Polygon’s interview with the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 creators dropped this week alongside the news that David Martinez is not coming back. The Edgerunners revival is real, and the audience that watched season one and then downloaded Cyberpunk 2077 for the David outfit is looking for the next fix. These seven desktop games are the closest matches for that specific overlap: anime-adjacent art style, cyberpunk setting, fast action combat, and a story with heart.
We picked around the two axes that make an Edgerunners game work. First, the neon-drenched city aesthetic. Second, the combat pacing that lets us feel like a solo running full-tilt into a corp job.
What to look for in a cyberpunk anime action game
Not everything with a neon light and a katana lands.
- Cyberpunk setting. Corps, augments, a city that never quiets down.
- Anime-adjacent art. Cel-shaded, hand-animated, or stylised beyond photorealistic.
- Action combat pace. Twitch, not turn-based.
- Story worth caring about. Edgerunners’s edge was the emotional weight.
- Solo playability. Every pick here works alone.
- Runs on modest hardware. Not every audience member has a 4080.
- Length. Fifteen to forty hours. Not a sixty-hour open world.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | The obvious Edgerunners crossover | Windows, macOS via Whisky | Demo | $60 | 4.7 |
| Nier: Automata | Existential cyberpunk with android leads | Windows | Demo | $40 | 4.8 |
| Ghostrunner | First-person cyber-samurai | Windows | Demo | $30 | 4.7 |
| Katana ZERO | 2D cyberpunk samurai | Windows | Demo | $15 | 4.9 |
| Anno: Mutationem | Anime cyberpunk exploration | Windows | Demo | $25 | 4.4 |
| Sifu | Third-person martial arts | Windows | Demo | $40 | 4.7 |
| Vanquish | Old-school cover shooter with augments | Windows | Demo | $20 | 4.6 |
| Astral Chain | Anime action in a cyber future | Nintendo Switch (Windows via emulation) | Demo | $60 | 4.7 |
The apps
1. Cyberpunk 2077, best for the obvious Edgerunners crossover
Cyberpunk 2077 is the game Edgerunners was set in. The 2.1 and 2.2 patches, plus Phantom Liberty, made it the RPG CD Projekt Red always promised. Night City is closer to the anime’s tone than the launch version was. The David Martinez outfit is a free item. Braindance sequences carry the emotional weight the anime traded in.
Where it falls short: Sixty dollars base plus thirty for Phantom Liberty. Requires a modern GPU for the Overdrive path tracing that best captures the tone.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $59.99 base, $29.99 Phantom Liberty.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Cyberpunk 2077 for Edgerunners fans is the obvious pick and it earned the recommendation.
2. Nier: Automata, best for existential cyberpunk with android leads
Nier: Automata is the game people who wanted more from Edgerunners’s ending should play next. Android protagonists, a fallen world, and the same “does anyone even remember us” tone. Combat by PlatinumGames is one of the tightest action systems on Windows, and the multiple-ending structure demands three playthroughs.
Where it falls short: Requires playing three times for the full story. First playthrough is not the whole game.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $39.99 base.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Nier: Automata is the strongest emotional match for Edgerunners on this list.
3. Ghostrunner, best for first-person cyber-samurai
Ghostrunner is the game a cyber-runner in Edgerunners plays on their off day. First person, one-hit kills going both ways, and a katana that turns every combat encounter into a two-second dance. The Ghostrunner II sequel is out and either one lands.
Where it falls short: Difficulty is uncompromising. One-hit death loops frustrate players who wanted something less punishing.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $29.99 base for Ghostrunner.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Ghostrunner is the pick if the katana was the appeal.
4. Katana ZERO, best for 2D cyberpunk samurai
Katana ZERO is what a Japanese-influenced Edgerunners looks like in two dimensions. Pixel art, slow-motion combat, and a story about a samurai working for a corp that is not what it looks like. Fifteen dollars, six hours, one of the strongest indie cyberpunk games of the last decade.
Where it falls short: Six hours. Some players want more from a fifteen-dollar purchase, but the pacing is the point.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $14.99 base.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Katana ZERO is the cheapest strong pick on the list.
5. Anno: Mutationem, best for anime cyberpunk exploration
Anno: Mutationem is 2.5D anime cyberpunk with a proper exploration hook. Ann, the protagonist, moves through a city that owes as much to Cyberpunk as to Persona. Combat is real, but the exploration and side stories carry the game. The art is closer to Edgerunners than most Western-produced cyberpunk games manage.
Where it falls short: Voice acting is uneven. Pacing dips in the middle third.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $24.99 base.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Anno: Mutationem is the pick for exploration-first cyberpunk with real anime art direction.
6. Sifu, best for third-person martial arts
Sifu is not strictly cyberpunk, but the martial-arts combat and neon-drenched city sections land close to what Edgerunners does on a fight scene. The aging mechanic (die and get older) is a genuinely new idea. Every fight looks like a scene from the anime.
Where it falls short: Story is thin. Setting is contemporary rather than science-fictional.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $39.99 base.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Sifu is the pick if what we wanted from Edgerunners was the fight choreography.
7. Vanquish, best for old-school cover shooter with augments
Vanquish is the Shinji Mikami cover shooter that quietly predicts a lot of what Edgerunners does with cyber-augments. The AR-boost slide-and-shoot loop is one of the most fun single mechanics in an action game. Windows port is fine. Five hours long, replayable.
Where it falls short: Short. Story is thin. Feels its 2010 origin.
Pricing:
- Free: Steam demo.
- Paid: $19.99 base.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Vanquish is the pick if the AR-boost augment fantasy is what pulled us to Edgerunners.
8. Astral Chain, best for anime action in a cyber future
Astral Chain is Nintendo Switch first, but the Yuzu community keeps it playable on Windows for the audience that will not touch a Switch. PlatinumGames on form, twinned protagonists, a cyberpunk-adjacent future city, and combat that rewards learning the Legion chain system. The anime art direction is one of the strongest on the console.
Where it falls short: Switch-native, so playing on Windows means emulation. Some players want the shorter Ghostrunner or Katana ZERO experience instead.
Pricing:
- Free: Nintendo Switch demo.
- Paid: $59.99 base on Switch.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (Windows via emulation).
Download: Nintendo eShop
Bottom line: Astral Chain is the pick if the anime direction is the point and we already run a Switch or an emulator.
How to pick the right one
If we want the game Edgerunners lived in: Cyberpunk 2077. If the emotional beat is the appeal: Nier: Automata. If the katana is the whole hook: Ghostrunner or Katana ZERO. If exploration matters more than combat pace: Anno: Mutationem. If the fight scenes are why we watched: Sifu. If the AR-boost augment is the fantasy: Vanquish. If a Switch or an emulator is on the desk: Astral Chain.
FAQ
When does Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 release? No confirmed release window as of mid-2026. Trigger and CD Projekt Red have publicly announced the project.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 fixed now? Yes. Patch 2.2 and Phantom Liberty put the game in the shape it should have shipped in.
What is the best cyberpunk game on Steam Deck? Cyberpunk 2077 is Steam Deck Verified. Katana ZERO, Ghostrunner, and Nier: Automata all run natively at good frame rates.
Are there anime-styled cyberpunk games on Mac? Cyberpunk 2077 runs on Apple Silicon via Whisky or CrossOver with acceptable frame rates. Most others require Windows.
What is the closest game to Edgerunners besides Cyberpunk 2077? Nier: Automata for tone, Ghostrunner for the katana action, Anno: Mutationem for the anime art.
