Hostile Takeover - Cyberpunk / Dystopian near-future [ M/F, UN ]

[Hemingway]

I've been playing the recent reboot of the Syndicate series of video games, and it has given me ideas. I'm not looking for something based strictly on that setting, and I'm not familiar in the least with the very popular games from the 90s. In other words, it's just a source of inspiration, and no knowledge of those games, beyond what I'm about to outline here, is necessary. Still, if you've played the recent game, a lot of this is going to sound familiar, though I try to avoid copying the entire plot word for word.

What I'm looking for is a game set in the near future, in a world where giant corporations control everything, and have either transcended or replaced nation-states. Nationalism has been replaced by corporatism; wars are waged not between states but between corporations, and not with state armies but with private security forces. Corporate espionage has replaced spying on foreign countries. The only absolute law is profit.

It's a pretty bleak world.

Our characters would be working for the same global corporation – yours as a researcher or engineer or something similar, mine as a security agent. They know each other, though not very well. For added flavor, they made have briefly dated in the past, but at the start of the game, that is behind them.

The story begins with the revelation that your character, for reasons that can be discussed ( personal gain, philanthropy, blackmail – take your pick ), is planning to "defect" to a rival or "enemy" corporation or organization ( depending on the motivation it could be anything from just another corporation, to an anti-corporate movement or terrorist organization ). My character's job is to make sure that doesn't happen, by any means necessary.

Beyond this, the story can go in many different directions. I love a good conspiracy story, the more layers the better. One possible direction would be for both of them to become targets, and having to stick together to survive, while trying to figure out who is trying to kill them, and why.

If this sound interesting, let me know – preferably by PM!