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If you want the closest broad match to Grand Theft Auto’s mix of a modern city, vehicles, crime and chaotic action, start with Saints Row: The Third Remastered—but expect a much sillier tone. For undercover drama and martial arts, choose Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition; for hacking in a contemporary city, Watch Dogs 2. Mafia III leans into organized-crime operations, Cyberpunk 2077 adds deep role-playing systems, and Red Dead Redemption 2 offers an outlaw world rather than modern cars and city crime. They overlap with GTA in different ways, so the right pick depends on which part of the formula you want.
If your ideal game is an open world where you can drive, get out, and start a gunfight, the first question is whether you want grounded crime drama or unrestricted spectacle. These recommendations also differ in how much freedom they give you between missions, whether driving is central, and whether progression comes from territory, equipment, hacking or character builds.
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At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saints Row: The Third Remastered | A broad city-crime sandbox with extravagant action | Steelport; optional two-player online mode listed for PlayStation | Nov 2026 |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | Undercover crime drama and martial-arts combat | Hong Kong setting; cars, superbikes and speedboats | Nov 2026 |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Contemporary city exploration built around hacking | San Francisco Bay Area; PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One listed by Ubisoft | Nov 2026 |
| Mafia III: Definitive Edition | Period organized crime and dismantling rackets | New Bordeaux; more directed criminal operations | Nov 2026 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Open-city missions with extensive character progression | Night City; gigs, skills, perks, weapons, hacking and cyberware | Nov 2026 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Outlaw storytelling and a detailed Rockstar-style world | Frontier setting and horse travel, not contemporary city driving | Nov 2026 |
This is a feature-based ranking, not a claim that any one game reproduces GTA in every respect. The order favors broad overlap with city crime, vehicles and open-ended action before more specialized or setting-specific alternatives.
Which games are most like GTA for open-world crime?
Saints Row: The Third Remastered is the broadest fit; the other strongest choices specialize in a particular kind of crime story, combat or city activity. Choose by the mechanic or atmosphere you most want to keep, rather than by the shared label “open world.” A futuristic RPG can have a city and criminal jobs without feeling like a modern carjacking sandbox, while a period mob game can deliver a stronger crime narrative with fewer spontaneous diversions.
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1. Saints Row: The Third Remastered — closest broad mechanical fit
The PlayStation listing places the Saints in conflict with a criminal Syndicate in Steelport and emphasizes extravagant combat scenarios. That combination of urban crime, vehicles and outsized action makes this the clearest first stop if you want to leave a vehicle, get into trouble and keep moving through a city sandbox. PlayStation’s own description captures its attitude with the line, “This is your City. These are your rules.”
The main trade-off is tone. Saints Row: The Third Remastered deliberately pushes its action toward spectacle and absurdity instead of GTA’s more grounded criminal drama. If you want plausible street-level tension, that exaggeration may be a drawback; if you want the freedom to treat a crime sandbox as an action-comedy, it is part of the appeal. The remaster is the specific title recommended here, so do not confuse it with the separate 2022 Saints Row.
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Its broad fit also makes it the easiest recommendation for someone who has not identified a single favorite GTA feature. Vehicles, urban movement and criminal conflict all sit near the center of the experience, whereas the other entries ask you to accept a major change: martial-arts focus, hacking, a more directed racket structure, futuristic RPG systems or a frontier setting.
PlayStation’s US listing distinguishes PS4 and PS5 versions and describes an optional two-player online mode. The listing says PS Plus is required for that PlayStation online mode. That requirement is specific to the PlayStation listing; do not generalize it to PC, Xbox or another platform without checking its own store page.
2. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition — undercover drama and close combat
Sleeping Dogs follows an undercover cop in Hong Kong, giving its criminal-world story a different point of view from a player simply building a criminal empire. PlayStation describes martial arts, gunfights, cars, superbikes and speedboats, so it retains a mix of urban movement and action while making hand-to-hand combat a defining draw.
Choose it if a focused crime narrative and fights at close range sound more appealing than constant free-form mayhem. The undercover premise creates pressure between law enforcement and criminal organizations, while the Hong Kong setting gives the city a distinct identity rather than presenting a generic American metropolis. It is less suited to someone whose main priority is an unrestricted assortment of GTA-style activities.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe Definitive Edition is the PS4 edition identified in the PlayStation listing; that listing says it integrates 24 previously available DLC extensions, including Year of the Snake and Nightmare in North Point. The number is a count of content identified by that store listing, not a claim about a new 2026 release. When comparing copies, make sure the title actually says Definitive Edition if the integrated additions matter to you.
Its vehicles include more than ordinary cars, with superbikes and speedboats specifically called out by PlayStation. That makes it a useful choice for readers who want varied traversal but would rather spend time learning melee combinations than managing a large character-build system. The central distinction from Saints Row is not a lack of action; it is the more focused undercover-crime perspective and the greater emphasis on close combat.
3. Watch Dogs 2 — hacking in a contemporary city
Watch Dogs 2 is set in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Marcus Holloway and DedSec oppose the surveillance system ctOS 2.0. Ubisoft describes Holloway as “a brilliant young hacker living in the birthplace of the tech revolution, the San Francisco Bay Area.” That premise, rather than a traditional crime-family ascent, is the reason to choose this game over a more conventional gangster story.
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Its urban playground gives hacking and surveillance the central role. Comparative coverage also describes vehicles, drones, stealth and manipulating city infrastructure as parts of its appeal. Those tools change how you approach a target: the attraction is often finding a technical or stealth solution instead of simply exchanging gunfire. Treat those descriptions as a summary of the game’s feature set, not as a promise that every activity works like a GTA mission.
Ubisoft lists PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Platform generations, storefront editions and backward-compatibility arrangements can differ, so check the current listing for the system you own. If your ideal GTA-like experience is “a modern city with cars, but I want technology to be the main power fantasy,” this is the clearest match in the group.
It is not the best choice if you specifically want a traditional criminal rise through rackets or a gritty undercover story. The DedSec and ctOS conflict gives the game its own identity, and that identity is the point: hacking, surveillance and connected infrastructure are more important than imitating a mob narrative.
4. Mafia III: Definitive Edition — organized crime with a more directed structure
Mafia III centers on Lincoln Clay building an underworld organization in New Bordeaux by dismantling rackets. It is the pick here for a period mob-operation premise: the attraction is the criminal organization and its targets, not a broad claim that it offers the same activity mix as GTA.
The trade-off is structure. An October 2026 comparative account describes a more directed, repeated racket-disruption loop than GTA’s free-form mix of activities. That makes it a better fit if you want a crime story organized around taking apart operations than if you want the widest possible range of unscripted diversions. Expect the campaign’s criminal objectives to provide the organizing framework, rather than treating the city as an unlimited playground of unrelated activities.
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Current platform and edition entitlements are not established here, so verify the exact listing rather than relying on the word “Definitive” alone. Check which system is sold, what content is included and whether a physical copy is new, used or region-specific.
5. Cyberpunk 2077 — open-city crime alongside RPG progression
Cyberpunk 2077 casts V as a mercenary working in open-world Night City. CD PROJEKT RED describes gigs and character development through skills, perks, weapons, hacking and cyberware. That makes it a strong choice if you want a city full of jobs and action but also want your character build to shape how you approach them.
Its largest difference from GTA is progression depth. Instead of relying mainly on access to vehicles, weapons or story missions, you develop a build around abilities, equipment and cyberware. Hacking can be part of that approach, but the game is not simply another contemporary crime sandbox: Night City is futuristic, and the mercenary premise supports a much more explicit role-playing structure.
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The base game and Phantom Liberty are distinct purchases; do not assume an edition includes the expansion without checking its contents. Search for the exact platform package and read the included-content list, especially when a store offers several bundles with similar names.
CD PROJEKT RED documents a Nintendo Switch 2 version with platform-specific controls, so check the selected platform and edition instead of assuming features or controls carry over unchanged. The publisher page includes changing update information; an evergreen recommendation should not treat a particular update note as a permanent buying requirement. Verify the current store description when you are ready to buy.
6. Red Dead Redemption 2 — outlaw immersion, not a modern-city replacement
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the adjacent pick for players who want a richly detailed Rockstar-style world, outlaw storytelling and exploration. Its frontier setting changes the basic movement and atmosphere: expect horse travel, not contemporary city driving.
Choose it for the outlaw-world experience, not because it reproduces GTA’s modern urban crime sandbox. Contemporary comparative coverage points to world detail, exploration and outlaw storytelling as its strengths. The slower frontier pace and horse-based travel are deliberate parts of the setting, so someone asking specifically for traffic, modern cars and city crime should choose one of the first five entries instead.
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Two lighter or more explosive alternatives
LEGO City Undercover is worth a short mention if you want an open-city structure without adult criminal drama. It supplies a lighter, family-oriented contrast and should not be treated as a substitute for the tone, violence or crime storytelling of the six main recommendations.
Just Cause 3 is another adjacent option when destructive open-world action matters more than a crime-story premise. It can satisfy a desire for spectacle and large-scale chaos, but it is weaker as a direct answer to someone asking for an organized criminal narrative or GTA-style underworld progression. These two games are alternatives for a specific mood, not replacements that belong above the main ranking.
How should you choose between these GTA-like games?
Start with the feature you would miss most if it disappeared. “Open world” is too broad to settle the choice: these games differ in setting, tone, freedom, combat and progression.
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- Want a city, vehicles and chaotic crime action? Pick Saints Row: The Third Remastered, accepting its intentionally exaggerated tone.
- Want a crime plot with undercover tension and martial arts? Pick Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition.
- Want modern urban play where hacking is the central distinction? Pick Watch Dogs 2.
- Want an organized-crime story built around rackets? Pick Mafia III: Definitive Edition, knowing its structure is more directed.
- Want city missions plus character builds? Pick Cyberpunk 2077, and check whether the edition includes the separate expansion if you want it.
- Want outlaw-world immersion rather than traffic and modern cars? Pick Red Dead Redemption 2.
Use these comparison axes when two choices still seem close:
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- Setting: modern city in Saints Row or Watch Dogs 2, Hong Kong in Sleeping Dogs, period New Bordeaux in Mafia III, futuristic Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, or frontier territory in Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Freedom versus direction: Saints Row is the broad sandbox fit, while Mafia III is organized around repeated racket disruption and Sleeping Dogs around a focused undercover story.
- Core action: driving and spectacle, martial arts, hacking and stealth, mob operations, RPG builds, or exploration and outlaw immersion.
- Tone: absurd comedy, undercover drama, techno-thriller, period crime, futuristic role-playing or serious frontier storytelling.
- Online expectations: PlayStation lists optional two-player online play for Saints Row: The Third Remastered; do not infer the same mode or subscription rule for every other game.
Before paying, verify the exact game name, edition, platform and format on the current store or retailer listing. Remasters, expansions, platform versions and physical copies are not interchangeable labels, and availability can differ by region.
What should you check before buying?
Store details matter most when a recommendation names a particular edition or when you are buying a physical copy. Confirm the listing’s platform and contents rather than inferring them from a game’s title or from another platform’s page.
For a PS4 disc of Saints Row: The Third Remastered
PlayStation’s upgrade instructions address owners of the PS4 disc version and require inserting that disc to use the PS4-to-PS5 digital upgrade path. A disc-free PS5 Digital Edition cannot use that disc-owner route. Check the exact regional listing and console edition before purchase, especially if you intend to upgrade.
The PlayStation page describes optional online play for up to two players and says PS Plus is required for the PlayStation online mode. That information is specific to the PlayStation listing; it is not a universal statement about online requirements on every platform.
A natural shopping query is Saints Row The Third Remastered PS4 disc. Use it beside the recommendation, then inspect the individual offer for edition name, disc format, region and condition. A search result alone does not establish that a particular copy is new, complete or compatible with the console you own.
For the other games
- For Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, a natural query is
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition PS4. Confirm that the seller is offering the Definitive Edition rather than another release, and check the format you want. - For Watch Dogs 2, search for
Watch Dogs 2 PS4or the platform-specific version. Ubisoft verifies the game and listed platforms, but an individual physical listing still needs a live check. - For Cyberpunk 2077, distinguish the base game from an edition that includes Phantom Liberty; check the package contents for your selected platform. A standard edition should not be assumed to include the expansion.
- For a physical copy of Red Dead Redemption 2, search for
Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 discand confirm region, condition, stock and price on the live listing. A comparison that shows examples does not establish durable inventory. - For Mafia III: Definitive Edition, confirm current platform availability and edition contents directly, since the comparison supporting this recommendation does not establish those current details.
No stable prices are established for these recommendations, so a single price would be misleading. Compare the live store listings for the platform and region you actually use. Authorized game retailers and publishers are the sensible places to check; no particular affiliate arrangement or commission should be assumed from a shopping link.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes when picking a GTA alternative
- Choosing by “open world” alone: a frontier exploration game and a futuristic RPG can both be open worlds while offering very different driving, crime and mission structures.
- Expecting every game to include every GTA mechanic: these recommendations intentionally specialize. Hacking, martial arts, rackets and character builds are alternatives to, not guaranteed additions to, the same formula.
- Mixing up editions: Saints Row: The Third Remastered is not the 2022 Saints Row, and Cyberpunk 2077 base-game packages do not automatically include Phantom Liberty.
- Assuming a platform rule transfers: the PS Plus note belongs to the PlayStation online listing for Saints Row; verify online requirements on the platform you use.
- Treating a retailer example as a guarantee: stock, region, condition and price change, particularly for physical PS4 copies.
How were these games selected?
The ranking weighs how directly each game answers a request for open-world crime gameplay, while separating close matches from adjacent alternatives. It considers modern city versus frontier or futuristic setting, sandbox freedom versus directed story, driving versus melee, hacking or RPG progression, and grounded drama versus absurdity.
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The result is a practical shortlist rather than a claim that one title is universally best. If you want the nearest broad city-crime sandbox, begin with Saints Row: The Third Remastered. If a different feature matters more—fists, hacking, rackets, RPG progression or Rockstar-style world detail—the specialized picks explain exactly what you gain and what you give up.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many DLC additions are included in Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition?
The PlayStation store listing observed in 2026 says the Definitive Edition integrates 24 previously available DLC extensions. It specifically names Year of the Snake and Nightmare in North Point among them.
Can I use a Saints Row PS4 disc to upgrade on a PS5 Digital Edition?
No. PlayStation’s disc-owner upgrade route requires inserting the PS4 disc, which a disc-free PS5 Digital Edition cannot read. Check console hardware and edition compatibility before choosing a physical copy.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 available on Nintendo Switch 2?
CD PROJEKT RED documents a Nintendo Switch 2 version and describes controls specific to that platform. Check the current platform store for the exact edition and included content, particularly if you also want the separate Phantom Liberty expansion.
Which game is the closest overall match to GTA?
Saints Row: The Third Remastered is the closest broad mechanical fit for a modern city, vehicles, criminal conflict and chaotic action. Its tone is intentionally much more exaggerated, so choose another entry if you want grounded drama.
Which GTA-like game is best for martial arts?
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is the clearest choice. Its undercover Hong Kong story combines gunfights and vehicles with martial arts as a defining part of combat.
Which recommendation focuses on hacking?
Watch Dogs 2 makes hacking and surveillance central through Marcus Holloway and DedSec’s conflict with ctOS 2.0 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Is Mafia III as free-form as GTA?
No direct equivalence should be assumed. Comparative coverage describes Mafia III as more directed, with Lincoln Clay dismantling rackets through a repeated organized-crime structure.
Does Cyberpunk 2077 include Phantom Liberty?
Not automatically. Phantom Liberty is a separate expansion, so read the selected edition’s included-content list before buying.
Is Red Dead Redemption 2 a modern-city crime game?
No. It is an adjacent Rockstar-style recommendation centered on an outlaw world, frontier travel and horses rather than contemporary traffic and city driving.
The Bottom Line
For the nearest broad GTA-style city-crime sandbox, choose Saints Row: The Third Remastered. Choose Sleeping Dogs for undercover martial arts, Watch Dogs 2 for hacking, Mafia III for directed mob operations, Cyberpunk 2077 for RPG-heavy city missions, and Red Dead Redemption 2 for frontier outlaw immersion. Confirm the exact edition, platform, expansion contents and physical-copy details before purchasing.
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