Grand Theft Auto 5 aka GTA 5 or GTA V was a monster hit. You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of games that came close to its success. Therefore, it is not surprising that fans are looking forward to GTA 6. Now, many fans of the franchise are looking for games like GTA 5 to fill the waiting gap.
It will shock you to know that there are tens of games like GTA 5. However, for one reason or another, some of these games like GTA 5 never got massive player count and unit sales like GTA 5. There are a number of reasons that may be blamed for that.
Firstly, having a great product is not enough. In the same way, creating a game like GTA 5 is not enough to make it a massive hit. The developer needs to promote the games so that many people will know about it. Rockstar Games spent over $200 million to develop GTA 5—and a good portion of that money went into marketing.
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There are reports that GTA 6 will cost the company $1 billion to make. The marketing budget has also been bumped up. Most of the other games like GTA 5 are from studios that may not have the financial muscle to match Rockstar’s marketing budget—or simply don’t make marketing a priority.
7 Games like GTA 5
Before I unveil the list of games like GTA 5, it is important to mention that these games have unique stories that may be unrelated to crime like GTA. However, most of them have something to do with crime and cops, but that’s about all there is in the shared story similarity.
The games on our roster are open world, first- or third-person action-adventure that allows the player to run free. One iconic feature of GTA 5 is that you can hijack any automobile on the street and either use or wreck them. The majority of the games like GTA 5 on this list also have that feature—or a version of it.
However, there are subtle gameplay mechanics that are peculiar to each of these games. Regardless, they should be enough to fill up the vacuum while we eagerly anticipate the release of GTA 6—probably in 2024. Without further chitchat, here we go.
1. Mafia trilogy (Get it Here)
Just like GTA, Mafia had its run and I wished that it somehow extended beyond the third part. In Mafia, you will get to see how innocent citizens struggling to make ends meet get entangled with drugs and the life of crime—which never ends well.
You will start off running petty errands before joining the big leagues and causing mayhem on the street. Developed by Hangar 13 and Published by 2K, Mafia is all about family, love, betrayal, and everything in between. This is one of the games like GTA where every car on the street can be yours. As far as you can steal it, you can keep it. However, you need to watch out for the cops.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Get it Here)
Coming from the same developer as GTA, it is really not a surprise that Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the games like GTA 5. If you have a lust for bounties and loot, Red Dead Redemption will make sure that you have it to your fill.
However, unlike GTA, Red Dead Redemption is set in the American Cowboy era. So, instead of cars, you will be riding horses. It is one of the finest and most expansive games with the main story spanning over 50 hours and up to 85 hours with extras. It is more like a hunt party and you don’t want to be left behind.
3. Saints Row (Get it Here)
Saints Row shares a lot in common with GTA 5, especially because the central theme is crime and gang wars. The 2022 reboot of the game introduced more cars and more over-the-top gang violence sprinkled with trust and betrayal.
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Developed by Deep Silver Volition and published by THQ, Saints Row reboot starts off with a raid that went wrong leading to plane jacking and gun blazing. It gets even more intense from there with each mission testing your resilience and quick decision-making ability.
4. Watch Dogs 1&2 (Get it Here)
Watch Dogs 1 and 2 seems to have taken lessons from GTA, especially in the area of cop chase. You have to use every means possible to lose the cops—and some missions are all about cop chase. This is one of the games like GTA 5 where you can drive anything on the street. However, it comes with more puzzles to solve and gadgets to hack.
Instead of a Miami environment like GTA, Watch Dogs Legion is set in London and there is virtually no limit to how much you can explore. Developed by Ubisoft Toronto and published by Ubisoft, Watch Dogs is a great game to explore while waiting for GTA 6.
5. Far Cry 6 (Get it Here)
Far Cry 6 brings to life a living capital, Esperanza, for the first time. Although this is a first-person action-adventure, it plays and looks every inch like GTA in terms of the level of violence and exploration. From cars to trucks to planes, Far Cry 6 gives players the opportunity to drive almost anything.
Developed by Ubisoft Toronto and published by Ubisoft, Far Cry 6 has the largest game world in the history of the franchise. Players will use unconventional weapons to wage guerilla warfare against the military regime. The main story is about 18 hours long.
6. Sleeping Dogs (Get it Here)
Sleeping Dogs is set in bustling Hong Kong where two rival gangs are constantly fighting for supremacy. As an undercover cop, you try to gain the trust of one of the gangs in an attempt to take down the entire network. From fisticuffs to gun blazing or the use of other weapons in the environment, everything is legal in Sleeping Dogs.
Developed by Feral Interactive and published by Square Enix, Sleeping Dogs is one of the games like GTA 5 where the driving and exploration are almost limitless. The remarkable difference is that the protagonist in Sleeping Dogs, Wei Shen, can do more than just land punches, unlike in GTA.
7. Uncharted 4 (Get it Here)
Uncharted 4 was set many years after the last adventure of retired fortune hunter Nathan Drake. With much more personal stakes, Drake has to embark on a globe-trotting journey in search of a fabled pirate treasure.
ALSO READ: GTA 6 Release May Be Sooner Than Fans Expected
Developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for PlayStation 4, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End takes players across the globe through urban cities, jungle isles, and snow-capped peaks. It is one of the games like GTA where exploration and violence are highly encouraged. The driving is also really insane.
Conclusion
All the games on this list are fast-paced action adventures that will keep you on the edge of your seats most of the time. Just don’t get discouraged when you start dying. Simply dust yourself up and retry using a different strategy.
Although all clues point to 2024 as the possible release year for GTA 6, it is hard to say for certain if it will happen. Except for the infrequent GTA 6 leaks, Rockstar has been able to keep information around the game’s development tight.
Nevertheless, if you want games like GTA 5 that will keep you occupied while you wait for GTA 6, we bet the games on this list will do the job. Unless you are really a pro, it will take you a long time to blaze through all the games too because of how difficult they can get.
Do you know any other game like GTA 5 that should be on this list? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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