Cyberpunk 2077's neon-soaked Night City leaves a void few games can fill, but these eight alternatives capture its corporate rot, hacking thrills, and moral ambiguity. From Deus Ex's augmentation conspiracies to Cloudpunk's delivery-route intimacy, each offers a distinct angle on high-tech dystopia.
Phantom Blade Zero impressed at Gamescom with fluid Chinese martial arts combat and a standout Lion Dance boss fight. The action RPG from S-Game Studio features a unique 66-day lifespan mechanic and circuitous level design that rewards exploration. Early hands-on time suggests this could be one of 2025's most distinctive action games.
IGN's hands-on preview of Phantom Blade Zero reveals a 2026 action RPG from S-GAME that delivers the smoothest combat since Sekiro, complete with Donnie Yen as a playable character. After over six hours with the game's opening act, the preview highlights diverse weapons, memorable boss fights, and a Sha-Chi resource system that adds surprising RPG depth.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 delivers a roughly seven-hour campaign that feels thin on story and shallow on gameplay, though minor improvements like customizable characters and a jump button offer welcome quality-of-life upgrades. The new Sift realm stands out as the highlight with its teal landscapes and dancing automatons, but the endgame Soul Storms activity currently lacks depth to sustain long-term interest.
HoYoverse's upcoming free-to-play action RPG Nodusfall impressed at Gamescom with satisfying combat and standout boss design that moves beyond its Elden Ring visual comparisons. The co-op focused preview revealed mythology-inspired enemies, a generous stamina system, and character progression without gacha banners.
After five years of silence since its 2021 reveal, Showa American Story finally lets players get hands-on with its alternate-history action RPG. The two-hour demo reveals a wildly imaginative world and deep combat systems, but technical roughness threatens to undermine the experience.
Archetype Entertainment has locked in an April 7, 2027 launch for Exodus, its Mass Effect-inspired action RPG coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The gamescom Opening Night Live reveal introduced Salt, an Awakened octopus who pilots a mech suit and joins your crew as a long-range sniper with ink smokescreen abilities.
NetEase and Naked Rain have announced a January 15, 2027 release date for Ananta, the urban open-world action RPG previously known as Project Mugen. The Gamescom Opening Night Live trailer showcases two explorable cities, influencer-based progression, martial arts combat, and a massive roster of traversal options across PS5 and PC.
Footage and artwork have surfaced for Star Wars: Magellan, a cancelled multiplayer action RPG that would have let players choose between Jedi and Mandalorian classes. Developed by Echtra Games and NaturalMotion for Zynga, the project was shut down in 2025 when Zynga closed the San Francisco studio.
Phantom Blade Zero will appear in next week's State of Play presentation, bringing fresh footage of the action RPG to PlayStation and PC audiences. The new trailer features martial arts legend Donnie Yen, confirming his involvement with the project. S-GAME's title continues to build momentum ahead of its eventual release.
