Last week I offered up ten cyberpunk movies to watch while waiting for the delayed Cyberpunk 2077. That’s still eight months away and there’s no way those movies will curb your cyberpunk urge that whole time. To help fill up more time I hunted down 10 great cyberpunk games still worthy of playing in 2020. These games are packed with everything cyberpunk – dark, futuristic cities illuminated with too many neon lights, mega-corps lording over the downtrodden, and augmented humans kicking ass and taking names. It is amazing how cyberpunk themes have found their way into so many genres so this list is filled with more than just street samurai and hackers. As always, be sure to drop your favorites down in the comments below.
10- The Surge 2
- Developer: Deck 13 Interactive
- Release Date: September 24, 2019
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Surge 2 builds on its predecessor, creating another fun to play hack-and-slash ARPG. Similar to Dark Souls, combat requires strategy and timing, but is ultimately a little more forgiving. The best part of the game is tearing apart your enemies during combat and then using their parts as upgrades for your own exo-suit.
9- Conglomerate 451
- Developer: RuneHeads
- Release Date: May 23, 2019 (Early Access)
- Platform(s): PC
When I make these must play lists, I don’t always go for the best of the best that you’ve probably already played. Sometimes I like to throw in the random diamond in the rough. That is the case of Conglomerate 451. Still in early access on Steam, I probably wouldn’t have known about this rouge-like dungeon crawler if I didn’t have the chance to preview Conglomerate 451 for GameSpace a while back. Developer RuneHeads is still hard at work on the game and released their latest update just a couple of weeks ago, fixing bugs and adding new content. I’m a big fan of dungeon crawlers, and Conglomerate 451 brings cyberpunk to one of my favorite genres. It’s a win-win.
8- Technobabylon
If you’re looking for something a little slower than your average run-n-gun cyberpunk game be sure to check out Technobabylon for a good old point and click adventure. Packed full of puzzles just as much as it is a good cyberpunk story, Technobabylon shows that even in 2020 not every game has to be an open world sandbox to be fun.
7- Va-11 Hall-A
- Developer: Sukeban Games
- Release Date: June 21, 2016
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
In Va-11 Hall-A you get to put away your guns and quit worrying about saving the whole world. Instead, you get to tend bar and help save souls from the crushing weight of the machine one drink at a time. This one is a little strange to say the least, but we have months to fill before Cyberpunk 2077 releases and you’ll thank me later for suggesting it.
6- Satellite Reign
- Developer: 5 Lives Games
- Release Date: August 28, 2015
- Platform(s): PC
You’ll leave the small maps and turn-based tactical combat of a game like X-Com behind when you enter the open world of Satellite Reign. Explore a beautiful cyberpunk city solo or 4-player co-op and complete mission in real-time as you fight, steal, sneak, and kill your way to the top of the corporate ladder.
5- Katana Zero
- Developer: Askiisoft
- Release Date: April 18, 2019
- Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
A 2D platformer might not be the first genre that comes to mind when you think of cyberpunk, but Katana Zero is just that. You play as Subject Zero, a katana wielding assassin with the ability to slow and even rewind time. That special power is very handy in the unforgiving one hit insta-kill fights of Katana Zero.
4- Invisible, Inc.
- Developer: Klei Entertainment
- Release Date: May 12, 2015
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, iOS
Invisible, Inc. is a turn-based strategy game in the vein of X-Com that trades out aliens and blasters for stealth and hacking. The mega-corps have attacked your headquarters and what remains of Invisible, Inc. is on the run. With most of your operatives missing or KIA you have a mere 72 hours to enact strategic strikes against the mega-corps to build up resources before taking on your final mission: assaulting the megacorp’s HQ to insert Incognita, your team’s AI brain, into their mainframe before its backup power runs dry.
3- Observer
- Developer: Bloober Team
- Release Date: August 15, 2017
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
In Observer, you play as detective Daniel Lazarsky as he tries to follow the breadcrumbs in a mystery that starts with a call from his estranged son. Those breadcrumbs are found by hacking into a suspect’s brain chip to view their memories. This might seem like a good way to circumvent the lies and deceit but it isn’t as cut and dry as that. Hacking a brain in Observer is less reading a data file and more a disturbing journey through random bits of memories injected with visual representations of the subject’s emotional state.
2- Shadowrun Returns
- Developer: Harebrained Schemes
- Release Date: July 25, 2013
- Platform(s): PC
I have to admit a little bias may have leaked into this list since the Shadowrun pen and paper RPG was a staple during my college years. That said, it would have made the list anyway. Shadowrun Returns is filled with the usual augmented humans and hackers found in other cyberpunk games but it doesn’t stop there. There is also a healthy dose of fantasy, with the re-emergence of magic and mythical creatures in the world. Shadwrun Returns is a great adaptation of the original source material and is a fun turn-based tactical RPG.
1- Deus Ex Mankind Divided
- Developer: Eidos-Montreal
- Release Date: August 23, 2018
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the latest installment in the successful Deus Ex franchise that dates all the way back to 2000. Mankind Divided is the sequel to the 2011 prequel Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, taking place after a brutal war between augmented and “normal” humans has left millions dead. Utilizing a combination of first and third person views, Mankind Divided allows you to complete your objective however you see fit, with multiple paths to discover and take along the way. Whether you prefer to hang out in the shadows and take the stealthy approach or plunge head first into trouble you will have a wide array of weapons and augmentations to help you reach your target.
