Cyberpunk settings are dystopian, near-future worlds characterized by a combination of "high-tech, low-life," where advanced technology coexists with societal decay, corporate dominance, and a gritty, often violent underbelly. Cyberpunk settings are often characterized by a breakdown of social order, with powerful corporations wielding immense influence and governments struggling to maintain control. Advanced technology, such as cybernetics, artificial intelligence, and advanced computer networks, is juxtaposed with a bleak, often impoverished existence for the majority of the population. Mega-corporations control vast swathes of the economy and society, often at the expense of the general population. Cyberpunk settings are often characterized by a sense of urban decay, crime, and violence, with a focus on the darker aspects of human nature. Protagonists in cyberpunk stories often find themselves on the fringes of society, fighting against the oppressive forces of corporations and the system.