It’s hard not to get excited when we get a new sci-fi game, especially those that take place in a cyberpunkish environment, somewhere in the future. From space cowboys to dystopian landscapes sprawled across the planets after a galaxy-wide war, the sci-fi genre has a lot to offer in terms of creating a new idea for a story. A unique vibe that you probably could not experience in the current world. Not that anyone is looking for a global scale disaster in the real world, the sci-fi genre allows gamers to deeply inhabit the role of the hero, that will most likely will take its course on the Heroes Journey story format. Enough chit chat, let’s get right into it! You might want to get your Steam credits here on the standby! Let’s go!
Disco Elysium
We’re starting off the list with a game title that’s been creating a bit of a wave in the Steam platform, one that’s available new or can be bought used at The Old School Game Vault. Disco Elysium categorizes itself as an open-world RPG, which follows a detective’s narrative and gameplay. Meaning, you’ll be investigating, chasing or running away, and of course, the all necessary combat involving either fists or high-tech slug launchers. Instead of straightforward gameplay, Disco Elysium features a world with multiple layers built-in. You don’t get to go in guns-a-blazing and end the game. Instead, say the wrong thing to the wrong NPC and fail in dispatching them, you’ll get to deal with the consequences. The game features a world that’s built on a dystopian premise, where new buildings are built around the older structure of the Old World.
The game also features a bunch of interesting characters available across the game, which you’ll encounter as the NPCs are deeply rooted in the gameplay. As you make your way in the game, you’ll get choices to make, and with each decisive choice you make, there’s a bit of dice roll to determine the success of your decision. Your thoughts are broken down into different psyche skills which serve as a specific thought process, and if you start racking up the upgrade points, you’ll be able to pull out riskier manoeuvres throughout your gameplay. You could also ask the right questions from the choices given to an NPC in order to get some information or even to manipulate them in order to get something out of them. Disco Elysium is a great and refreshing game to be released in recent times that reminds us that great games can still be produced with a deep and engaging story.
No Man’s Sky
Anyone who’s on Steam diligently would probably know the roller coaster that was this game. After 7 major updates, No Man’s Sky has finally realized the full game that they wanted gamers to experience in the first place. What you’re getting from this game is an open-world space exploration experience which lets you travel to new worlds and interact with the environment elements unique to the planet. In the recent updates, you can now socialize with other players and play missions together. No Man’s Sky focuses mainly on exploration, though it does have a decent combat system in place. Discover new planets, mine for resources, visit space stations and interact with the local intelligent species, trade and sell your items. The game start off slow as you’re given pretty basic and limited tools, considering the number of different types of resources that’s available in this game. But slowly as you start to progress in the game, you’ll get to enjoy the full extent of the gaming experience that is promised with No Man’s Sky.
Moons of Madness
I’m a big fan of anything Lovecraftian. The cosmic horror genre is challenging to pull off, and would sometimes fall short. Not in Moons of Madness though. This game perfectly captures the horror of the Lovecraftian genre. Not only that, the game takes place in space. Specifically, the planet Mars. The gameplay mostly revolves around puzzle-solving mechanics that serve to push the plot further. Be prepared to be chased around by tentacle looking monsters that have wreaked havoc into what looks like to be a space station on Mars. Expect jump scares and a conspiracy theory. And remember, you’re in space. Don’t be taking out your helmet without checking whether there’s oxygen. Also, hidden tentacle monsters.
The Surge 2
This game is all about combat. Everything revolves around surviving your encounter with enemies and getting stronger in the process. The Surge 2 is set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world which embodies a lot of the Souls-like combat mechanics which is paired with RPG-style exploration. Since there are scavenging mechanics in the game, you can craft items which serve as the progression mechanic within the game. If there’s anything to notice, it’s the level and environment design that is seamless. You can get the feeling that you’re standing in the midst of the rubble that once used to be a city. The game’s combat requires a lot of tactical approaches as it also includes a new combat mechanic, directional parrying. All in all, The Surge 2 is an excellent gaming experience if you’re looking for something that will test your skills, or if you’re done with Sekiro. Either way, The Surge 2 will definitely put up a fight in your journey to conquer the game.
Neo Cab
Sometimes, not all games about Sci-Fi or Cyberpunk games have to be about destruction and combat. Sometimes, all you want is a story rich game that you could discover slowly as you go. Neo Cab is just the right game for you. Set in the future where your character is the last human driver-for-hire, Neo Cab takes you on a journey that is infused with great stories with each new character you encountered. There is, of course, the main objective of the game, which is to find your missing friend. You do that by getting little clues from your passengers. You’ll encounter a slew of characters with different motivations or agenda. Perhaps one is running from the law, or another one has disturbing thoughts on cyborgs. Either way, the persuasive writing for the dialogues keeps the game fresh. The cyberpunk/synth-wave overall vibe pairs excellently with the era, as well as the soundtracks that accompany the game. So chill back, and engross yourself in the world of Neo Cab.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is another game title that recently made a splash once it was released. The Outer Worlds features a very quirky and light-hearted RPG game that takes you across a privately owned Solar System. If you imagine space cowboys or even more specific reference, the Firefly series, then you hit the mark. The Outer Worlds draws a lot of similarities with the show in its humour and the overall tone gameplay. The game is well crafted as it simulates an open world feel, but it actually isn’t. The immersion is great as you hire a bunch of misfits, travel from planet to planet, firing awesome sci-fi laser guns at the bad guys. All in all, The Outer Worlds is a great game. Currently, it’s exclusive on the Epic Game Store.
There are also games that are very much anticipated in this particular genre but have not been released. So, here’s 2 more big titles that are yet to be released:
Cyberpunk 2077 (16 April 2020)
The next big thing from CD Projekt Red. The hype has been built over the course of a few years. We had the first full trailer on E3, we had the 40 minutes gameplay footage, and finally, we got Keanu. There’s no way you’re not participating in the hype, and knowing the company’s reputation in delivering an excellent gaming experience, it’s safe again to be part of a game hype. Cyberpunk 2077 features an open-world action-adventure game that revolves around a metropolitan that is filled with people and cyborgs that are looking to make it big. And with the greed and lust for power that comes along with it, you’ll find a lot of unsavoury groups of people claiming a small chunk of the city for themselves. That’s where your mercenary character comes along and interact with all these clans of gangsters and sometimes, the government along the way. You’ll find yourself helping each side and sometimes yourselves. And if you stepped on too many toes, you’ll be on the crossfire.
Like all their previous games, Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a great deal of story branching as you’ll be able to make decisions in the dialogue and change the outcome for your character’s journey. The combat is great as it integrates gunplay with other tools to increase your chances or success and in some case, survival. Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely a significant release that everyone is waiting on. For tips and tricks that could help you max out your character and finish the game at the same time, take a look at websites similar to FPS Champion (check it out) online.
The sci-fi/cyberpunk genre never ceases to create great stories and gaming experience for all of us, and it hasn’t stopped from creating memories ever since the first game was created in this particular genre. And now, we have sci-fi games with various type of gameplay which has allowed us to experience the medium differently each time. So what are you waiting for? Top up your Steam Wallet and get your gaming on!