Cyberpunk action game Glitchpunk coming later this year

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On the surface, Cyberpunk 2077 looked very much like a new Grand Theft Auto game, but set in a neon-hued cyberpunk future. Glitchpunk, announced today by Dark Lord and publisher Daedalic Entertainment, is very similar, except that it looks like an old Grand Theft Auto game set in a neon-hued cyberpunk future.

Glitchpunk is a top-down action game about an android bounty hunter with a glitch that causes it to rebel against its own programming and embark upon a campaign against tyrannical governments and mega-corporations. You'll steal cars, throw hands, and blow stuff up across four different cities filled with crazed gangs, violent police, and bad drivers.

But it's not all gunfights and auto theft: Glitchpunk "also tells a story of transhumanism, xenophobia, and religion," Developer Dark Lord said. "You can influence the world around you, make new friends, face off against more enemies than you can count—and you might even find love."

It does look very much like an early Grand Theft Auto: You'll be able to roam around in a wide variety of vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, tanks, and even trains, and should you wind up in a beef with Johnny Lawman, your "wanted level" will escalate through 10 progressively chaotic tiers. It will also have in-game radio featuring a range of international artists, "together with news and absurd commercials."

The trailer doesn't exactly scream "nuanced take on our increasingly-inevitable dystopian future," but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, an old-school top-down blast-o-rama in a cool-looking world with a good beat is just what the doctor ordered.

Glitchpunk is set to launch into Steam Early Access in the second quarter of 2021. If you'd like to stay on top of updates, there's also a Discord server you can jump into. A demo will be released next week, on February 3, as part of the next Steam Game Festival.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.