is A Breathtaking Return To Form For CD ... - Latest Tweet by - LatestLY - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Plenty of Other Hit Games Will Soon Be Able to Play in ... - Latest Tweet - LatestLY - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077's First Big DLC Stars Idris Elba - Kotaku - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Core Team Moving to Boston to Start Work on Sequel - Latest Tweet by GameSpot - LatestLY - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Hits 90% Positive Reviews On Steam For The First Time - Forbes - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Tips To Break Hearts, Romance Everyone After All The Updates - Kotaku - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 is a revelation with Nvidia's new DLSS 3.0 technology - VG247 - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 is a Strand game with this courier mod - Gamesradar - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Happy Together walkthrough guide: How to complete the side job and more - Sportskeeda - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Has the world finally forgiven Cyberpunk 2077? - Gamesradar - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077: How To Get $200,000+ Right At The Start Of The Game | Corpo Life Path Trick - Gameranx - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- BLIND GUARDIAN Streams Cyberpunk-Inspired Video For "Life Beyond The Spheres" - Metal Injection - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Johnny Silverhand Items Locations Guide - RespawnFirst - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Shares of Cyberpunk 2077 publisher surge after announcing a slew of new games - CNBC - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- 'Cyberpunk 2077' Re-Review: Two Years Later, What's Changed? - Forbes - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Cyberpunk 2077's revival continues as it becomes one of the most popular games on Steam Deck - Eurogamer.net - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Want to play Cyberpunk, Ghost Runner through a set-top box? Heres how 5G will help - Business Today - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- How to Read Shards in Cyberpunk 2077 - Attack of the Fanboy - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Where to Find Nibbles the Cat in Cyberpunk 2077? - Attack of the Fanboy - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Destiny 2: Lightfall is cyberpunk battle when it launches in February - The Verge - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Tower Of Fantasy Will Receive New Land & Character Soon - Bleeding Cool News - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Turn-Based Cyberpunk RPG 'Jack Move' Will Boot Up On Switch Next Month - Nintendo Life - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]