12 Games To Play If You Love Cowboy Bebop

Highlights

• Fans of Cowboy Bebop can find similar vibes in games like Neon Sword, Elite Dangerous, and Devil May Cry 5.
• The gaming world offers opportunities to explore space combat, stylish action, and gritty cyberpunk settings reminiscent of the anime.
• Games like Metal Gear Rising, Cyberpunk 2077, and Borderlands 2 capture the essence of Cowboy Bebop with their unique combat styles.

The bluesy, cyberpunk world of Cowboy Bebop may have taken a bow in 1999, but fans of the phenomenal anime series are still searching for a worthy successor. The show captured graceful space dogfights, slick martial arts combat, and the gritty reality of life as a space cowboy.

Thankfully for fans of the anime, modern video gaming allows the stylish spirit of Cowboy Bebop to return. Each of these games is an incredible throwback to the show, whether through its setting, story, or the colorful jazz vibe.

Updated August 19, 2024 by Connor Hogg: The gaming landscape is constantly changing, with more and more stylish games with jazzy scores and flashy combat that do a great job of emulating the punchy and colorful world of the classic spacefaring anime series. Cowboy Bebop is part somber noir story, part edge-of-your-seat fight scenes, and part exploration of the crew coming together in a heartwarming and moving way.

Each of these parts has been explored in plenty of games, but those with excellent storytelling, similar themes, and combat that mirrors the cool moves of Spike Spiegel and his crew deserve a place on this list. The new entries are just the tip of the iceberg of incredible games that fans of the series should explore.

1 Neon Sword

Neon Bathed Dystopian Setting

• Platforms: PC (Early Access)
• Released: 2024
• Developer: Pea Head Games

An early access game that focuses on player freedom in a crime-ridden city, Neon Sword is a roleplaying game that allows players to choose their path and affect Quaid City in a variety of different ways. The game plays from a top-down perspective and players can use different advanced abilities to either take down the criminals that litter the streets or to join them and become a crime kingpin. The stylish visuals, with neon lighting bathing the surroundings, pair with exciting driving mechanics that let fans shoot across the map and forge their own destiny while changing the city for the better, or for the worse.

Different factions will gain respect or hatred for the player character, and in the late game, fans can even buy property and start up their own evil corporation. With similar vibes and themes to Cowboy Bebop and a familiar morbid tone patched over with an upbeat glow, this game is one to keep an eye on as it continues to develop.

2 Elite Dangerous

Open-Ended Galaxy

To feel like fans have control of their own “Bebop” ship that they can repair, pilot, and upgrade just like in the show, players should check out Elite Dangerous. Set in a scale-accurate Milky Way that is inhabited by thousands of players, players will start with a small amount of money and their ship to set sail across the stars and start their journey into whatever kind of work takes their fancy. For players who are more interested in calm and cooperative play, there are opportunities to trade and mine across the systems and they can even choose to become a transport for goods or passengers.

For the thrill-seekers though, bounty hunting lets players take on the role of one of the adventurers in Cowboy Bebop, hunting down criminals for a big payout. There are also opportunities to become a space pirate or take out crucial targets as a mercenary. The scope of the game is truly impressive and players can act out whatever space fantasy they wish across the huge map or team up to form their own bickering crew.

3 Devil May Cry 5

The King Of Stylish Action

Taking a step away from the space exploration aspect of the Cowboy Bebop series, the cast of Devil May Cry 5embodies the beloved bickering of the crew of the Bebop. Starting their story in seemingly normal city streets, but tasked with defeating a powerful demon, the team has a lot of heart and the way they interact will be fulfilling for any looking for the crew dynamic. But when combat begins, the game comes to life. Hordes of enemies approach and can be taken down by the team, each of whom has an entirely different playstyle while wielding flashy weapons that ooze style and unique charisma.

Whether through speedy combos, heavy hits, or devious summons, fans will find a playstyle that suits them and will be rewarded with style points based on their performance. Dodges and well-timed moves are rewarded too, and the better a player performs, the more intricate and chaotic the music will become. The whole package makes for a game that will be familiar to fans of the Bebop crew, but just distinct enough to provide a fresh and exciting experience.

Combos And Slick Slicing

A vision of a grimy future, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance takes a different route from the previous stealth-oriented games in the series. Raiden wields a katana that can slice through anything, and while players can also parry and dodge to avoid enemy blows, an integral part of the combat is the “Blade Mode” that allows gamers to choose where to slice to change the environment, cut at enemy weak points and even cut parts off of enemies to impair their ability to fight.

The stealth gameplay is still present here, but more as a small nod to the original games and the focus is on getting high scores in the combat segments by chaining together incredible-looking attacks and ensuring the player remains quick and nimble across the battlefield. The inclusion of a small robot dog – Blade Wolf – might remind players of the hyper-intelligent sidekick Ein from the Bebop crew, but mainly the similarities carry over in the rapid and accurate combat that is bright and brutal.

5 Cyberpunk 2077

Flatlining Chooms

The most obvious comparison between Cyberpunk 2077 and Cowboy Bebop is the setting. While the anime often focuses on more desolate locations, the vibrant visits to the massive metropolises make Cyberpunk fans feel right at home. Flashing neon advertisements, vending machines that dispense guns, and an in-your-face explosion of crime and corruption.

Cyberpunk also opens up skill trees and hordes of unlocks to let players customize their fighting styles. Approaches to combat can mirror any of the Bebop crew—Netrunners can mirror Ed’s abilities, while slow-motion revolver attacks are reminiscent of Spike’s cool confrontations. The side gigs that make up the optional content in the open world of Night City are the most similar to the bounty-hunting escapades in the anime and will let fans of Cowboy Bebop appreciate the world-building.

6 Disco Elysium

Detectives And Destruction

In a much less action-packed vision of a cyberpunk future, Disco Elysium puts players in control of an amnesiac detective who is learning about the world he has found himself in along with the player. The dystopian setting intertwines modern sensibilities with future tech and ancient struggles of racism, classism, and violence. The mission for the player is to solve the murder of a man who has been hung from a tree. This makes the whole story feel a lot like an episode of a larger narrative and the stylish dialogue, the chaos that the detective leaves in their wake, and the filthy world full of corruption, drugs, and danger all make him a potential successor to Spike and the crew of the Bebop.

The final connection that makes this a must-play for show fans is the lovable cast of characters who will become the game’s main focus. Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi will quickly become a guide through the strange world of Revachol and the other weird and wonderful people capture the humorous and human spirit of Cowboy Bebop: Kuno, Garte, Titus Hardy, Klaasje, Lillienne, and Egghead are some of the most incredible.

7 Grim Fandango

An Afterlife Adventure

One of the most beloved aspects of Cowboy Bebop that has been universally praised is the score. Composer Yoko Kanno and the band ‘Seatbelts’ produced a series of bebop, blues, and big-band jazz songs to underpin the story of the anime. Grim Fandango, a classic adventure game directed by Tim Schafer, also features a soundtrack that has left a huge impact on the genre. Swing, big band, and bebop influences can be felt in the beautiful compositions that have been mentioned countless times in discussions about the game. The music will be a welcome connection for fans of Cowboy Bebop; the award-winning score sets the game apart from many of its contemporaries.

The story itself expertly balances humor and heart with players becoming Manny, an underworld travel agent who is trying to get clients (the newly dead) to their final rest when he discovers a conspiracy that is damning good souls to torturous travel and possible eternal life in the unsatisfying Land of The Dead. Manny and his incredible demon sidekick Glottis are well-written and funny with real goals, who are risking their lives to do the right thing in a story that has rightly helped Grim Fandango to be known as one of the best video games of all time.

8 Sifu

Combat With Spike Spiegel Style

Cowboy Bebop series protagonist, Spike Spiegel, is often caught in close-quarters combat and has to rely on his perfect form. Perhaps the best examples of Spike’s expert skill come in the episode “Waltz For Venus,” when Spike starts to teach a young friend how to be “fluid like water.” Fans can take a leaf out of Spike’s book by becoming a young martial arts student looking for revenge in Sifu. Attacks can be chained into dance-like combos and players can block and parry enemy attacks to master fight scenes that would have Spike running for cover.

As players improve in the game, they will unlock more and more moves and be able to capture the style of Bruce Lee or Cowboy Bebop‘s most tense fight scenes. Environmental attacks will let players use broken bottles, sticks, and swords, but players are also able to use ramps and ledges or drops into the abyss to gain an advantage over enemies that can prove tricky enough alone but will quickly become insurmountable hordes. The focus on realistic hand-to-hand combat cements Sifu as a spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, the closest a studio has come to the martial arts mastery that Spike displays at any opportunity.

9 Tokyo 42

Isometric Bounty Hunting

While bounty hunting in Cowboy Bebop is the profession of those on board the titular ship, the crew are catching criminals and handing them over to the police; undoubtedly, they are working for the cops, even if only for their own selfish gain. In Tokyo 42, the player is thrust into the world of hunting against their will, but it quickly becomes clear that their role is less of an officially sanctioned bounty hunter and more that of an assassin. The anime-inspired isometric visuals are stunning and set the sci-fi locations apart with hidden details that will net players experience for tagging with binoculars, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is much more combat-focused.

Players will be assigned a target and will then use all the weapons at their disposal to kill the quarry. Pistols, automatic rifles, shotguns, snipers, katanas, rocket launchers, and banana peels all feature as possible methods to carry out the required jobs, but special awards are given for defeating all enemies in the location or for never being spotted and still carrying out the kill. Speedy motorbike combat, planned-out hits, and chaotic sprints away from crowds of enemies all seem to emulate Cowboy Bebop perfectly and the ability to slip in and out of a trenchcoat when players are doing their deadly business means that players will always be immersed in the grungy sci-fi setting and the Blade Runner meets Hitman atmosphere.

10 Heat Signature

Hotline Miami In Space

Some of the most iconic moments in Cowboy Bebop come from the blending of real combat in larger-than-life spacefaring scenarios. Heat Signature sees players becoming characters who make a living breaking into spaceships; they start by choosing any ship they can see on the huge galactic map and then board the vessel. A range of science fiction gadgets can be unlocked as players progress, and eventually, the character they are playing will be able to access their randomly chosen final heist. They may be rescuing their kidnapped partner, getting revenge by killing someone from their past or even just getting their favorite gun back. These character moments are never the focus, but they manage to make the whole game feel more heartfelt.

The story is slipped in gently, in the same way as in Cowboy Bebop, with the focus always being the awesome space combat. Enemies make use of armor and technology to stop the player character, but players can always freeze time to work out their next move before they try to make the impossible shot or doom themselves in a final stand by exploding sections of a ship and sending everyone hurtling into the vacuum of space. Teleporting, hacking, grenades, and endless opportunities make this game feel like a cosmic sequel to Hotline Miami, with top-down combat, high-speed killings, and a punky attitude.

11 Borderlands 2

Loot And Laughs

Cowboy Bebop‘s solemn moments hit hard, but the majority of the show is light-hearted and silly. Fights between the crew members are petty and the insanity that follows the whole Bebop ship is a symptom of a show that only takes itself seriously when it has to. Borderlands 2, the critically acclaimed looter shooter, has the opposite view. The game never takes itself seriously whatsoever. From the start, the antagonist Handsome Jack taunts the players who survive his attempt to kill them.

The players, vault hunters who come to the planet to seek their fortunes, are subject to constant name-calling and abuse from the villain. Quests veer into ridiculousness, while always remaining an important part of the game. Characters like Scooter, Ellie, and the ever-incompetent Claptrap keep the player invested in the story that manages to have real stakes and feelings while maintaining a goofy approach.

The responsive gunplay and explosive ultimate moves make each character feel distinct and the hilarious voice lines for each of the roles set them apart with different attitudes and issues. The constant accumulation of guns, money, and special items while bouncing between locations in a local or online co-op game makes the comparison to the Bebop crew come all too easy. Finish off with the beautifully stylized cell-shaded graphics that make the landscapes cartoony, eye-catching, and colorful, and many fans of Cowboy Bebop will be right at home on Pandora.

12 They Always Run

See You, Space Cowboy

In the most one-to-one translation of Cowboy Bebop‘s setting, style, and soul, They Always Run has players take on the role of a strange three-armed bounty hunter in a Western-themed space setting. The game is fast-paced, with an emphasis on dodges and parries to protect from groups of enemies who will attack from all sides in the 2D platformer. The player can swing, climb, and jump around or sprint at high speeds.

Combat uses the third arm as a break for blocks, an attack with a little more range, or even as a tool to destroy walls and obstacles in the way. Fights can quickly turn into manic scrabbles to dodge into an advantageous position, but the simple but deep formula spurs players on to continue. Playing as the bounty hunter, with all the threatening presence and brutal attacks that come from that position, really allows players to become the space cowboy that Cowboy Bebop focused on so often.