Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed until September 2020 so the developers CD Projekt Red can continue to work on bringing gamers a better product. As a result, fans will have to wait just a few months longer to dive into its dystopian cyberpunk setting.
Such a move by the developer is understandable, especially as the expectations are incredibly high after their The Witcher RPG series was so good. However, even as good as The Witcher 3 was it still needed quite a bit of work post-release with patches to get running as well as it does now.
Thankfully, those itching to dive into gaming worlds with a similar setting to the tabletop-based RPG still have some great games to choose from so the wait is much less painful. Let’s take a look at 10 great games with a similar setting to Cyberpunk 2077.
10 Final Fantasy VII
Released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII helped open the floodgates for other developers to take a chance on their own Japanese RPGs and release them in western territories. However, what helped FFVII stand apart from the competition was its science-fantasy setting, especially the very cyberpunk dystopian Midgar.
Midgar and other areas in the game seem to take a lot of visual inspiration from the Japanese anime Akira. All the cyberpunk tropes are present in the opening scenes in Midgar. There are high tech evil corporations, rebellion against authority, huge divides between the rich and the poor, a world on the verge of environmental collapse, and of course a dark downtrodden technologically advanced city.
9 Snatcher
Snatcher is a graphic adventure game developed by Metal Gear Solid’s Hideo Kojima. It was first released on the PC in 1988, the Sega CD in 1992 and the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1996. Kojima was clearly influenced by Blade Runner for Snatcher’s characters and themes
Snatcher features a hard-boiled detective that bears more than a passing resemblance to Blade Runner’s Dekkard, and there’s a lot of visual cues from the anime Akira too. It’s also interesting to note that even in his early works Kojima’s passion for movies and using games as a medium for telling complex science fiction stories is present even in his early works.
8 Omikron: The Nomad Soul
Omikron: The Nomad Soul was released on the PC in 1999 and the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. It was developed by Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain developers Quantic Dream. The city of Omikron is filled with influences from the cyberpunk genre. Its citizens live under a dome protected from a new ice-age separated by different sectors.
Players take on the role of a soul-jumping detective investigating a serial killer. There are some very weird fourth wall breaking moments and The Nomad Soul’s gameplay is very janky at the best of times. However, the story, atmosphere, setting, and music from David Bowie – who also has a role in the game – make it one of the most unique games ever developed. Coincidentally, the game shares a lot of themes with the Netflix cyberpunk series Altered Carbon right down to the soul-jumping detective.
7 Detroit: Become Human
Released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 in 2018, Detroit: Become Human is more post-cyberpunk than pure cyberpunk. However, the game’s parallels with Blade Runner are too tempting to ignore for fans of the genre.
Like Blade Runner, the game features androids that start to develop human-like consciousnesses and are hunted down by the government that oppresses them. The narrative in many ways allows players to experience what it’s like to be hunted from Roy Batty’s point of view as he fights to free his fellow androids.
6 Observer
Released in 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC, Observer is a science fiction cyberpunk-themed horror game. Observer is a game that proudly wears its love for Blade Runner on its sleeve. It even stars the late great Rutger Hauer who portrayed the android Roy Batty in the film.
Players take on the role of Haur’s character a hard-boiled detective named Daniel Lazarski. He has the ability to hack a suspect’s brain implant for the purposes of interrogation. In addition to taking influences from Blade Runner, the developers cite Cyberpunk 2020 as a major influence too. Of course, Cyberpunk 2020 is the tabletop RPG that Cyberpunk 2077 is based on.
5 Syndicate Wars
Syndicate Wars was released in 1996 on the PC and the PlayStation and it is a sequel to the 1993 original. It’s an isometric real-time strategy game based in a dystopian cyberpunk world controlled by a megacorporation. Players are able to control a team of agents working for either Eurocorp or the Church of the New Epoch – a false religion with the same endgame as the corporation.
Syndicate Wars is one of most atmospheric games of its generation that perfectly captured the cyberpunk tones. Even on the PlayStation, the artistic design was striking with Blade Runner-like billboards dotted around the city. Special mention should go to Syndicate War’s mesmerizing synth-based soundtrack which captures the foreboding menace of the game’s world.
4 Shadowrun Returns
Released in 2013, Shadowrun Returns made its long-awaited comeback. Especially for those who longed for a proper RPG sequel to both versions of Shadowrun that appeared on the SNES in 1993 and the Sega Genesis/Megadrive in 1994.
Like its predecessors, Shadowrun Returns is based on the tabletop RPG of the same name. It is set in a cyberpunk world but filled with Tolkienesque races and monsters. Keeping in line with the TRPG that it’s based on, Shadowrun is incredibly flexible making every play through distinct and unique to the player. If one has a passing interest in cyberpunk and deep RPGs then Shadowrun Returns and its follow-ups Dragonfall: The Director’s Cut and Hong Kong is the perfect way to keep players busy until Cyberpunk 2077.
3 Invisible, Inc
Invisible, Inc was released in 2016 on the PlayStation 4, the PC and iOS. It’s a turn-based strategy game with similar mechanics to the XCOM series but with the implementation of stealth and corporate espionage.
Invisible, Inc set in a world where megacorporations have positioned themselves as a form of government ruling by force. The player takes control of a team of spies that are working to infiltrate corporations and their regime. The branching narrative based on player choices further adds to the game's replay value.
2 Blade Runner
Released in 1997 for the PC, Blade Runner is a point and click adventure game where the story plays out alongside the events of the film. Even by today’s standards, it’s a visually stunning game that beautifully recreates the dark dystopian rain-soaked streets of Los Angeles from one of the most influential takes on the cyberpunk genre ever created.
Blade Runner is just a stunning achievement on every level and it’s also one of the most challenging games in its genre. Furthermore, the game features thirteen different endings with a branching story that changes based on the player’s choices and reactions. After years of legal issues surrounding Blade Runner’s license, it’s finally available to buy again on the PC via GOG.com.
1 The Deus Ex Series
At least until Cyberpunk 2077 is released, the Deus Ex series arguably has the title of the best cyberpunk-themed videogames of all time. The most accessible and attainable are the most recent games in the series Deus Ex: Human Revolution – The Director’s Cut and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
The first game in the RPG/Shooter hybrid series is regarded as one of the influential games ever created. It’s DNA can be found in the likes of Bioshock and Dishonored and offered gamers at the time an unequaled amount choice. In addition, Deus Ex has one of the most immersive and believable examples of a cyberpunk world for gamers to explore, which is perfect until Cyberpunk 2077 is released.