Los Santos is an exciting place, but there’s a whole world of games out there similar to GTA 5. The sandbox, crime-drama games in this list will take you from Tokyo, to Hong Kong, to a fictional version of 1960s New Orleans. And these games will give you plenty to shoot, punch, and explore along the way. Take a break from GTA 5 and try out one of these titles… You might even end up liking them better!
Mafia III
In Mafia III you head back in time to 1968 to the city of New Bordeaux, USA– a fictional version of New Orleans. This vibrant open-world city is a melting pot of different cultures and criminals, and it’s all about to boil over. In Mafia 3, you play as Lincoln Clay; a man trying to escape both his criminal past and the brutal Vietnam War he’s just returned home from. But when members of his old crime family are betrayed and murdered, Lincoln’s military training comes in handy as he exacts his revenge. Prepare for gun fights, classic crime-family drama, and car chases in some of the most beautiful American “muscle cars” ever made.
Watch Dogs 2
Get ready to take over the streets, skies, and cyberspace of San Francisco in Watch Dogs 2. You’ll play as Marcus, a brilliant young “hacktivist” (hacker meets activist), in this open-word adventure.
After joining up with DeadSec, one of the most notorious underground hacker groups, your main objective will be to pull off one of the biggest hacks of all time. But, if you’re like us, you’ll probably get a little distracted along the way by all the vehicles and high tech gadgets, while hacking into almost anything and anyone’s personal information. If you liked the first Watch Dogs, this is a must-play. And if you didn’t play the first game, that’s fine too; this is a great place to jump in!
Buy the Original Watch Dogs– for less than 5 dollars!
Saints Row IV
It may be hard to believe, but the Saints Row series is a more extreme, more over-the-top, and more hilarious GTA. That’s how this game became so popular: Saints Row IV takes the open-world crime-drama formula that Rockstar is so good at, and cranks everything up to 11.
In Saints Row IV you play as the sitting US president who also saves the world from an alien invasion. But don’t worry, you have an entire arsenal of weapons and even superpowers to help you. This game is wild, wacky, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Most importantly it’s really really fun to play. If you thought GTA games let you do “anything” you want, well you’re in for a treat with Saints Row IV.
Buy the “Game of the Century” edition (that’s right– it’s bigger than Game of the Year) is available on CDKeys.com. This edition features all DLC and every bonus pack. Check out the store page to see what’s included. There’s way too much to list here!
Sleeping Dogs
In Sleeping Dogs you’re one of the good guys… sort of. You play as a cop in Hong Kong as you go undercover to try and take down the deadly Triads gang. You start off “good”, but as you soon find out, the line between “good” and “bad” quickly gets blurred.
Sleeping Dogs is another game that fully realises a beautifully vibrant yet gritty open-world metropolis for you to explore. What sets this game apart from GTA 5 is the realistic use of martial arts mixed in with shoot outs and car chases. Beyond the main quest, there are hours upon hours of side missions and mini-games amongst the backstreets of Hong Kong.
Yakuza 0
Although this article is all about games that are similar to GTA 5, the next GTA game may end up being influenced by Yakuza 0, as SEGA’s title introduces exciting new ideas to the genre. Yakuza 0 landed on PC on August 1st, and while it’s been an eccentric and genre-pushing series since 2005, this latest iteration cranks the franchise up another notch.
Yakuza takes place in Japan (Tokyo to be exact), in the midst of the 1980s. In Yakuza 0, like GTA, it’s the stories behind the people and behind the crimes that really make the game great. There are so many things to do as you explore the city, and so much potential to rise up the ranks as a dedicated Yakuza.
So what do you think? Are you booking your ticket to leave Los Santos yet?
Which of these games are you trying out while you wait for GTA 6 to arrive? And if you’ve played them all, let us know what your favourite GTA-like games are.
