Grand Theft Auto V came out in 2013 from Rockstar North: in it you can freely drive around the fictional state of San Andreas, complete missions and come up with your own entertainment. We picked 10 games that work on a similar principle: an open world, a city or region where it is easy to get lost for an hour, and a crime story or something close to it. There are no games from the GTA series itself here, and you can read about the sixth game separately: when GTA 6 comes out. This is not a ranking: we do not invent our own scores or sales figures. Each game has a year, a developer, platforms and a reason to play, with no spoilers, only the setup. We do not list age ratings: check them on the store page before you play. The facts come from Wikipedia pages checked on October 19, 2026.
Saints Row IV
Official trailer · “Saints Row IV” (2013)Saints Row IV is the fourth game in the series about the Saints gang and the fictional city of Steelport, where main and side missions can be played at your own pace. The gang’s leader becomes President of the United States, and when the alien Zin Empire attacks Earth, the leader ends up in a simulation of the city together with friends and gains superhuman abilities. According to Wikipedia, critics praised the humor and the character customization, and the game sold more than a million copies in its first week. Why play: parody crime with superpowers, for when you want jokes rather than gloomy stories.
Mafia III
Official trailer · “Mafia III” (2016)Mafia III is a crime story set in 1968 in the fictional city of New Bordeaux, modeled on New Orleans. Lincoln Clay, a former criminal and Vietnam veteran, returns to a life of crime for the sake of his adoptive family, and after a betrayal he sets out for revenge and builds his own empire, taking power away from other criminal organizations. Wikipedia notes praise for the story, the characters, the setting, the darker themes and the period’s licensed soundtrack, but also criticism of some mechanics and technical problems; overall the game sold seven million copies. Why play: a gloomy story-driven action game about revenge, set in the atmosphere of the late 1960s.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
Official trailer · “Mafia: Definitive Edition” (2020)Mafia: Definitive Edition is a remake of the first Mafia from 2002. The story, set in the 1930s in the fictional city of Lost Heaven, follows taxi driver Tommy Angelo, who becomes a gangster in the Salieri clan. Besides the story missions, there is a Free Ride mode: in it you can drive around the city freely, look for hidden side missions and find collectibles. New in the remake: motorcycles. Why play: a compact gangster story to which you can add leisurely drives around the city.
Sleeping Dogs
Official trailer · “Sleeping Dogs” (2012)Sleeping Dogs is set in modern Hong Kong. Wei Shen, a Hong Kong-American police officer and martial artist, goes undercover in the Sun On Yee triad. The game focuses on hand-to-hand combat, shooting and parkour, and outside the story it lets you freely explore the city and take on legal and illegal activities. It was announced in 2009 as part of the True Crime series, but in 2011 Activision Blizzard canceled the project, and Square Enix bought the publishing rights. Why play: a crime action game in an Asian megacity with an emphasis on fights.
Watch Dogs 2
Official trailer · “Watch Dogs 2” (2016)Watch Dogs 2 moves the action to the San Francisco Bay Area. Young hacker Marcus Holloway and the DedSec group fight the city’s ctOS surveillance system. Missions can be completed in different ways, and the game area, according to Wikipedia, is more than twice as large as the Chicago one from the first game. By March 2020 the game had sold more than 10 million copies. Why play: an open city where hacking matters as much as shooting.
Yakuza 0
Official trailer · “Yakuza 0” (2015)Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the series: at the end of 1988, in the era of Japan’s “bubble economy”, Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima find themselves at the center of a yakuza struggle for a plot of land called the “Empty Lot”. The action takes place in the fictional districts of Kamurocho and Sotenbori, modeled on Tokyo’s Kabukichō and Osaka’s Dōtonbori. Outside the story there is plenty of side content and mini-games, including full versions of the Sega arcade games Out Run, Super Hang-On, Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone. Why play: a sandbox city where fights sit side by side with comedy and drama.
Cyberpunk 2077
Official trailer · “Cyberpunk 2077” (2020)Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world role-playing game set in the fictional city of Night City in California. You play as V, a mercenary with cyber implants, who ends up with a chip in their head holding the personality of the legendary rock singer and terrorist Johnny Silverhand; together they have to stand up to the Arasaka corporation. Wikipedia praises the story, the city and the graphics, but reminds us that at launch the game was criticized for bugs, especially on PS4 and Xbox One. There is also the Phantom Liberty expansion (2023). Why play: here the city is the main character, and crime is combined with an RPG.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Official trailer · “Red Dead Redemption 2” (2018)Red Dead Redemption 2 is a western from Rockstar Games, the publisher of the GTA series. The story is set in 1899 in a fictional version of the United States: the outlaw Arthur Morgan of the Van der Linde gang tries to survive amid the decline of the Wild West, government forces and rival gangs. The world is open: there are shootouts, robberies, hunting and horseback riding, and the bounty system determines how the law reacts to the player’s crimes. Development took more than eight years. Why play: a slower and more detailed take on a criminal open world.
L.A. Noire
Official trailer · “L.A. Noire” (2011)L.A. Noire is set in Los Angeles in 1947. You play as detective Cole Phelps, who works his way up through the city’s police department and investigates cases in different divisions, from patrol to homicide. The city is open, but most of the game is examining crime scenes, collecting evidence and interrogations; according to Wikipedia, they use MotionScan technology, which captures the actors’ facial expressions from all sides. There are also chases and shootouts. Why play: a detective instead of a gangster, where observation and interrogation matter more than speed alone.
Bully
Official trailer · “Bully” (2006)Bully (called Canis Canem Edit in the PAL region) is an open world in the fictional New England town of Bullworth. Jimmy Hopkins, a young troublemaker, unwillingly ends up at the prestigious boarding school Bullworth Academy and over the school year tries to climb the school hierarchy and put an end to bullying; you can get around on foot, by skateboard, scooter, bicycle or go-kart. Wikipedia notes that at launch the game caused controversy over violence and sexual content; the Windows version is the 2008 Scholarship Edition. Why play: a school open world with a different mood from the same Rockstar.
How we chose
The selection includes open-world games where, between missions, you can simply drive or walk around the city and do whatever you like. The criterion is simple: the game is already out, has a page in Ukrainian Wikipedia, and the year, developer and platforms are taken from the English version of the article. There are also departures from the “modern city”: Red Dead Redemption 2, L.A. Noire and Bully are tied to GTA by their publisher, Rockstar Games. If you want fresher releases, see our selection of the best games of 2025.
What to choose by mood
| What you want | What to pick |
|---|---|
| Chaos and jokes | Saints Row IV |
| Gangster saga | Mafia III, Mafia: Definitive Edition |
| Asia and hand-to-hand combat | Sleeping Dogs, Yakuza 0 |
| Hackers and cyberpunk | Watch Dogs 2, Cyberpunk 2077 |
| The Wild West | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
| 1940s detective | L.A. Noire |
| School story | Bully |
Tip. After Cyberpunk 2077 came out in 2020, Sony removed the game from the PlayStation Store: it was unavailable from December 2020 to June 2021, and the bugs mostly affected the PS4 and Xbox One versions. If you play on these consoles, check reviews of the current version before buying.
Frequently asked questions
Which game in the selection is closest to GTA in structure?
An open city, main and side missions, and free movement on foot or by vehicle are found in Saints Row IV, Mafia III, Mafia: Definitive Edition and Watch Dogs 2. The other games in the selection change the era, the country or the mood.
Are there games from Rockstar in the selection?
Yes: Red Dead Redemption 2 was developed and published by Rockstar Games, Bully was created by Rockstar Vancouver, and L.A. Noire was developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. We did not include games from the GTA series itself.
Which platforms can I play on?
All ten games came out on Windows. The other platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, macOS, Linux, mobile) are listed, according to Wikipedia, in the line under each game’s heading.
Do I need to know the previous games?
The selection includes sequels (Saints Row IV, Mafia III, Watch Dogs 2), prequels (Yakuza 0, Red Dead Redemption 2) and a remake (Mafia: Definitive Edition). A game’s place in its series is described on Wikipedia, and every description links to its page.
Where can I read about GTA 6?
Official information about the release date and platforms is collected in a separate article: when GTA 6 comes out.
Sources
- Saints Row IV (Wikipedia)
- Mafia III (Wikipedia)
- Sleeping Dogs (video game) (Wikipedia)
- Watch Dogs 2 (Wikipedia)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (Wikipedia)
Data was checked against Wikipedia on October 19, 2026.
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