The wait for what is probably the biggest launch gaming has ever seen is nearing its end. The planned console launch is scheduled for November 19, and if you don't know how to fill that time or you're simply a PC gamer so you won't be able to play GTA 6 in the first year of its release, and you want to play something similar to the GTA series – this is the right list for you.
The list will consist of around 10 games arranged in random order, which share some of the key characteristics with Rockstar's games. The time span is not defined, so here are all the games I consider worth mentioning. If you think I left out something that should have been here, write it in the comments below.
Just Cause 3
The Mediterranean island of Medici is probably one of the best and most fun places to demonstrate destruction in the gaming world. Although the focus of the GTA series is more "grounded" in the sense that it relies more on the driving feel and street crime, Just Cause 3 is more in the form of an action spectacle. That means the ability to use a grappling hook, parachute, and wingsuit for different forms of movement, where the journey from point A to point B becomes anything but boring.
Just Cause is an entire series, and I decided on my personal favorite. The essence of the game itself lies in liberating military bases and cities from a dictatorial regime. Undoubtedly that sounds like a cliché theme, especially in 2026 after all of Ubisoft's experiments, but the point is not in the theme, but in the way you carry it all out, which is undoubtedly original. If you feel GTA games lack even more unrestrained chaos where you won't have to worry about the number of police stars, Rico Rodriguez is the right man for that.
Saints Row 2
The first Saints Row appeared as an alternative to the GTA series when it wasn't delivering games, and the second appeared at the same time as GTA 4, and in order to offer something unique, it opted for a humorous and quite parodic approach. The theme was serious, where the point is running a criminal organization called the 3rd Street Saints that finds itself in a tough situation, and it is up to us as the player to return it to its former days of glory.
The plot takes place in the city of Stilwater, where our hero wakes up from a five-year coma and takes on the aforementioned task, with the additional goal of taking revenge on his opponents. This is an open world where the story develops through missions, and similar to GTA: SA, completing side content grants the so-called Respect, which is crucial for further progress. All of this sounds very similar to the GTA series, but the real departure is made in the silly tone and activities like diversions, among which the player could become a gigolo/prostitute or enter a battle royale with zombies. It sounds interesting, and trust me, it is.
Watch Dogs
What is common practice in gaming is that every generation brings with it a game that demonstrates the graphical power of new hardware. For the last one, that was supposed to be Watch Dogs, but after the final product was graphically significantly worse than the promotional video we got at the E3 expo, the game remained forever labeled and recognizable by that. However, despite everything, the number of copies sold exceeded 6 million, so that resulted in the creation of a series that currently counts 3 games.
The first Watch Dogs brought with it a significantly darker approach to the urban open world compared to what Rockstar prefers. Unlike the protagonists of the mentioned games, Aiden Pearce will also have the ability to hack city infrastructure, which gives a new dimension to city chases. Undoubtedly this is a project that caused a lot of controversy, but considering that it can now be bought for a meager amount, it is definitely worth trying.
Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs is without competition the game with the most interesting origin story of all. It started as an Activision project to take a piece of Rockstar's pie, and from their conclusion that this was not possible, the game was canceled. However, that's where Square Enix enters the story, buying the rights to True Crime: Hong Kong, as it was originally called, and changing its name to Sleeping Dogs.
We take on the role of Wei Shen, an undercover police officer walking a thin wire between the law and loyalty to the Triads. The main difference and what sold Sleeping Dogs in a market full of similar games is the combat system. Unlike similar games, instead of firearms, Sleeping Dogs put the emphasis on hand-to-hand combat, very similar to what we saw in Batman: Arkham Asylum. If you ask me, it is certainly one of the most underrated relatively well-known games and I definitely recommend it.
Cyberpunk 2077
There is no need to mention much about the noise that Cyberpunk 2077 caused at launch, but that period has long passed and now we are already talking about a polished and very high-quality game. Once we cleared that up, Cyberpunk 2077 is an action RPG set in a dystopian metropolis ruled by megacorporations called Night City. From the perspective of the mercenary V, we follow a story of survival and preserving one's own identity after a biochip with the digital consciousness of anarchist Johnny Silverhand ends up in his head.
The gameplay is in first person in the open world of Night City with the freedom to do whatever you want, identically as in the GTA series. The game reached its peak through the DLC Phantom Liberty, which adds another significant amount of content that makes the overall experience one of the most memorable we've seen in the past decade.
Mafia II
To be honest, the entire Mafia series fits the theme of the text, so it would be possible to put any game from the series in this spot. Likewise, the most similar to the GTA series would probably be Mafia III, but I decided on the second part because I consider it the best. The plot takes place in the city of Empire Bay during World War II and follows Italian immigrant Vito Scaletta, who has difficulties with life in modern society, to put it mildly.
If an open world full of activities to do is extremely important to you, then Mafia II might not be the ideal choice, and then it is better to pick up the third part, because the second in many ways works best as a linear game. However, an interesting fact is that it holds the record for the most swear words, with the word "f*ck" being heard almost 400 times. Mafia II is the best choice for those whose priority is the story, while those looking for a quality open and reactive world won't find it here.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
For fans of somewhat older games, we have The Simpsons, which was made back in 2003 at a time when the series was still at its peak. The Simpsons: Hit & Run is an action-adventure that takes place in the open world of the city of Springfield. We as the player are given the chance to take control of Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Apu and, through 7 chapters, follow a satirical story about mysterious wasp-cameras, black vans, and a new beverage called Buzz Cola.
A direct similarity to the GTA series, which is also the reason for acquiring cult status, is that this game was characterized as "GTA for younger audiences," where formulas of the then-current titles of the mentioned series were adopted. Of course, all those mechanics were not literally copied, but are a caricature of sorts, and the mission structure will probably be familiar to you: driving from point A to point B with a ticking timer, tailing suspicious vehicles, and physically destroying them. Even the Wanted system is present in a similar form – the "Hit & Run" meter fills up by destroying objects and running over pedestrians.
Mad Max
This list wouldn't be complete without having at least one post-apocalyptic game on it, and this time that spot is taken by Mad Max, which places the player into the world of the Wasteland. After being left without his legendary car Interceptor, Max Rockatansky together with the mechanic Chumbucket decides to assemble the ultimate combat vehicle called none other than the Magnum Opus.
The central pillar of the gameplay is precisely that vehicle, with which we can move freely and explore a large open map. Unlike in GTA games, vehicles here are primary and even woven into the very identity of the protagonist. Through collected Scrap, engines, armor, tires, ramming grills, and spikes that prevent enemies from jumping onto the roof are upgraded. Of course, there is also hand-to-hand combat and a whole series of other mechanics to explore.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Technically speaking, the most perfect alternative is precisely Red Dead Redemption 2, even though it's a Western and the Wild West rather than an urban setting. From a design perspective, there is the same structure of missions, maps, and an extremely high level of detail that every Rockstar fan is used to.
The year is 1899, and the plot is focused on Arthur Morgan, a member of Dutch van der Linde's outlaw gang at a time when the era of the Wild West is irrevocably disappearing before the onslaught of modern law and industrialization. You can expect an extremely detailed and realistic open world that sets high standards of immersion. Count on a large number of organic interactions between characters and the environment, so each secondary character possesses their own routine and convincing behavior. Everything else I will leave for you to discover.
Yakuza 0
Just as the list wouldn't be complete without a post-apocalyptic game, it wouldn't be complete without a Japanese one either. The Yakuza series itself somehow has that vibe of a Japanese GTA, although that isn't really completely accurate. Although my choice isn't the only one that meets the criteria, I again chose a classic, which is Yakuza 0, set in the year 1988. We follow two characters who are on opposite sides of the underworld: Kazuma Kiryu, a young debt collector falsely accused of murder, and Goro Majima, a former yakuza member.
Although distinct mafia drama is present in the main story, the main feature is intense hand-to-hand combat (so-called beat 'em up), which offers 3 different styles for each character. Similar to GTA, it is characteristic of Yakuza to teem with content not tied to the main plot, so you have distinct management simulations, darts, billiards, fishing, but also classic arcades. The biggest difference you should know is that there is no car theft or driving, so the whole city can only be explored on foot, and there is no causing chaos around the city: hey, after all, there are some moral codes!
That is the entire list and of course it doesn't cover everything, how would that even be possible? Anything you think we unfairly left unmentioned, feel free to add in the comments!
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