Although cyberpunk is a genre that originated in the 1960s, many popular modern video games, such as the recent Lost Y cyberpunk 2077, continue to use this still relevant subgenre. Cyberpunk combines futuristic computing and technology, “cyber”, with a dystopian society full of social outcasts, “punk”.
With the plethora of games featuring rebels battling evil corporations in futuristic societies, it can be hard to know which ones are worth playing. However, according to Metacritic, titles like Transistor stand out from the rest.
10 Observer (2017) – 86
Developed by Polish developer Bloober Team, best known for creating horror titles like layers of fear, the blair witch, Y The middle, observer is a 2017 psychological horror game that is set in 2084 in Krakow, Poland, after a “digital plague” known as nanophage has caused the deaths of thousands. Taking advantage of this chaos, the mega-corporation Chiron took control of Poland and established a police force known as “Observers”, who are allowed to hack into the minds of citizens.
Detective Daniel Lazarski, who is the protagonist and one of these observers, receives a distress call from his estranged son Adam and visits his apartment to investigate. Shortly after discovering a headless corpse, the apartment complex is locked down and Daniel is forced to uncover this mystery on his own. While the story is a bit weak, the game more than makes up for it with its amazingly surreal visuals and detailed environments.
9 Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director’s Cut (2014) – 87
Starting in 1989, shadow race is a popular tabletop role-playing game franchise that combines the cyberpunk and dungeon punk subgenres. After magic returned in 2012, some humans gained magical abilities, while others mutated into various fantasy creatures, and mythical beasts such as dragons were also awakened. Meanwhile, the mega-corporations have basically taken over the world, and the players are “shadow runners” or mercenaries who are hired by these corporations.
In this franchise, one of the video games is the 2014 tactical RPG. Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut, which was originally created as a DLC for The return of Shadowrun. As a player-customized shadow runner, the player joins a group in anarchic, futuristic Berlin, Germany, and discovers that a legendary dragon known as Firewing might still be alive.
8 Jack II (2003) – 87
Developed by Naughty Dog which has created several popular franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted, Y the last of us jack ii is a 2003 third-person shooter open-world platform game and the second installment in the jack and daxter Serie. Although the original game from 2001 Jak and Daxter: Legacy of the Precursors had a cheerful tropical island setting, this sequel transports the protagonists to a dystopian city known as Haven.
In this new cyberpunk-style setting, Jak is arrested by the Krimzon Guard, the city’s corrupt law enforcement officers controlled by the tyrannical Baron Praxis. After being subjected to experiments for two years, he is rescued by his friend Daxter, who was turned into an otter-weasel hybrid in the first game. Using Jak’s newfound powers, the duo join an underground resistance movement to save the city.
7 Cruelty Squad (2021) – 89
Released in 2021, cruelty squad it’s a surreal FPS that deliberately uses low-poly to strain the eyes. Combining cyberpunk and biopunk genres, the game follows a biologically enhanced assassin living in a dystopian world controlled by mega corporations.
After being discharged from a death squad, the player is hired by the titular Cruelty Squad, who are tasked with carrying out various contract killings for their host conglomerate. By selling sewage fish and human organs on the stock market, the player can obtain biological implants that enhance their character. Using these upgrades and the many unlockable weapons, players can complete sandbox missions in unique ways.
6 God Ex (2000) – 90
Directed by Warren Spector, who is also known for his work on System Shock, Thief: The Dark Project, Y Ultima Underworld, Deus Ex is an action role-playing game from 2000 and the first entry in the iconic god ex franchise. Set in a future dystopia where all conspiracy theories are true, the game follows JC Denton, a new agent in the fictional United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO).
Using the superhuman abilities caused by his nano-augments, JC slowly uncovers the truths behind UNATCO and the deadly global pandemic known as the “Grey Death”. Depending on the player’s choices, he can solve quests in various ways and obtain one of several endings.
5 Final Fantasy VII (1997) – 92
One of the best cyberpunk themed games is final Fantasy VII, which is a 1997 PS1 game that was largely responsible for making JRPGs a popular genre in the West. As a stoic mercenary named Cloud Strife, the player joins a group of eco-terrorists known as AVALANCHE as they try to stop the mega-corporation Shinra from draining the life stream from the planet.
During his journey, Cloud makes new friends, discovers devastating truths about his past, and meets a man named Sephiroth who plans to use the Lifestream to transform himself into a godlike being. Although the plot itself is already cyberpunk, the player can really feel the vibe of the genre while exploring the detailed city of Midgar.
4 System Clash 2 (1999) – 92
Speaking of historical games, one of the most historically significant FPS games is the one from 1999. System crash 2. In this action-survival-horror RPG, the player is an amnesiac soldier who wakes up in a spaceship, the VonBraun, which is owned by the reestablished corporation TriOptimum and has been invaded by an alien hive mind known as the Many.
With the help of his new illegal implants and another survivor, Dr. Janice Polito, the protagonist sails the ship to destroy the Many. But, the player eventually discovers that Dr. Polito is actually the evil AI SHODAN in disguise, and is forced to fight her as well.
3 Transistor (2014) – 93
Like other award-winning titles from Supergiant Games, such as hades bastion, Y Pyre, the 2014 tactical action RPG Transistor It is full of beautiful images, outstanding music, interesting characters, and a deep story. Set in the futuristic city of Cloudbank, the player controls a famous singer named Red who loses both her lover and her voice during an attack on her life by a robotic force known as Process.
Taking the titular sword from her lover’s corpse, Red uses the Transistor to kill the people responsible for her death and discover the secrets behind the Process, why she was targeted, and the Transistor himself. Throughout the isometric levels, the player will be able to use the Transistor to freeze time and gain other special abilities to help her fight various enemies.
Even at the beginning of his career, famous video game creator Hideo Kojima was already heavily inspired by the cyberpunk genre, as evidenced by one of his first games: the 1988 visual novel adventure game. thief Because of this, it’s no surprise that the subgenre seeps into their other games, such as the 2001 stealth action game. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
After an environmental cleanup facility called the Big Shell is attacked by a group of terrorists known as the Sons of Liberty, the game follows a rookie agent named Raiden as he tries to stop the terrorists. But, as the game progresses, he slowly discovers the truths behind the facility, his own past, and a secret organization known as the Patriots.
1 Perfect Darkness (2000) – 97
Inspired by cyberpunk classics like Bounty hunter Y Ghost in the shell, Perfect Dark is an N64 FPS from 2000 and a spiritual successor to Rare’s earlier N64 FPS golden eye 007 In this game, two companies on Earth, The Carrington Institute and dataDyne, are on opposite sides of an interstellar war between two alien races: the Maians and the Skedar.
The game follows Joanna Dark, who is a secret agent working for the Carrington Institute whose perfect training scores have given her the titular nickname “Perfect Dark”. To save the planet, Joanna must stop DataDyne from helping the Skedar obtain a powerful ship.
