For anyone looking for more of the cyberpunk genre in their video game diet, The Ascent cuts right to the chase and delivers. It takes place in a gorgeously realized cyberpunk world. You spend the campaign, quite literally, ascending a tower. What more could you ask for from the brand new developer, Neon Giant, a team of only 11? That's no more than a soccer team.
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Plenty, actually. Despite a decently long campaign for a shoot 'em up and tons of reasons to return to the gritty, neon-lit lights of the megacorp-controlled Veles – whether that's to uncover more secrets of the game's surprisingly deep lore, or to enjoy all the co-op options available – The Ascent does eventually reach its peak and end. Good thing there are more games out there that can scratch some of the same itches.
Cyberpunk 2077
While it is perhaps an obvious and uninspired recommendation, Cyberpunk 2077 is still an example of a cyberpunk game. If you're looking for the standard tropes of the genre (netrunners, cyber-ninjas, urban grime, and corporate malfeasance galore), CD Projekt Red's game has got it all and all of it is dialed up to extremely large proportions.
It had a rocky launch and still performs poorly on many systems, but for some, the game presents a truly sprawling cyberpunk fantasy to get lost in. At the very least, Cyberpunk 2077 gave the world Judy Alvarez – one of the best characters in the game.
Nex Machina
If your favorite part of The Ascent was the game's melding of '80s cyberpunk aesthetic with twin-stick shooting, then you will most certainly want to check out Nex Machina. Developer Housemarque's cult hit is simpler than The Ascent in terms of both graphics and narrative, but the combat is tight, satisfying, and full of nuance.
Nex Machina has got a dose of nostalgia going for it, too, as it is essentially a spiritual successor to the arcade classic, Robotron: 2084. It's a tough game, but the excellent synth soundtrack is not one you'll likely get tired of soon.
West of Dead
If you're less beholden to the cyberpunk genre specifically and more just generally interested in a twin-stick shooter with an extremely confident sense of style, then West of Dead is the direction you'll want to head. The art style of this surreal Western is positively sublime, although hardly subtle – the main character's head is a burning skull and he is voiced by legendary actor Ron Perlman.
To complement the twin-stick mechanics, West of Dead also implements roguelike elements to constantly keep things as fresh as can be even when death and purgatory are the running themes of the game.
Enter the Gungeon
Enter the Gungeon might not be new anymore, but anyone who missed out on this indie darling when it was released in 2016 will now find it available on all major platforms. Enter the Gungeon, like the best roguelikes out there, creates a compelling loop to keep players pressing on despite the difficulty spikes.
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Like The Ascent's innovative use of cover, Enter the Gungeon also makes use of terrain in an interesting way. For anyone craving the chaos of bullet-hell gameplay, there are few better places to look than this modern classic.
Ruiner
For a twin-stick shooter arguably even more stylish than The Ascent in its depiction of cyberpunk aesthetics, Ruiner would be an easy game to recommend – if maybe it were a little easier.
That said, if you're willing to put in the time and energy to invest in Ruiner's challenging gameplay loop, you'll find a deep combat system with plenty of cool abilities that offer more than the standard shooting mechanics. This game will really make you feel like a time-manipulating cyber-ninja. Good thing that demand is being met somewhere.
Resogun
If you're not yet tired of shoot 'em ups, Resogun is a modern classic of the genre that should be checked out for the way it uses voxel-based destructible environments alone. It's not exactly an example of cyberpunk, but controlling a spaceship is cool in its own right, and there are certainly plenty of neon lights and fog effects in between all the shooting.
Related: Housemarque Promises Its Games Are Only Going To Get Bigger Now It's A Part Of PlayStation
Developed by Housemarquee – the creators of other bullet-hell masterpieces like Nex Machina and more recently, Returnal – definitely know what they're doing when it comes to lights, explosions, and gunplay.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is neither sci-fi nor a shoot 'em up, but if you were into the RPG mechanics and world-building aspects of The Ascent, then you will want to check out this fantasy stalwart. In this massive CRPG, you create your own character, party, and epic story.
Few games in recent years give the player as much freedom as Divinity: Original Sin 2 does. Good thing every corner of the game is beautifully designed and exceptionally well written. It might take some time to get the hang of the rather challenging turn-based combat, but it's worth giving the game a shot if you have about 100 hours to spare.
Ghostrunner
As any cyberpunk aficionado knows, cyber-ninjas are not to be messed around with. In some of the most totemic examples of the genre, like William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer, they're often only side characters, but Ghostunner lets you fully inhabit one.
No surprise: it is extremely fun. Ghostrunner delivers a slick first-person ninja experience that proves that melee combat can be done well from the first-person perspective. It doesn't have terribly much in the way of story, but if you're looking for an indie game with some high production values, this is not one to be missed.
Cloudpunk
For something heavier on story than gameplay, Cloudpunk more than delivers. In the game, you play as Rania, a delivery driver and new immigrant to the metropolis, Nivalis. Once there, she gets wrapped up in the standard cyberpunk tropes of corporate espionage and artificial intelligence gone wrong, but Cloudpunk is more than the sum of its parts.
Where the game really excels is in the line-by-line writing and characterization of both the citizens of its world and the world itself. It might not be the most technically marvelous game, but its art direction works well to create a place that feels lived in and worth exploring.
The Deus Ex Series
The fact of the matter is that cyberpunk fiction, more often than not, is bonkers. Bonkers in the amount of imagination on display as well as in the mix of various jargons and ludicrous plotlines. This stuff is often challenging to follow and the Deus Ex series is no different.
While fans of the long-running series might debate on where is best to start – with the most recent entry in the series being Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – wherever you do begin, you'll find a deep series of gameplay systems and an elaborately twisting plot that matches even the best of William Gibson's writing.
Next: Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting The Ascent
