Cyberpunk 2077

For more of: CD Projekt Red quest design, RPG mechanics
Notable differences: Customizable protagonist, first person perspective, quasi-immersive sim scenarios, cyberpunk setting, feels more like a first-person shooter from time to time
Availability: Windows (Steam Deck OK), Xbox Series X/S, PS5 (and technically Xbox One, PS4, and err, Stadia)

In Cyberpunk 2077, you take on the role of V, a cybernetically enhanced merc in the bustling dystopian metropolis of Night City. With a choice of three different openings, V soon gets wrapped up in a life-or-death scenario involving deep corporate secrets.

If the Witcher 3 turned you into a fan of CD Projekt Red’s work, odds are you might’ve played this one already. But in the time since its infamous mess of a release, Cyberpunk 2077 has dramatically improved. It also has an expansion on the way featuring Idris Elba—the best Dunder Mifflin boss.

Cyberpunk certainly falls short of the greatness that is The Witcher 3, and it’s a radical change of aesthetic, on top of being a first-person game. But there are a number of neat side-quests and a really awesome main storyline with a bunch of branching, though slightly more linear, narrative decisions to play through.

And while you can play Cyberpunk 2077 on last-gen consoles, PS4 and Xbox One, the game, despite many fixes, is best played on more modern hardware. It’s not a bad excuse to purchase a much-needed upgrade.

Also, at risk of being set on fire, I kind of like Cyberpunk’s character stats and RPG building mechanics a liiiiittle bit more than The Witcher 3’s.