What makes a game cyberpunk?

[Dhampir]

So, I've been working on a cyberpunk platformer the past month or so. It's inspired by Castlevania and Metroid. However, I'm kind of stumped on background items/obstacles/and enemies. The first area will be really techie and then you'll end up in a dystopian city like Kowloon or something you'd seen in Blade Runner. What would you like to see in a game like this? Pic related.

 

[morphius]

You look like you are on the right track. Think "dystopian future" type themes. 1984 big brother type stuff. Backgrounds could include large television screens and rotting technology. Some obstacles could include sentient robot police, security cameras that must be avoided(i'm sure you have seen this in games where you must avoid the cams field of vision). Terminals or a place to "jack in" to the net are a must(maybe for upgrades... or maps.. or information)

if you havnt played it , I would also suggest checking out dreamweb: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dreamweb/dreamweb.htm
for a little inspiration.

 

[Foxi4]

If you're wondering what kind of items you should include in your game and what themes you should follow, I suggest looking into Cyberpunk 2020's and Shadowrun's rich documentation - the related books contain a lot of concept art that could be a fantastic inspiration for you. As far as video game examples are concerned, have a look at the Deus Ex and System Shock series - they nail the themes perfectly.

 

[Celice]

The most recent game I can think of that really nailed the cyberpunk aesthetic would be Hard Reset on the PC. Check it out and see if anything clicks.

 

[CompassNorth]

For outdoor levels I'd love to see lots of buildings with lights like seen in Akira, not sure that'd be suitable for it though.

There's a game on Steam called E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy really nails the setting, and a game called Slave Zero too

 

[Dhampir]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I added some more levels and background items. Today I was sent a snippet of some music for the game and joined Twitter finally.