5 best games like Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a role-playing game set in a future where individuals have technology embedded in their bodies. Although the world is not exactly a dystopia, society is generally at the mercy of mega-corporations and the wealthy elite. The game is set in the technologically advanced metropolis of Night City.

Despite the hype surrounding the game, Cyberpunk 2077 was not the first game to portray a science-fiction setting. A world ruled by technology is a recurring trope in video games, one that has been seen many times before and after the release of Cyberpunk 2077.

While the aesthetic of Cyberpunk 2077 remains unique, it does contain similarities to certain games with its environment, narrative, gameplay, and themes. Here are five of the best games like Cyberpunk 2077 for players looking for a similar experience.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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5 games that bear a striking similarity to Cyberpunk 2077

1) Watch Dogs: Legion

Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs: Legion came out on October 29, 2020, just a few months before Cyberpunk 2077. It is the third installment in the Watch Dogs series, which has always centered around technology and hacking. While Legion did not take a cyberpunk setting, it came quite close.

The game is set in futuristic London, where players can take control of almost any NPC in the virtual open world while recruiting them to the cause of DedSec. This allows for a flexible style of gameplay as different NPCs have their own specialties and weaknesses.

Players can tackle missions in several ways, ranging from going all guns blazing to taking a silent approach. This is somewhat similar to Cyberpunk 2077, which also allows for a lot of flexibility in how the player character, V, approaches scenarios.

Futuristic London also has a lot of technology that players can utilize to their benefit, similar to how players can hack most of Night City’s automated systems.

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2) Loopmancer

Developed by eBrain Studios, Loopmancer is a 3D platformer roguelite action game that is set in a cyberpunk environment. It was released on July 13, 2022, and has since received positive reviews for its action, replayability, and level design.

The game also includes Metroidvania elements wherein players can return to previously locked areas and unlock them with new abilities.

One of the most striking similarities between Loopmancer and Cyberpunk 2077 is the look and feel of the gaming environment. At certain points throughout Loopmancer, it can almost feel like players are somewhere inside Night City. The game uses fluorescent neon lights, rain-splattered rooftops, and technologically enhanced enemies to drive home the cyberpunk factor.

In essence, Loopmancer is a detective story that starts with the main protagonist dying and subsequently finding himself back in his apartment. As the story unfolds, new mysteries are introduced, while answers are fair and few in between.

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3) Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a reboot of the 2008 game titled Mirror’s Edge. It follows the life of Faith Connors after she was released from prison. The game takes place in Glass, a dystopian futuristic city that is ruled by a totalitarian corporation, similar to the background of Cyberpunk 2077.

The games's first-person perspective allows players unrestricted access to the city, as this iteration contains an open world. Players can traverse through the city via a parkour mechanic and can use environmental objects such as zip-lines or ledges to close long distances.

At first glance, Glass and Night city seem to be stark opposites of each other. However, their environments share a few characteristics. Tall buildings signify the socially privileged status of the corporate elite, while ordinary people live in the shadows of these brutalist structures.

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4) Ghostrunner

Co-developed by One More Level and Slipgate Ironworks, Ghostrunner is a cyberpunk action platformer that was released on October 27, 2020. Both Ghostrunner and Cyberpunk 2077 are played in first-person, and their environments are reminiscent of each other.

In Ghostrunner, the player controls a cybernetically augmented ninja assassin. They must traverse through various levels through platform and parkour mechanics while defeating enemies. The combat is quite visceral and fun as players deflect bullets, dodge attacks, and slice up the bad guys.

The neon hues of Cyberpunk 2077 are quite prominent in Ghostrunner’s Dharma Tower, which is the main playable area of the game. The player has access to a sleek futuristic sword, along with a grapple that facilitates much of the aerial movement. The story takes on the usual man vs. machine trope that is often seen in sci-fi.

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5) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Dues Ex was one of the first video games to depict a technologically advanced future where cybernetics are a part of everyday life. The final game in the series was Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, an action role-playing title released in August 2016. It closed the chapter on protagonist Adam Jensen’s story.

In the final installment, Jensen has to uncover a plot surrounding the Illuminati, a group of people who seek to control world events from behind the scenes. Jensen is a cybernetically enhanced individual who has access to several technological implants that make him nearly superhuman.

Much like in Cyperpunk 2077, players can play the game in a variety of styles. Prague and Night City have many things in common, most notably the overreliance on technology that can be seen at almost every turn, as well as how nearly every individual is cybernetically enhanced in some form or the other.