New RPG is like classic Deus Ex mixed with Cyberpunk, and you can try it today

It's odd to say about such a critically-acclaimed game (at least after multiple overhauls) but Cyberpunk 2077's combat is underrated. It may not have the multifaceted depth of Deus Ex, but it is expressive and exhilarating, the obvious product of multiple years of thoughtful iteration. However, the scrappy, claustrophobic feeling of the game's early hours quickly give way to absolute domination as you gain ever more powerful abilities. Parkside: Decayed Soul Manipulation, an upcoming indie game from developers Banana Hardsoft, promises to up the ante on scrappy chaos, and you can play the demo now.

The first thing that impresses about Parkside is its lo-fi look. People are weird-looking; JPEGs stretched over blocky models. The world is grimy, covered in trash. Cyberpunk 2077 is gorgeous, but ultra-slick. Parkside is like a warped VHS copy of Strange Days, all distortion and hard edges. It's ugly and beautiful, striking when so many of our cyberpunk dystopias are drenched in bright neon.

As for how it plays, Parkside is at once easy to control and difficult to conquer. You move fast and the world is full of resources to exploit. But your body is fragile and cops are everywhere. Guns feel punchy, but the recoil is out-of-control. The narrative is intriguing too. You play as a lowly hacker, whom the cult "the Illuminated Brethren of Conclave Automata" kidnaps. The cult tasks Alexander with murdering its foes, albeit remotely through a virtual reality interface. Like the best cyberpunk games, Parkside explores questions of embodiment and control.

You can download the Parkside: Decayed Soul Manipulation demo on Steam. The full game is scheduled to release later in 2025.

If you are looking for more expansive and strange worlds, take a look at the best RPG games. If you want more sneaky and scrappy experiences, waltz over to our list of the best stealth games.

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