Cyberpunk 2077 is the most recent major addition to one of the most beloved genres of entertainment. The pre-release hype this game was able to generate is a testament to that. When Cyberpunk was first announced in 2012, they sharpened audience’s expectations with a single picture, rife with the quintessential cyberpunk aesthetic. Fans knew nothing about this mysterious new IP but they knew it was cyberpunk which was reason enough to celebrate.
But what is cyberpunk? Is it merely an aesthetic, a warning about a less than ideal future, or something else entirely. Despite being immediately recognizable, cyberpunk is difficult to define. Hopefully, by immersing yourself in games similar to Cyberpunk 2077, one can better understand the genre.