Since its inception in the early 80s in films and novels, Cyberpunk has always been a fascinating genre. The future of humanity - our future - is one that seems to get more uncertain every day, yet grizzly depictions of the technology-infused, crime rampant and overall devastatingly dystopian societies represent one of the most fascinating portraits of humanity's potential fate.

What would happen if a rogue artificial intelligence took over the globe? Or if one or two mega corporations overthrew the government and controlled the entity of world affairs? What if one was able to upload their consciousness into a machine and attain immortality? 

Despite the bleak outlook these world scenarios paint; the technological, political and philosophical questions they prompt are undeniably alluring. Video games excel at immersing a person in these worlds, giving them choices to make and characters to develop in a living, breathing futuristic world. For that reason, they can make for some of the best cyberpunk stories ever written. Here are five of the best!

Observer: System Redux
PC | Xbox Series X | PS5
2020

2016’s Observer, but even more so its remaster ‘System Redux’ which launched this year, is a brilliant piece of cyberpunk fiction. The game drips with atmosphere with its futuristic depiction of the Polish city Krakow, and the downtrodden district D apartment complex where the game takes place. Excellently written and performed dialogue, amazing artistic design and the addition of Ray tracing and incredible graphical fidelity in System Redux, Observers incredibly realized the world grips the player from start to finish.

The game covers themes such as mind uploading, robotic augmentation and conglomerate corporate take-over, which blend together to make one of the most intriguing yet horrifying depictions of a cyberpunk dystopia to date. Aside from the main story, the title contains fantastic side story’s and a wealth of interesting background lore exploring the individual lives of district D’s residents. Everything within the game is superbly executed, making it a must play modern classic. For more, see our review of the game.

Deus Ex
PC | PS2
2000

There are not many game series as unique in their design as the original Deus Ex; the sequels have been fantastic in their own right, but nothing quite compares the cult classic that was the original game. A thorough and deep immersive sim in its own right, Deus Ex had a multi-layered, absorbing philosophically charged cyberpunk story surrounding government conspiracy, and excellently implemented RPG style mechanics focussing on robotic augmentation. The game is the embodiment of player freedom and choice within a video game, there is no right or wrong way to play with vast detailed, complex gameplay to hatch your plans with. Deus Ex was ultimately very ahead of its time, and a game any Cyberpunk fan, any PC gamer, should check out.    
 

System Shock 2
PC
1999

Without System Shock, there would be no Bioshock, no Dead Space and no Prey. The game is an incredibly immersive sim focusing on the loan sane survivor of an AI-controlled spaceship. Creepy, atmospheric, and profound, System Shock 2 brought a chilling depiction of what a powerful and nefarious AI might do with ultimate power.

It’s one of the best immersive sims ever made, with a ton of replayability given the wide variety of ways to play. With a diverse assortment of skills and personal upgrades to choose from, players can spec their character to be better at fighting, hacking, engineering, paranormal powers and more, with the game offering a wildly diverse plethora of gameplay styles, each with their own deeply implemented systems. Despite the game now showing graphical age, it still manages to instil the same dread it did in 1999 and is one of the most unique PC gaming experiences one can play.

Mirror's Edge
PC | Xbox 360 | PS3
2008

Mirror’s Edge is one of the most unique AAA games to release in the last 15 years or so. Replacing the traditionally grimy and dark aesthetic cyberpunk media ordinarily adorns, Mirror’s Edge opts for the blinding white sea of skyscrapers that is The City Of Glass - an uncommonly calm dystopia that achieves this eerie public silence through censorship and oppression.

Playing as a courier named Faith, the game centers around momentum-based, first-person free-running gameplay that is totally unique even today, and the story Faith becomes embroiled in is an engrossing take on traditional cyberpunk conventions. At only around six hours long, Mirror's Edge is a great bet for a short but impactful take on the genre.
 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake
PS4
2020

While it might seem odd at first to label this 1997 PlayStation classic cyberpunk, its world and story unequivocally draws heavily from the genre.

Set in the future, the world is under the thumb of powerful multinational corporation ‘Shinra’, the story focusing on the rebellion to this regime. Its detailed illustration of the city slums and the dystopia Shinra has inflicted on the population, channel everything cyberpunk excels at. This game is considered one of the best JRPG’s of all time, and the uniquely rendered world of Gaia and the story that takes place there is superbly executed. It brings the type of solid and strategic turn-based RPG mechanics you’d expect from a PlayStation Fantasy Title, and with the remake out now, there’s no better time to revisit this classic.
 

There are, of course, many other games designed using cyberpunk conventions or that draw influence from the genre. 

What are your favorite games that embrace the style and setting off of a Cyberpunk world? Let us know in the comments.
 

Linden Garcia
Editor, NoobFeed