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Games to Play While Waiting for Cyberpunk 2077

Originally revealed almost eight years ago – and with a six-month delay to boot – the hype machine surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 shows no signs of slowing down.

CD Projekt Red’s first-person RPG is one of the most anticipated games of the last decade, and although players will have to wait until September 17 to get their hands on the title, its developer insists there will be no further delays.

But, if you’re anything like us, being confined to the house over the last few weeks has made the wait for Cyberpunk 2077’s release even more painful. Thankfully, cyberpunk lends itself extremely well to video games, and there’s no shortage of options for fans of the genre, from the Deus Ex series on consoles to the Retro Rush slot game, which users can play when signing up for the Paddy Power new customer offer at the popular online casino.

With that in mind, we take a look at two of the best cyberpunk-themed titles that may help tide players over until the dystopian blockbuster hits store shelves this autumn.

Dystopia (2007)

A total game modification for Half-Life 2, Dystopia received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2007. Pitting two rival factions – the Punks and the Corps – against each other the first-person multiplayer shooter contains objective-based gameplay, with rounds being based on attack and defence. The title currently contains 14 official maps, a number of different classes and weapons, and an ambitious backstory that combines cyberspace with ‘meatspace’ in a Matrix-inspired setting.

CD Projekt Red make no secret of the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 was inspired by the free-to-play mod, with a now-deleted blog post by the studio in 2013 analysing several of its core concepts.

Syndicate (1993)

The Syndicate series is another huge source of inspiration for Cyberpunk 2077’s developers, with the Bullfrog-developed original being a perfect place to start for players new to the franchise. An isometric real-time-tactics title, the 1993 classic puts players in charge of a corporation vying for global domination in a dystopian society in which traditional governments have crumbled.

If that doesn’t sound cyberpunky enough for you, consider the fact that the in-game EuroCorp controls citizens’ sense of reality via a computer chip implanted into their neck, and that most of your time will be spent completing objectives revolving around your corporation’s cyborg agents of influence. It really is a seminal game in the cyberpunk genre, with the series going onto spawn a direct sequel, as well as the 2012 underrated FPS reboot of the same name.

With September several months away, hopefully the above two titles will satisfy your cyberpunk needs until Cyberpunk 2077 finally sees a release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. But have we missed out your favourite titles in the genre? Let us know about it below.

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