Rez Infinite is a modern remake of the game Rez, originally on Playstation 2 and Dreamcast. Rez is about a hacker breaking through firewalls in cyberspace to reach a malfunctioning AI. The gameplay involves flying your character through cyberspace and targeting multiple AI defenses at once to chain your attacks.

The game was big on rhythm and synesthesia. So the game is trying to get you basically into a trance. And as you play, your character transcends forms the longer you last, with each form gaining more detail: ! Each time you die you start out at level 1. If you get hit, you go down to level 0. So you have to level up multiple times and not get hit to see any of the later forms. I've never made it beyond the level 3 form.

Another weird thing about the original game was, in an attempt to really push for synesthesia, the game came with a "Trance Vibrator" which you could plug into the console to further enhance the haptic feedback on the controller. It was a vibrator. Even the game creator admitted it could be used for sexual stimulation. I don't know how they actually got that manufactured and claimed it was for anything else.

Here's a trailer. You can play it on Steam, Playstation, and Xbox. And it has VR support.

Also, the creator made a spiritual successor called Child of Eden but I've never played it.

Anno: Mutationem is a weird game. First of all, it looks amazing. They totally captured the cyberpunk aesthetic. But in my opinion, the gameplay is just 'ok'. It isn't bad by any means, it's just generic.

The game has two different types of gameplay: 3d exploration, and 2d beat 'em up. And the two don't mix. When in the exploring areas, you can wander around wherever you want and talk to NPCs. But once you enter a combat level, you're locked in a 2d plane for a beat 'em up game. The entire game basically alternates between these two modes, until you reach the latter part of the game where it's all action.

Overall I enjoyed the game but I was obviously playing it for the cyberpunk aesthetic, which is where it shines. Otherwise, the exploration is limited to small regions and the combat is fairly repetitive. Neither are bad, just small in scope.

Here's a trailer. You can get it on Steam, Switch, Playstation, Xbox, wherever.

I don't typically browse kickstarter looking for cyberpunk content but the Almighty Internet Algorithm shoved this video in my face and I gotta admit, it is cyberpunk.

The animation seems really smooth, kinda like the old Flashback, or more recent Lunark. But for all I know, maybe they were going for something closer to Anomaly Agent.

Anyway, this is a Kickstarter that just started and it doesn't look like it'll be a runaway success (or maybe they're just asking for too much money). They've already created a Steam page for the game though, so maybe they'll still work on it even if the kickstarter fails. Who knows, I'll probably just put it on my Steam wishlist to keep an eye on whether it ever releases.

The Mega Man Battle Network series takes place in a completely different timeline from the regular Mega Man (or Mega Man X) games. In this world, everyone has their own digital assistant AI and some random fifth grader happens to have named his assistant MegaMan.EXE. Other digital assistants are also named after previous Mega Man games.

The gameplay is split between real-world exploring as the kid and cyber-world exploring as MegaMan.EXE. While in the cyber-world, Mega Man can have random enemy encounters with viruses. It's all very childish since the main character is in elementary school, but the RPG elements are pretty good. I thought the grid-based real-time battle system was pretty fun, although the random encounters get tedious (like in any RPG).

I'm pretty sure anything that includes cyberspace is basically considered cyberpunk-by-proxy so I'm suggesting Mega Man Battle Network is cyberpunk. Yes, it's from a child's perspective (so the world isn't exactly nihilistic), but I think it still fits.

There were six games in the Mega Man Battle Network series, all of them on the Game Boy Advance. So you could easily grab an emulator and play these games. Or, you could get the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Vol 1 and Vol 2) to play them on Steam, or Switch, or Playstation.

There was also an anime based on this video game series, called MegaMan.EXE. It was renamed to MegaMan NT Warrior in the US, but I'm not sure if all of the episodes were localized. I think there were more MegaMan.EXE episodes than NT Warrior episodes. But I already feel like I'm taking a chance with this post so I'm not going to start talking about a kids anime. For what it is, I think the world-building is pretty good, but this is definitely a video game series (and anime) made for kids.

If anyone has nostalgia for Syndicate or Syndicate Wars, I recommend Satellite Reign. It's a similar real-time squad-based isometric cyberpunk game as those games. Also, Satellite Reign wasn't just influenced by Syndicate, it was made by the producer and lead programmer of Syndicate Wars.

Syndicate and Syndicate Wars were both real-time squad-based isometric games. EA published both of them. Since EA owned the rights, they decided to make a new Syndicate game in 2012. Except this time they made it a first-person shooter: !

This pissed off the original programmer of Syndicate Wars so much he created a kickstarter to make his own game, following the original Syndicate style. Of course, since EA owned the name "Syndicate" he had to name it something else. He called it Satellite Reign. The kickstarter was successful and he made the game. And it's really good.

Here's a trailer. You can get it on Steam or GOG.

Huntdown is a really fun game. The setting is more "high-tech, low-life" than neon city lights but it's still cyberpunk. It's just heavily inspired by the 80s style of cyberpunk. You basically move from left to right mowing down enemies until you reach a boss fight at the end of the level. So basic arcade-y gameplay, but really fun.

Here's a trailer. And it's currently 80% off on both Steam and GOG.

VirtuaVerse is a standard point & click adventure game that really nails the cyberpunk aesthetic.

This isn't surprising since the game was created by Victor Love, a guy who has been making cyberpunk music under various names for years. He was the lead singer for the rock band Dope Stars Inc. but also made synthwave/chiptune music under the names Hacking the Wave, Victor Love, and Master Boot Record.

The game is really well-made, although I'm no expert on point & click adventure games. I don't have the patience to solve moon logic puzzles so I typically just open a walkthrough and enjoy myself with the game. And by doing that, I really enjoyed this world.

Here's a trailer. You can get it on Steam and GOG.

This game is such an oddity. Depending on how you count it, this is Hideo Kojima's second game (after Metal Gear for the NES). And it's basically Blade Runner but legally distinct enough to not get sued. Yet they also decided to make one character look exactly like Sting from the 1984 Dune movie for some reason: !

And the game was later re-released as 'SD Snatcher' with the Chibi "super deformed" look: !

It's all just so weird.

The game was ported to a bunch of different systems so I'm curious for those who have already played the game... does the version matter? Is the PS1 version good enough or do I need an MSX2 emulator to get the "best" version of the game? Also, have any of you played SD Snatcher? Is it worth playing?

Here's the intro to the game if you've never heard of it.

This is a total joke game but it's priced right at $5 and they totally committed to the joke. Rather than trying to teach pseudo-linux hacking commands (like in Hacknet or Uplink), this game is inspired by terrible hacking scenes in movies and TV (like having two people type on the same keyboard as fast as they can).

This game is all about mashing random keys on your keyboard as fast as you can. That's how you "hack", just like in the movies. The game does mix it up a bit by doing extra damage if you type actual words and playing basic mini-games to perform certain actions, but the main focus is on bashing your keyboard as frantically as you can so you can feel like a movie hacker.

Here's a trailer, showing how frantic everything is. It just released on Monday and is only available on Steam. It's totally ridiculous and now my hands are tired, but it's fun.

The game is definitely cyberpunk but since this is just a reveal trailer with no gameplay, there's no way to tell what type of game it actually is.

The synopsis says: > Lose yourself in the dystopian world of New York in the year 2329 in Nobody Wants to Die, a new detective noir adventure where immortality comes at a price that someone has to pay. As Detective James Karra, you'll lead the investigation using advanced technology, risking it all in pursuit of a serial killer targeting the city’s elite.

"Detective noir adventure" is pretty vague so who knows what it will end up being.

Cloudpunk is a good game for people who don't want to stress out while playing a video game. This is a very low-stakes mellow gameplay. You're given the freedom to fly all over the city at your own pace. Plus you can get out of your taxi and walk around all you want. But this isn't like Crazy Taxi where you're just constantly collecting fares, there is a plot.

If you don't know the word voxel, it's a "pixel" with "volume". So while a pixel is a square, a voxel is a cube. The voxel art-style is more apparent when you get out of your taxi and walk around: !

Here's a trailer. You can get it on Steam, GOG, Switch, Xbox, Playstation, anywhere you want.

Also, the developers are working on another game in this universe called Nivalis. It's supposed to be more of a life-sim where you own a noodle stand rather than driving a taxi. Here's a trailer for that one.

Slave Zero is an old game so the graphics and gameplay mechanics are definitely dated. But I don't know any other game that lets you stomp around a cyberpunk city as a giant robot. The game does a great job of giving you a sense of scale with all the little flying cars moving around your feet as you jump from building to building. I still enjoy it.

If you've never played Slave Zero, here's a trailer. It's available on Steam for $7 but if that's too high a price, it regularly goes on sale for $4.50.

Also, I refuse to accept that the new game Slave Zero X is actually a prequel to Slave Zero. I don't care if this company bought the rights to Slave Zero and claims it's in the same universe. A 2.5D ninja beat 'em up is nothing like jumping around a cyberpunk city as a giant robot.

Remember Me is a fun 3rd-person cyberpunk beat 'em up. It takes place in Neo Paris but also, a lot of the game takes place during the day. And there isn't constant rain or clouds, it's actually sunny. It's weird how few cyberpunk games ever actually show the sun.

The gameplay itself gets pretty repetitive. You're always just performing combos against groups of bad guys followed by some platforming (no RPG elements here). It isn't bad by any means, it's just no masterpiece. The world building is really fun though. There's a megacorporation that creates brain implants which allow people to upload, share, and edit their memories. You play a Memory Hunter who can jump into other people's heads and modify their memories. She uses this ability to try bringing down the corporation behind the implant after she learns the horrifying truth.

Here's a trailer. The game is available on Steam, where it regularly goes on sale for 80% off.

The Ascent has so much world-building and unique characters that I'm surprised it isn't based on an existing book series, anime, or TTRPG. Yet it's the debut game from a studio with 12 people. That's crazy to me.

There are complaints about the game being buggy or the gameplay being repetitive, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the cyberpunk visuals and the world they created. I would love to have more content from this universe (books, anime, whatever).

Just check out the official synopsis: > The Ascent takes place within an arcology in a futuristic dystopian world known as Veles, controlled by a powerful megacorporation called "The Ascent Group". Players assume control of a worker enslaved by the company. After the mysterious collapse of The Ascent Group, the arcology descends into a chaotic free-for-all pitting districts, syndicates and rival corporations against each other for control. The player's role is to stop other factions from seizing control and uncover the mystery behind the demise of The Ascent Group.

Totally cyberpunk.

The game is a top-down twin-stick shooter (not FPS) and has a lot of RPG elements. It's available on Steam, Xbox, and Playstation but not on GOG or Switch for some reason.

Pinball M is a free pinball game that you can buy additional tables for. There's now a System Shock-based table for it.

I know the Watch_Dogs series has always received mediocre scores and reviews, but I've always enjoyed them. Sure, hacking a CCTV camera by looking at it from another CCTV camera makes no sense, but hacking is never realistic in movies or video games. At least this series makes hacking fun without being a bunch of mini-games. And you use your cellphone to hack everything, which is also fun.

I do think it's funny that when the first Watch_Dogs came out, everyone complained about how bland the main character was. So with Watch_Dogs 2, they changed the main character to be a fast-talking wise-cracking kid. And people complained about that too. So then when Watch_Dogs Legion finally came out, it's almost as if you could hear the company say "Fine! You think it's so easy to come up with a main character? You pick one!" and they spent a lot of effort introducing an entire game mechanic where you can recruit and play as any NPC you see walking down the street.

For what it's worth, my favorite character has always been Aiden Pearce, from the first Watch_Dogs game. He was the closest to a hard-boiled detective and it made the game feel more cyberpunk, even though the setting for Watch Dogs Legion was actually more of a cyberpunk world.

It's possible I enjoyed the games so much because I always went the pacifist route and played it like a stealth game. I liked when Watch_Dogs 2 introduced a remote-controlled car you could use to hack things remotely, even though it wasn't capable of opening doors. But then in Watch Dogs Legion they expanded it so you had a remote-controlled drone and it could open doors. I was basically able to play the entire game by walking to the edge of a hostile area, deploying my drone, and playing the entire mission that way. If my drone was ever caught, it'd blow up and control would return to my character, who was safely standing outside the hostile area. I'd just deploy another drone and try again.

Anyway, if you haven't played any of the games, I recommend them. While I think the first one is the most cyberpunk, it also has the most dated game mechanics. Also, you can start with any of the games. There really isn't any connecting plot between the three games, just minor references here and there. So pick whichever one looks the most interesting and give it a try.

"Neon Blood is a 2.5D tactical action-adventure RPG developed by ChaoticBrain Studios. Players will embody Axel McCoin, a detective from the megacity of Viridis out to rebel against the injustices caused by the drastic class differences within the city. Become a mark of the revolution by dispatching dangerous enemies, using investigative skills, and freeing the futuristic sci-fi city. Neon Blood is launching in 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, and PC."

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2067310/Neon_Blood/

Steam Next Fest is going on right now and I thought "I should make a list of fun cyberpunk demos to try!" And then I looked at what cyberpunk demos were available. It's weird. I still decided to make a list of at least... interesting games I found.

Dystopika - A cyberpunk city builder. Like, you add giant buildings, cover them in advertisements and neon lights, and... I think that's it. Even the description says "No goals, no stress, no objectives."

DeResolution - There's no way this game makes it to release without a Cease & Desist. It's an attempt to create a Tron game and it's not even trying to hide that fact. The demo isn't listed on the game's steam page but it's available on the next fest page.

Mullet Mad Jack - A ridiculous FPS where you have to kill an enemy every 10 seconds or the game ends. I posted a link to a gameplay video a couple weeks ago. Now the demo is available.

Death Noodle Delivery - A paperboy knock-off set in a cyberpunk world where you deliver noodles on your hoverboard. I'm hopeful about this one, I like the idea.

packet.Breach() - A tower-defense game that uses hacking as the concept. I'm terrible at tower-defense games so it's hard for me to judge this one. I enjoyed the demo though.

Eden Genesis - A weird precision platformer where you just enter a room and have to collect all items and defeat all enemies within some period of time to earn a rank. Then you can walk around the overworld to find a new room where you do it again. It's wrapped up in a cyberpunk package, but it feels more like a series of puzzles than a cohesive game.

Veiled Edge - Another 2d platformer. This one reminded me a lot of Sanabi. Where Sanabi gives you a grappling hook for fun movement mechanics, this game has a teleportation mechanic. You move into "teleportation mode" where there are certain spots you can teleport to and you pick which one to use. Very similar to the "aiming mode" Sanabi had for its grappling hook. I should mention the demo defaulted to Korean language. I had to find the options menu and change it to English to make any sense of what was happening.

Memory Lost - A twin-stick shooter (like Ruiner), except in this one you can posses the body of enemies and use their weapons/abilities.

Also, since I'm listing games anyway, here are a couple demos for games that have already been released:

System Shock remake - A very faithful remake of the original System Shock. Meaning, it isn't as mind-blowing as the recent Dead Space remake. This remake keeps a lot of the rough edges from the original.

Turbo Overkill - A fast-moving boomer shooter with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews. You can slide on the ground and use your chainsaw leg to mow down enemies.

I don't do visual novels or RPGs but hopefully that's a diverse enough list for you to find something interesting.

In the original Tron, the digital world was comprised of visual representations of actual computing components. Programs looked like their authors, there was an I/O tower for interacting with the real world, there are bits that only contain binary yes/no values, etc.

Tron 2.0 took everything established in the original Tron movie and expands on it. You get to visit the internet, a low-powered PDA, fight computer viruses, pull data off a hard drive that is in the process of being wiped, and a bunch of other stuff. Plus you can optimize your weapons by upgrading them from alpha quality, to beta, to the gold release. It all makes sense in-universe and the game is really fun.

I'm still annoyed that Tron: Legacy threw away everything in Tron 2.0 and, in my opinion, cheapened it. In Tron: Legacy, The Grid is nothing more than a video game Kevin Flynn made on his personal computer in his spare time. Now the digital world isn't a visual representation of actual computers, it's just a game. So now it can rain in the grid for no reason, and the city is populated by NPCs who don't really serve a purpose, and having something not written by Flynn (the ISOs) are somehow magical.

I wish the Tron franchise had continued with the Tron 2.0 version of the story. Then it would've made sense in-universe for the graphics to improve, and we could've had quantum computers, virtual reality, and a vision of what the internet looks like now (rather than in 2003). But instead, if the next Tron movie follows the Tron: Legacy storyline where Flynn dies, then The Grid can't change. Because no one is programming it to be different.

Anyway, Tron 2.0. It's awesome. And I think it's the best thing to come out of the Tron franchise.

Here's a trailer. It's available on Steam and GOG. I also recommend the Killer App Mod to get it running on modern systems.

Akane feels very much like an arcade game. The entire game is one screen with an unending supply of bad guys that you have to kill. Every enemy dies in one hit, but so do you.

The gameplay is really fun though. You have a sword attack and a gun with limited ammo that slowly refills. You can unlock more swords and guns by accomplishing various tasks (block 10 bullets, reach a combo of 50 attacks, etc.).

The game is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Also, I don't know if there's a name for this style of game but I recently came across Kill The Crows, which has the exact same game mechanics (and artstyle?) but with a Wild West theme. It's weird how similar these two games are.