The GTA franchise isn’t just iconic, it’s the gold standard. It’s the open-world video game that everybody knows and loves, thanks to its realistic cities and polished gameplay. While GTA VI is right around the corner, I wanted to highlight a few similar games to help you warm up for the big release.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
What better game to start this list with than Rockstar Games’ second most famous game franchise? Red Dead Redemption 2 is a lot like GTA but set in the Wild West, so instead of criminals and hustlers, you get cowboys, outlaws, and gunslingers. It’s supposedly even set in the same universe as GTA.
RDR2 features a beautiful open world filled with interesting characters, encounters, and areas that you can explore on horseback. While you explore, you’ll be accompanied by a stunning dynamic score that masterfully shapes itself based on the action you see on-screen.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two franchises is the stronger emphasis on the story and characters. You play as Arthur Morgan, a member of the infamous Van der Linde gang. RDR2 gives you plenty of freedom, so you can do almost anything: rob a store or train, kidnap an NPC to get a bounty reward, hunt down rare animals, intimidate other outlaws, and escape from law enforcement afterward.
In addition to the campaign, RDR2 features a full-fledged online version that’s similar to GTA Online. A remaster of the first Red Dead Redemption is coming to PC very soon, and since RDR2 is a prequel, you can start with RDR2 and follow it up with RDR1.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 had one of the rockiest launches in video game history back in 2020, but I’m happy to report that CD Projekt RED has fixed and upgraded the game significantly in the time since. Night City’s streets are filled with hustle and bustle. The biggest difference is the first-person perspective, which arguably makes for better combat. Fortunately, you can drive cars in a third-person view for a genuine GTA feel.
Although the game lacks aircraft, there are plenty of fictional cars and bikes to choose from. You can steal them from NPCs, but you can also buy cars and have them delivered to you whenever you want, just like in GTA. You can even do drive-bys and vehicular combat, thanks to a recent update. Oh, and did I mention that the game has Keanu Reeves in it, with Idris Elba in the Phantom Liberty DLC?
If you haven’t given Cyberpunk a chance, now is the best time to get into it, as it likely won’t be getting any major updates.
3 Mafia: Definitive Edition
If you’re drawn to the world of virtual crime in GTA, you’ll love Mafia: Definitive Edition. The game takes place in a fictional city called Lost Heaven in the 1930s, so it’s filled with cool fictional cars reminiscent of the period. You play as Tommy Angelo, an Italian-American Taxi driver who gets entangled in the criminal underworld and makes a name for himself.
Mafia is actually part of a franchise; while all three Mafia games have received “Definitive Editions,” only Mafia 1 actually got the full remake treatment, likely because it’s the oldest. Mafia II and Mafia III are also great sequels, and the third entry is as close as it gets to a “GTA clone,” except it has a much more focused story.
4 Watch Dogs: Legion
If you want a modern game with a modern city, you can’t get much closer to it than with Watch Dogs: Legion, as the game features a futuristic and dystopian representation of London. You can think of Watch Dogs as GTA with hacking. The game lets you hack and manipulate almost anything and anyone from a distance.
Watch Dogs: Legion isn’t a perfect game, but it’s decent. One of the biggest downsides is that you don’t have a single main protagonist and instead have to recruit characters. However, you can somewhat mitigate that by purchasing Bloodline DLC. The DLC adds Aiden Pearce, the beloved protagonist from the first game, and Wrench, an important character from the second game.
Speaking of the first and second games, those are absolutely worth playing, too. Watch Dogs 2 is arguably the best entry in the franchise and features an awesome map of San Francisco.
5 Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
Would you like GTA if it was set in Hong Kong and you played as a police officer? Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is your game. You play as an undercover cop who knows how to weaponize his martial arts skills when guns don’t suffice. Having been released in 2012, it’s an older title, but it still holds up thanks to the amazing gameplay. The story, the city, and the vibe are impeccable.
Sleeping Dogs was actually part of the True Crime series before Activision canceled it. The series always suffered from poor sales, as it lived in GTA’s shadow despite having a few solid entries. Square Enix bought the rights, finished the game, and released it under a different name. By the way, Sleeping Dogs is unrelated to Watch Dogs and came out two years earlier.
6 Saints Row
This might be a controversial pick, but I think that the 2022 Saints Row reboot makes for an okay GTA clone. The story is corny, and you might encounter some bugs, but the combat is actually surprisingly good. The map is filled with beautiful buildings and landscapes, and there are lots of customizable cars that even Los Santos Customs would envy. Moreover, the game has been heavily discounted from its $70 launch price.
It’s also worth mentioning that Saints Row, much like True Crime, was initially dismissed as a cheap GTA clone. However, by the time Saints Row: The Third came out, the game deliberately redefined itself as an over-the-top version of GTA, with much higher stakes and ridiculous storylines. The Third received a 2021 remaster that’s worth playing.
If you want an even more ridiculous game, get Saints Row IV: Re-Elected. You play as the president of the US who has superpowers, kind of like Neo from The Matrix. If you played Prototype, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you want that same core game but set in Hell, get Saints Row: Gat out of Hell instead.
7 The Crew Motorfest
If you play GTA because of all the different vehicles, no game does it better than The Crew Motorfest. The game has all kinds of licensed vehicles, including cars, boats, planes, and bikes. Whether you prefer regular street races, off-road, drifting, drag racing, or even air and sea racing, The Crew Motorfest has it all.
Vehicles handle similarly to those in GTA, leaning more towards an arcade-style rather than a sim. The game is currently online only, but it’ll get an offline mode soon.
The Crew 2 is also worth playing because of the large map of the contiguous US. I got it on sale for $1 recently, though it’s back to $49.99 now, so you might have to wait for a new round of sales.
8 Just Cause 4 Reloaded
Are you the type who just wants to watch the world burn? Then you’ll love Just Cause 4. The game cranks up the chaos of GTA to a whole new level. While GTA might let you blow up a tank with a rocket launcher, in Just Cause, you can use the thing to blow up a whole building.
Just Cause’4′s protagonist, Rico Rodriguez, is equipped with all kinds of weapons and gadgets, but the most notable are the grappling hook, wingsuit, and parachute. You can use these three to fly across the huge map to catch up with enemies or just explore in a very quick and satisfying way.
Admittedly, Just Cause 4 might not be the best entry in the series, partially because the game is too complex, but fortunately, Just Cause 3 and even Just Cause 2 still hold up.
9 Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is filled to the brim with fun mini-games and silly side quests, just like GTA. While those are heaps of fun, I’m happy to report that the main story is even better. You play as a low-ranking Yakuza gang member. It’s a story filled with betrayal, plot twists, and great humor.
The combat in Yakuza: Like a Dragon is turn-based. This could either be a great feature or a total deal-breaker, depending on your preferences. The good news is that Yakuza 0 has a satisfying real-time brawler combat system, so just play that game instead.
10 Mad Max
Movie tie-in games often get a bad rap, but there are some notable exceptions, and Mad Max is one of them. Even if you haven’t watched Mad Max: Fury Road or Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, this game is still an absolute blast.
The post-apocalyptic world of this franchise is vast and empty, so you spend a lot of time driving around the barren desert in your improvised combat car as you fend off enemies.
There’s no shortage of great open-world games that can match and even exceed GTA’s appeal, at least in certain aspects. Whether you want better vehicles and driving, destructible environments, or a heartfelt story, there’s something out there for everyone.
