There are plenty of reasons to love Grand Theft Auto 5 or GTA 5 for short. We even decided to attest to its greatness by doing a separate GTA 5 review for anyone who is curious. The game seems to be about camaraderie, but it quickly turns into betrayal and revenge. You can come in unapologetic, with guns blazing, and no one can stand in your way or even chase you down in your exquisite car. But you don’t need things explained to you – if you playing the game feels right and brings joy, that’s all you need. So, if you loved this game, you’ll be even more excited to read this article. These are the best games like GTA 5.
1. Just Cause 4
If you loved piloting a plane over the city, then parachuting to the streets in GTA, you will love Just Cause 4. Or, any other games in the franchise for that matter, as they are all great GTA 5 alternatives, in our opinion. The entire experience is aided by spears, hooks, wingsuits, dodging bullets, stunts, insane shootouts against tens of enemies, and a great RPG immersion. Oh, and did we mention a vast, beautiful, open-world setting that allows you freedom of action? Take the role of Rico Rodriguez, part-Batman, part-CJ, part Max Payne, and honestly, part-Superman, and dive into this masculine game.
2. Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 is GTA 5 on a God mode, allowing you to affect the world around you as if you possess it. If you have played the first game, you know it’s all about hacking the various systems in the San Francisco Bay Area, causing traffic to stop, lights to shut off, explosions to go off, and a whole lot of driving, slashing, and hunting enemies with guns blazing or sneaking in like a thief. Unfortunately, although the game looks beautiful, optimization isn’t its strongest suit, and you require a stronger-than-usual computer to run it.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2
Looking for games similar to GTA 5? Then, what better than the game published by the same company as GTA, Rockstar Games? The first game was exclusive to consoles, and out of reach to PC gamers. But the second one was finally released on PC, and in doing so, brought a lot of joy and excitement. It is essentially Grand Theft Auto on the Wild West. Replace your Lamborghini with a horse, and a Glock with a revolver, and you’ve got the idea. The gameplay is nuanced and has an old-world feel, but with beautiful, large open-world and stunning graphics.
4. L.A. Noire
This is a bit of a curveball since it is not exactly a direct comparison to GTA 5. It is a third-person action-adventure game that puts you in the shoes of a patrol officer-turned-detective who has to piece things together and complete criminal cases. The lead character, Cole Phelps, has survived World War II and has plenty of experience under his belt. The world is big and inspired by Los Angeles in the 1940s, and involves plenty of murder, blood, drugs, corruption, defrauding, and mystery. There is also a lot of ups and downs, disappointments, and even a unique topic – consequences of a divorce.
5. Mafia 3
Have you ever wanted to live on the streets of New York during the height of the Sicilian-American criminal organization, La Cosa Nostra? Mafia gives you the best chance to experience all the violence. You’re put into the shoes of Lincoln Clay, a war veteran who is also a ruthless killer on the streets of New Orleans. You’ll have to outsmart, outgun, and outplay the other soldiers, underbosses, bosses, and survive the whole terrifying ordeal. For that, you’ll need serious firepower, driving skills, and even fighting skills as there will be plenty of melee combat. The attention to detail in the open-world made us feel nostalgic for times we never experienced for real.
6. Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs is one of the games similar to Grand Theft Auto 5, primarily in terms of delivering justice swiftly. We even consider the beating you’ll deliver to be educational, as by the end of the game no one will want to mess with you. Oh, and there’s plenty of driving around town in fast cars and bikes, a lot of sneaking in like a ninja and shooting in third-person. You can also roam the open-world without limitations and use the environment to aid you in killing the enemies. And, because you’re an undercover cop infiltrating a criminal organization, feel free to choose to indulge in both legal and illegal operations.
7. Far Cry 5
In our opinion, Far Cry 5 is not only one of the best 3D games but also one of the best first-person shooters, at least among AAA games. They keep coming up with new concepts and storylines that seem insane at times. In this case, it is about Joseph Seed, a powerful cult leader in a fictional town. You are dropped into the story with very little to go on, so there’s a lot of brainwashing, gunning down, attacking, and defending positions right off the bat. You can also tame animals and recruit locals into the militia. A great GTA V like game.
8. Saints Row IV
Eight on our list is a game similar to GTA, but one that fulfills what you always wanted – to be the boss as the President of the United States. This game is a mix of one of the best-paid games for PC if you ask us. It combines superpowers, third-person shooting, tactics and leadership, air combat, racing, and even an alien invasion you must fend off. It has cracking humor, full-fledged character customization options, and interesting main and side missions that will keep you on your toes.
9. The Saboteur
We’ll shortly intercept the list with a game you might not have heard of. This one is set in the middle of the World War II era, in a German-occupied Paris. You are a car fanatic named Sean Devlin, and even though the main goal is to beat the Nazis, you’ll do a lot of driving. Besides racing, you’ll do a lot of sneaking around, investigating, and parkour. The game has a very compelling narrative, and we consider it to be among many of the underrated games for PC. But that makes it cheaper and accessible to a wider population, and we like that aspect.
10. Prototype 2
Going back to an action-adventure game set in a vast open world. The protagonist, James Heller, is a mutated human that can move at inhuman speed, jump across, and down the building without losing health. And even more – slaughter enemies without blinking with the help of superstrength. Think of him as a mix of Spiderman, Superman, and Wolverine. There is also a heartwrenching plot twist that will make you think about the concept of heroes and villains, and how the lines are blurry. A truly wonderful PC game like GTA V.
11. APB Reloaded
In terms of Grand Theft Auto 5 alternatives, APB Reloaded was the world’s first action MMO third-person shooter. It was popular before GTA Online when everyone wished they could play GTA as a multiplayer. With that said, the players are split into criminals and cops. It’s their job to either uphold or decide to break the law in the city of San Paro. Weapons and vehicles are purposefully designed to make shootouts and car chases as action-packed and thrilling as possible. Also, you have full control over your character’s appearance, going down to the music your enemies will hear when you kill them!
12. Driver: San Francisco
The name kinda gives it up – this is a driving game for PC set in San Francisco. But that’s only the core of the game, nothing paints the picture of actually playing the game. You’ll get to drive a wide variety of cars, from classics to high-speed lightweight monsters. Take part in adrenaline-pumping rushes throughout the city and you’ll feel exhilaration like never before. You can also teleport from one car to another using a feature called Shift, preventing you from getting bored by one vehicle.
13. Wheelman
Some of us want to be like Vin Diesel. Not because of his bald head, but because of his muscular physique and badassery he exhibits while shooting, fighting, and driving vehicles in high-speed pursuits in movies. This game allows you to experience first-hand how it feels to be Vin Diesel. Due to budget constraints, the missions become a bit of a chore, and the graphics and animations aren’t on the GTA 5 level. If you can look past those, you’ll have a lot of fun with this game like GTA 5.
14. Remnant: From the Ashes
A mix of RPG third-person shooting, action-adventure, and a story-driven game is named Remnant: From the Ashes. The name refers to a post-apocalyptic Earth ruled by an evil named Root. Your job is to find the rest of the human population and off you go – to other worlds, even! You’ll feel like a vampire, stalking and preparing, upgrading traits, crafting weapons and armor, and feeding on countless enemies by dual-wielding two gun weapons, as well as a melee weapon on the side. It can be played solo or with a friend as a Co-op.
15. Days Gone
Continuing the theme of an open-world thirst person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Oregon is Days Gone. If you ever played Dead by Daylight or Dying Light, you’ll feel right at home. Play as Deacon, fighting to survive the situation he found himself in, and blast through the hordes of incoming zombies to discover if your wife is still among the living. Just like in GTA, you’ll get to drive a motorcycle from one place to another, and use rapid-fire from the variety of guns to mow the creatures named Freakers down.
16. Control
When we played Control, we couldn’t help but think of Grand Theft Auto V. This is primarily due to the third-person perspective, interesting quests, making allies along the way, beautiful graphics, and most of all – constant explosions and the destruction of the environment. Other than that, the game has a linear feel to it and is considered an action-adventure like GTA V. You will not only have to uncover the mysteries surrounding a secretive agency in New York but also gain control and save it from being overtaken after an invasion.
17. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Did our choice of the game confuse you? Although GTA doesn’t have a magic element as Witcher does, the popularity of the series reminds us how immersive the game is. You have the freedom to explore the vast area of The Continent and its cities and pick a weapon of choice like in Grand Theft Auto. But, you’ll go from mission to mission with supreme confidence riding a horse instead of a Bugatti. Still, you will get into plenty of confrontations during the adventure and have the same feeling after you win. After all, many consider The Witcher 3 as one of the best-rated games and a game with the best graphics.
18. Batman: Arkham City
How does Batman take care of the crime in Gotham City without any superpowers, you wonder? Well, wonder no more, since you’ll be the man himself in this game. The entire game has compelling and immersive voice acting, smooth animations, beautiful graphics, and a grim, dangerous atmosphere. Just getting to drive the world-famous Batmobile is an experience enough. Now, imagine getting out of it and using gadgets and your martial arts skills to beat one evil guy after another. Keep in mind, you need a powerful computer to enjoy the game to the fullest. Even though it has not many things in common, we can still consider it a good GTA 5 alternative.
19. Dead Rising 3
This game will allow you to kick ass and take names. But which names? You don’t know exactly, because you’ll be fighting thousands upon thousands of unidentifiable zombies that want to convert you into one. Dead Rising 3 has a lot of humor to balance out the grim atmosphere, plenty of weapons, beautiful character animations, and a lot of fighting. You’ll feel like both a mass murderer and a hero of mankind. Even though the primary focus of this game is on Zombies, it somewhat have similarities with GTA 5 with its killing mechanics and environmental design.
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The fourth installment, just like the majority of the Uncharted games, follows Nathan Drake. We’ve saved it for last because the game isn’t available on PC like GTA 5. But, it has a lot of similarities, such as a third-person perspective, having action-adventure elements, a strong story, and beautiful graphics. The singleplayer is less focused on roaming the world because it has a linear narrative. But, you can still run guns blazing or stealth your way to the end. It is multiplayer, in which you cooperate with other players, that invokes that GTA 5 feel.