The sprawling, neon-drenched dystopia of Night City leaves a lasting impression, and for many, the end of Cyberpunk 2077 brings a desire for more experiences in similar worlds. Fortunately, the cyberpunk genre is rich with titles that explore themes of corporate corruption, transhumanism, and the struggles of individuals against oppressive systems. From high-octane combat to intricate narrative choices, these eight games capture elements of Cyberpunk 2077's appeal.
Navigating Corporate Conspiracies and Augmentations
For players drawn to Cyberpunk 2077's deep dive into corporate conspiracies and the ethics of human augmentation, Eidos Montreal's Deus Ex: Mankind Divided offers a compelling experience. Set in 2029, the game casts players as Adam Jensen, an augmented agent tasked with uncovering a conspiracy involving rogue arms dealers and mysterious masked mercenaries. The narrative grapples with the societal divisions caused by augmented humans and the constant threat of hidden agendas, mirroring Cyberpunk 2077's own exploration of societal control and technological integration. Players will find themselves navigating Prague's underworld, infiltrating corporate offices, and questioning the true nature of the conspiracies at play.
Similarly, The Ascent plunges players into a world dominated by a colossal mega-corporation, The Ascent Group, on the planet Veles. Players begin as an indentured worker in the grimy lower levels of a city-sized tower, only to find themselves in the midst of corporate collapse and ensuing anarchy. While The Ascent adopts a top-down isometric perspective and is more tightly scoped than Cyberpunk 2077's open world, it captures the same essence of navigating a neon-lit urban landscape rife with corruption and constant threat. The game is replete with intense gunfights and offers a potent commentary on corporate monopolies and the lives of those crushed beneath them.
Rebuilding and Hacking in Dystopian Cities
London's authoritarian surveillance state becomes the backdrop for Watch Dogs: Legion, where players step into the shoes of the resistance group DedSec. Framed for a series of bombings, DedSec must clear its name and liberate the city by recruiting any citizen from the street. This unique mechanic allows players to embody a diverse cast of characters, each with their own skills and backstories. While Legion foregoes the deep RPG elements of Cyberpunk 2077, it delivers on the core themes of control, paranoia, and the use of hacking and stealth to combat oppressive regimes. The ability to recruit and play as virtually any NPC provides a fresh take on the urban resistance narrative.
Narrative Depth and Unforeseen Consequences
Though set in a medieval fantasy world, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt shares a crucial design philosophy with Cyberpunk 2077: its embrace of complex, morally ambiguous choices. Developed by the same studio, CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 3 follows Geralt of Rivia's quest to find his adopted daughter, Ciri. Like Cyberpunk 2077, the game presents players with difficult decisions that have far-reaching consequences, proving that the developer's penchant for intricate narratives and morally gray storytelling extends beyond futuristic dystopias.
Cloudpunk offers a different flavor of dystopia, focusing on the life of a delivery driver named Rania navigating the vertical, high-tech city. While devoid of combat, the game immerses players in its atmospheric urban sprawl and presents a narrative centered on the precariousness of the city's infrastructure and the ethical quandaries of illicit delivery services. The game emphasizes the mood and aesthetic of a dark, corrupted sci-fi city, prompting players to question the impact of technology on society, much like Cyberpunk 2077.
Unique Takes on Urban Decay and Supernatural Threats
Ghostwire: Tokyo explores a near-future Tokyo shrouded in a mysterious, deadly fog that transforms citizens into spirits. Players control Akito, who is possessed by a spectral detective named KK, as they team up to uncover the cause of the event and save Akito's sister. While Cyberpunk 2077 tackles corporate greed, Ghostwire: Tokyo delves into urban legends and supernatural phenomena. The game features dense, futuristic environments and combat that blends advanced technology with spectral abilities, and also incorporates stealth mechanics.
Observer, a first-person psychological horror game, centers on Daniel Lazarski, a neural detective who hacks into the minds of victims and suspects. Set in a dystopian future ravaged by a digital plague, the game explores themes of identity and memory as Daniel navigates fragmented realities within the minds of the deceased. While mechanically distinct from Cyberpunk 2077's open-world RPG format, Observer shares its focus on the blurring lines between humanity and technology, and the existential questions that arise when consciousness can be digitized and manipulated.
A Different Pace in a Bleak Future
For a more intimate take on a dystopian future, VA-11 HALL-A places players in the role of Jill Stingray, a bartender in a dive bar called VA-11 HALL-A in Glitch City. The game focuses on personal stories, with players serving drinks to patrons and influencing their lives through conversation and personalized concoctions. Despite the grim setting, where nanomachines control many aspects of life, VA-11 HALL-A highlights the struggles of ordinary people dealing with loneliness, heartbreak, and financial hardship. This slice-of-life approach offers a stark contrast to the high-stakes action of Cyberpunk 2077, but its poignant narrative and character interactions resonate with the genre's exploration of humanity in bleak futures.
While none of these games replicate the exact experience of Cyberpunk 2077, they collectively offer a diverse range of dystopian worlds and narratives. Whether you seek corporate espionage, supernatural mysteries, or intimate character studies, these titles provide ample opportunities to lose yourself in futures that are often weird, dangerous, and compelling.