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Cyberpunk 2077 is the clearest match if you want a cyberpunk video game with role-playing systems and an open world to explore. Bandai Namco describes it as an open-world action-adventure RPG set in Night City. If you are open to a different format, The Ascent adds co-op action-shooter combat and RPG progression, while Shadowrun Returns trades free-roaming exploration for turn-based tactical role-playing.
Best direct match: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 brings together the three elements in this search: a cyberpunk setting, RPG play, and open-world exploration. It takes place in Night City, and CD PROJEKT RED describes it as an open-world role-playing game set in a dangerous city of the future.
Choose it if you want a city to explore as part of an action-focused RPG rather than a sequence of isolated tactical encounters. The official franchise site also features a board game and a trading card game; those extend the setting but are not video-game substitutes for this recommendation.
How the alternatives compare
| Game | World and play style | Role-playing and play mode | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Open-world exploration in Night City; action-adventure RPG. | Role-playing game; specific co-op details are not stated in the cited official descriptions. | Players who want the closest fit for an open-world cyberpunk RPG. |
| The Ascent | Action-shooter with exploration across districts; not a first-person open-world RPG. | Cyberware customization, skill-point progression, augmentations, and loot; solo or co-op. | Players who want cyberpunk action, progression, and the option to play co-op. |
| Shadowrun Returns | Story set in Seattle, with turn-based tactical encounters rather than open-world action exploration. | Single-player tactical RPG with a classless skill system for developing a character in several directions. | Players who favor tactical combat, character builds, and cyberpunk mixed with fantasy. |
When The Ascent is a better fit
KRAFTON presents The Ascent as a cyberpunk action-shooter RPG with solo and co-op play. Its official page highlights cyberware customization, skill points, augmentations, loot, and exploration across districts.
#1 Best Overall
- Welcome to the new world: taking on the role of a Hunter, players are tasked with going on a research expedition to a newly discovered continent known only as “new world”.
- Living and breathing ecosystem: utilize the surrounding environment and wildlife to your advantage;Subgenre:Action role-playing game (RPG)
- Online drop-in multiplayer: when the battle is too daunting to take on single-handedly, hail up to three other hunters to assist during quests by sending up a sos flare to a worldwide server.
- Hunt to craft new Gear: defeat monsters and collect loot from fallen foes to craft equipment and weapons styled after the monsters that have been slain.
- SEAMLESS gameplay: players and monsters can move from One map area to another freely and without loading screens whilst gameplay also dynamically transitions between night and day.
Pick it if you would rather shoot your way through a cyberpunk world, adjust your character with RPG systems, or play alongside someone else. Its combat and district-based exploration make it an alternative in the genre, not a like-for-like replacement for Cyberpunk 2077’s open-world city format.
When Shadowrun Returns is a better fit
The Steam listing for Shadowrun Returns describes a single-player, turn-based tactical RPG in a cyberpunk-meets-fantasy setting. Its story takes place in Seattle, and its classless skill system lets you develop a character in different directions.
Rank #2
- The outer worlds is a new single-player first-person sci-fi rpg from obsidian entertainment and private division
- In the outer worlds, you awake from hibernation on a colonist ship that was lost in transit to halcyon, the furthest colony from earth located at the edge of the galaxy, only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy it. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all-vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable
Choose it if you want tactical decision-making and character-building more than continuous city exploration. Its turn-based structure is a substantial difference from an open-world action RPG, so it is best treated as an adjacent cyberpunk role-playing option.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 192-page full color hardcover packed with tools and guidance to help gamemasters run immersive campaigns.
- Includes expert advice for new and experienced GMs tailored to the Warhammer The Old World roleplaying system.
- Features campaign-building tools like Grim Portents, Contacts, and Dark Threads to create dynamic narratives.
- Expanded setting details for Talagaad with guidance for adapting adventures to other regions and stories.
- Contains bestiary, magic items, downtime events, and corruption paths to enrich gameplay and surprise players.
Rank #4
![Outriders: Worldslayer PlayStation 4 [Base Game Included] with Free Upgrade to the Digital PS5 Version](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-r9XaHfrL._SL160_.jpg)
- A Journey Of Death -Humanity’s hope for survival rests on your journey deep into the cradle of Enoch’s civilization
- Dynamic 1-3 Player Co-Op - Play solo or join up to 2 friends in drop-in drop-out co-op as you take on the horrors of a hyper-evolved planet in an apocalypse
- 4 Unique Classes - Create and customize your own Outrider and choose from 4 unique powerful classes each with its own deadly array of brutal abilities with Skill Trees and Pax Trees to further define your personal playstyle
- Guns & Gear - Customize and upgrade your Outrider(s) with countless combos of powerful Epic, Legendary and Apocalypse items with increasing damage potential; Gear can be modified with up to 3 mod slots allowing for full customization
- Outriders Included - The full experience of OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER includes the original OUTRIDERS game, with all the numerous quality of life improvements and Expedition content added since launch
Rank #3
- Explore the grim and thrilling World of Legend with this 192-page full-color hardback RPG book for Warhammer: the Old World, ideal for players and collectors alike.
- Create iconic characters using six Origins and 30 Careers, from cunning Rat Catchers to noble Knight-Exiles, with full rules for advancement, Skills, Talents, and Lores.
- Fast-paced, easy-to-learn d10 dice pool system delivers high-lethality gameplay true to the Old World, offering combat, adventure, and peril for every session.
- Customize your hero with trappings, Assets, Endeavours, magical spells, and improvised spellcasting, plus divine Favours, prayers, and miracles from ten gods.
- Perfect for players seeking epic adventures, survival, and glory; this book contains everything needed to explore the Old World, complementing the Gamemaster’s Guide.
How to choose
- For an open-world city: Start with Cyberpunk 2077.
- For co-op and action-shooter combat: Consider The Ascent, understanding that it explores districts rather than matching Cyberpunk 2077’s open-world format.
- For turn-based tactics and flexible builds: Choose Shadowrun Returns if a cyberpunk-fantasy setting appeals to you.
- Before buying: Check the current platform listing and regional edition for the version you intend to play. Platform support, editions, and availability can change, and the sources cited here do not confirm every platform or physical SKU.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
