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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →There is no single one-to-one replacement for GTA. Choose according to the part of Rockstar’s formula you want to preserve: a contemporary city, a crime story, unrestricted roaming, driving and explosions, hacking, martial-arts combat, or deeper role-playing. Cyberpunk 2077 is the closest fit for a modern city with RPG systems; Mafia: Definitive Edition for a focused organized-crime narrative; Red Dead Redemption 2 for freedom in a huge world; Sleeping Dogs for undercover crime and martial arts; Just Cause 3 for traversal and destruction; Watch Dogs 2 for hacking; and Saints Row for exaggerated criminal-sandbox comedy.
Console support is not uniform. Before buying, check the exact edition and the current PlayStation or Xbox store listing for native PS5 or Xbox Series X|S support, backward compatibility, and regional availability.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition - PlayStation 5 | $49.69 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultimate Edition) | $64.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Rise of the Ronin - PlayStation 5 | $24.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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No Man's Sky (PS5) EU Version Region Free | $23.85 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Silent Hill 2 (PS5) | $29.50 | Buy on Amazon |
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How to choose a GTA alternative
“Games like GTA” can mean several different things. GTA combines a contemporary city, cars, gunplay, missions, criminal progression, satire, side activities and the freedom to ignore the story. Most alternatives reproduce only some of that mixture.
- Modern city: Cyberpunk 2077 or Watch Dogs 2.
- Crime narrative: Mafia: Definitive Edition or Sleeping Dogs.
- Roaming and emergent freedom: Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Driving, stunts and spectacle: Just Cause 3.
- Role-playing depth: Cyberpunk 2077.
- Broad, exaggerated sandbox comedy: Saints Row.
The table gives the quick match, while the sections below explain what each game actually delivers and where it diverges from GTA.
#1 Best Overall
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- CREATE YOUR OWN CYBERPUNK: Become an urban outlaw equipped with cybernetic enhancements and build your legend on the streets of Night City. · EXPLORE THE CITY OF THE FUTURE: Night City is packed to the brim with things to do, places to see, and people to meet. And it’s up to you where to go, when to go, and how to get there.
- BUILD YOUR LEGEND: Go on daring adventures and build relationships with unforgettable characters whose fates are shaped by the choices you make. · EQUIPPED WITH NEXT-GEN FEATURES: Immerse yourself in Night City like never before thanks to faster load times, improved visual and gameplay features, ray tracing and dynamic 4K support, and more.
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| Game | Best match for | Setting | Primary structure | Console-support caution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Modern city, driving, action and RPG depth | Futuristic Night City | Open-world missions with role-playing systems | PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are listed by GameSpot; verify the exact current edition. |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Modern city and hacking | San Francisco | Open-world missions and systemic hacking | The cited listing is PS4 and Xbox One; do not assume a native current-generation version. |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | Focused organized-crime story | Recreated 1930s Lost Heaven | Story-directed campaign with an explorable city | Current PS5 and Xbox Series X|S edition or compatibility was not established; check the store listing. |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Player freedom, crime and exploration | Western frontier | Large open world with story, activities and heists | Verify the edition and current-generation compatibility for your console. |
| Sleeping Dogs | Undercover crime and martial arts | Hong Kong | Open-world action with a directed crime plot | Check whether the edition you want is supported on your specific console. |
| Saints Row | Exaggerated criminal-sandbox freedom | Stylized contemporary setting | Open-world missions and comedic mayhem | “Saints Row” covers multiple entries; verify the particular game and edition. |
| Just Cause 3 | Traversal, vehicles and destruction | Fictional Mediterranean island | Open-world action built around stunts and chaos | Confirm current compatibility and the edition before purchase. |
Cyberpunk 2077: the strongest modern-city RPG alternative
Choose Cyberpunk 2077 if the part of GTA you value most is moving through a dense contemporary-feeling city, taking jobs, driving between encounters and building a character. PlayStation describes Night City as a labyrinthine open world and V as a mercenary outlaw. That gives the game a crime-adjacent premise without making it a conventional GTA-style crime sandbox.
What it shares with GTA
- A large city designed for free roaming rather than a sequence of disconnected levels.
- Vehicles and fast movement between missions.
- Combat, criminal contracts and missions that can be approached in different ways.
- A protagonist operating outside conventional law.
What makes it different
Its defining layer is role-playing. Character attributes, perks, equipment and dialogue choices shape how V handles missions. GameSpot specifically distinguishes its RPG mechanics and mission structure from GTA. You are not simply building a criminal empire or collecting cars; you are developing a character with specialized capabilities and making choices inside authored quests.
That makes Cyberpunk 2077 a poor match for someone who wants a purely lighthearted modern-city sandbox with constant spontaneous police chases. It is a better fit for a player who accepts denser systems and a more directed narrative in exchange for build variety and consequential mission decisions.
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PS5 and Xbox Series X|S buying note
GameSpot lists PS5 and Xbox Series X|S among the platforms. Editions and upgrade paths can differ, so confirm that the store page is for the current console version you intend to play, not an older listing or a bundled edition with different entitlements.
Watch Dogs 2: choose hacking over gunplay
Watch Dogs 2 recreates San Francisco and makes connected technology the main tool of its open world. GameSpot describes hacking cars, phones, cameras and other systems. If your favorite GTA activity is manipulating a city from the driver’s seat or turning ordinary infrastructure into a weapon, this is the most direct recommendation.
Why it feels like an alternative
- You can scout an area through cameras before entering it.
- Vehicles and environmental systems can be disrupted remotely.
- Missions support stealth, remote manipulation and direct action rather than forcing one approach.
- The city itself is part of the puzzle, not merely a backdrop between shootouts.
The important limitation
The cited platform information names PS4 and Xbox One. That does not establish native PS5 or Xbox Series X|S support. A current console may run an older edition through backward compatibility, but availability, enhancement features and regional store listings must be checked individually. Do not buy a listing solely because the console is capable of running some older games.
Mafia: Definitive Edition: the focused crime story
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the clearest choice when you want organized crime, period atmosphere and a protagonist’s rise through a criminal family rather than an enormous toy box of unrelated activities. PlayStation describes Tommy Angelo, a cab driver drawn into the Salieri crime family, and a recreated 1930s Lost Heaven.
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Rank #2
- THE ULTIMATE CYBERPUNK 2077 EXPERIENCE - Includes the critically acclaimed spy thriller expansion Phantom Liberty
- CREATE YOUR OWN CYBERPUNK
- Explore the city of the future – you decide when you want to go where and how to get there
- Decide how the story ends – your choices in the main game as well as in the spy thriller adventure Phantom Liberty lead to a complex web of consequences
Why it fits crime-story fans
The premise gives every major mission a clear dramatic purpose: Tommy’s relationship with the family, its hierarchy and the consequences of criminal work. The historical setting also changes the rhythm of the game. You get period vehicles, architecture and social context instead of a modern metropolis filled with smartphones, supercars and contemporary satire.
What you give up compared with GTA
Mafia is more story-directed. Its city is explorable, but the main attraction is the campaign and its atmosphere, not an expectation that every block will support a separate activity. If your priority is wandering for hours, stealing any vehicle and inventing your own chaos, Red Dead Redemption 2, Saints Row or Just Cause 3 may serve you better.
Edition check
The available evidence does not establish a complete, current PS5 and Xbox Series X|S compatibility matrix for Mafia: Definitive Edition. Check the platform store for the exact edition, enhancement status and backward-compatibility information before ordering a physical copy or downloading a digital version.
Red Dead Redemption 2: freedom in a western world
Red Dead Redemption 2 preserves the broadest “live in an open world” feeling, but moves it from a contemporary city to the American frontier. GameSpot describes a large world, criminal activity and heists; GamesRadar emphasizes player freedom and an expansive world.
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- A criminal protagonist operating within a larger gang.
- Heists, robberies and missions that can lead to unexpected encounters.
- A world that rewards leaving the main route to explore, hunt, meet strangers and discover activities.
- Strong contrast between planned story missions and unscripted incidents while travelling.
Why it is not a modern-city substitute
There are no contemporary highways, smartphones or urban car culture. Horses and period weapons determine travel and combat, and the slower pace is intentional. Select this game for freedom, immersion and frontier crime—not because you need a replacement for GTA’s city driving.
Who should skip it
Players seeking short, explosive missions and immediate access to fast vehicles may find its deliberate travel and survival details demanding. Its appeal grows when you are willing to let the world set the pace.
Sleeping Dogs: undercover crime with martial arts
Sleeping Dogs combines an undercover-detective story with Hong Kong street crime. GameSpot describes a detective infiltrating a triad and martial-arts combat, while GamesRadar highlights the way it brings martial arts and stunt action into open-world crime conventions.
Rank #3
- Haptic feedback: Feel the impact of combat as you clash blades and trade blows with haptic feedback through the DualSense wireless controller.
- Adaptive triggers: Experience the tension of your bow string and the click of your matchlock rifle’s trigger through the DualSense wireless controller’s adaptive triggers.
- Tempest 3D AudioTech: Become immersed in the sounds of Bakumatsu-era Japan – from the hustle and bustle of the capital’s streets to the tranquil sounds of nature as you traverse the landscape with 3D spatial audio.*
- Ultra high-speed SSD: Get straight to the heart of the action with the PlayStation5 console’s lightning-fast load times.
Its distinctive strengths
- Hand-to-hand combat is central rather than an occasional alternative to firearms.
- The undercover premise creates tension between police duties and criminal relationships.
- Driving, chases and street fights are integrated into a compact urban setting.
- The setting gives the game a different visual and cultural identity from American crime sandboxes.
Trade-offs
Sleeping Dogs is an older title, and the evidence available here does not establish a uniform current-generation edition. Verify whether the specific release is playable on your PS5 or Xbox Series X|S. It is also more campaign-focused than a game built around endless systemic experimentation, so buy it for the combat and undercover narrative rather than assuming it reproduces every GTA side activity.
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Saints Row is the recommendation for players who want the broad shape of a criminal open world but prefer absurdity, spectacle and a less grounded tone. GameSpot notes the series’ GTA influence while also distinguishing its style and freedom.
What to expect
The series treats crime as a playground for outrageous missions, customisation and comedic escalation. It can deliver the familiar loop of taking jobs, driving around a city and causing trouble, but its identity comes from exaggeration rather than realism.
Choose the entry carefully
“Saints Row” refers to multiple games with different settings, mechanics and console support. The available material does not establish current availability for every entry. Decide on the exact title first, then verify its PS5 or Xbox Series X|S edition, performance mode and compatibility. A recommendation without the entry number or release name is incomplete.
Just Cause 3: movement and destruction first
Just Cause 3 is best when the fantasy is attaching a grappling hook to almost anything, deploying a wingsuit, commandeering vehicles and dismantling an island through spectacular chain reactions. GameSpot highlights the grappling hook, wingsuit, vehicles and destruction-focused play.
Why it satisfies action-focused players
- The grappling hook creates vertical routes and lets you pull objects together.
- The wingsuit and parachute turn travel into an activity rather than a commute.
- Vehicles and explosives support improvised attacks on bases and infrastructure.
- The open world is built to reward experimentation and spectacle.
Scale, with a qualification
GameSpot reports a map size of 2,000 square kilometres. That is a secondary editorial figure, not an independently verified, comparable map-size dataset, so it should be read as an indication of the game’s advertised scale rather than a precise ranking against the other recommendations.
What it does not provide
Just Cause 3 is not the choice for a grounded organized-crime drama. Its missions and systems are designed around chaos, traversal and destruction, not subtle character development or a realistic criminal economy.
Rank #4
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- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
Compare the games by the GTA element you want to keep
If you want a modern city
Start with Cyberpunk 2077 for RPG depth or Watch Dogs 2 for hacking and systemic interaction. Cyberpunk’s city supports character builds and authored quests; Watch Dogs 2 turns city infrastructure into the core mechanic. Neither should be presented as a complete recreation of GTA’s mission, vehicle and criminal-progression mix.
If you want a crime story
Choose Mafia: Definitive Edition for a historical, tightly directed rise through a crime family. Choose Sleeping Dogs for an undercover-detective plot and martial-arts combat. Both are more campaign-led than a pure sandbox.
If you want maximum freedom
Red Dead Redemption 2 offers the strongest blend of exploration, criminal activity, heists and unscripted encounters, provided you are happy with a western setting and a deliberate pace.
If you want driving, stunts and destruction
Just Cause 3 puts traversal and destruction ahead of realism. Saints Row is the better option when you want the same exaggerated attitude applied to criminal-sandbox missions and customisation.
If you want role-playing systems
Cyberpunk 2077 is the clear fit. Its attributes, perks, equipment and dialogue choices create a substantially different kind of progression from GTA’s more straightforward action-game structure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.PS5 and Xbox Series X|S buying checklist
- Identify the exact game and edition. This is especially important for Saints Row, Sleeping Dogs and Mafia, where similarly named releases or older versions may appear in stores.
- Check the current console store. Confirm whether the listing is native to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, backward-compatible, or an older version sold for a newer console.
- Read the platform and region details. Physical stock and digital entitlements can differ by country. A disc from one region may not match the downloadable add-ons or upgrade policy in another.
- Check upgrade language before paying. “Playable” does not necessarily mean a free current-generation upgrade, higher resolution, improved frame rate or all downloadable content.
- Verify the product page immediately before purchase. Platform support and store listings can change, and the cited editorial platform lists may be dated.
- Match the game to your priority. Do not select a western exploration game when you specifically need a modern city, or a destruction sandbox when you want a serious crime narrative.
A practical shortlist
| Your priority | First game to investigate | Reason | Main compromise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern city plus RPG depth | Cyberpunk 2077 | Night City, driving, action and build-based progression | Not a pure GTA-style crime sandbox |
| Modern city plus hacking | Watch Dogs 2 | San Francisco systems can be manipulated remotely | Cited support is PS4/Xbox One, so current-console compatibility needs checking |
| Organized-crime drama | Mafia: Definitive Edition | Tommy Angelo’s story and 1930s Lost Heaven | More directed and historically set |
| Open-world freedom | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Large frontier, crime, heists and emergent encounters | Western setting and slower travel |
| Martial-arts crime action | Sleeping Dogs | Undercover triad story and hand-to-hand combat | Older release and platform uncertainty |
| Comedic criminal mayhem | Saints Row | Exaggerated style and sandbox freedom | Entry and edition must be specified |
| Stunts and destruction | Just Cause 3 | Grappling hook, wingsuit, vehicles and chaos | Weak fit for grounded crime storytelling |
Frequently asked questions
Which alternative is closest to GTA on a current console?
There is no universal winner. Cyberpunk 2077 is the closest thematic match for a modern city, driving and criminal missions with RPG depth, while Red Dead Redemption 2 is the stronger match for freedom and emergent open-world activity. Confirm the exact PS5 or Xbox Series X|S edition before buying either.
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Is Watch Dogs 2 a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S game?
The platform information cited for Watch Dogs 2 lists PS4 and Xbox One. That does not prove native PS5 or Xbox Series X|S support. Check the current store listing and backward-compatibility information for your region.
Best Value
- Fully Remade to terrify modern audiences
- KONAMI's intense psychological horror masterpiece SILENT HILL 2 is made exclusively for PlayStation 5
- The main protagonist James Sunderland searches for clues in the namesake town, after receiving a mysterious letter from his wife Mary… who has long been dead
- Experience the eerie monsters and other manifestations of James' consciousness reworked after 20 years
- Made with state-of-the-art technology to play on modern entertainment systems in 4K
Which game has the best crime story?
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the most focused organized-crime narrative in this list. Sleeping Dogs is the alternative if you prefer an undercover-detective premise and martial-arts combat.
Which game is best for pure open-world chaos?
Just Cause 3 is built around grappling, wingsuit travel, vehicles and destruction. Saints Row is better if you want that exaggerated energy combined with a more explicitly criminal, comedic sandbox.
Do these games all include the same kind of freedom as GTA?
No. Red Dead Redemption 2 emphasizes exploration and emergent encounters; Cyberpunk 2077 emphasizes role-playing and mission choices; Watch Dogs 2 emphasizes hacking; Mafia and Sleeping Dogs emphasize directed crime stories; and Just Cause 3 emphasizes traversal and destruction. Treat them as alternatives to specific GTA elements, not identical substitutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which alternative is closest to GTA on a current console?
There is no universal winner. Cyberpunk 2077 is the closest thematic match for a modern city, driving and criminal missions with RPG depth, while Red Dead Redemption 2 is the stronger match for freedom and emergent open-world activity. Confirm the exact PS5 or Xbox Series X|S edition before buying either.
Is Watch Dogs 2 a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S game?
The cited platform information lists PS4 and Xbox One. That does not prove native PS5 or Xbox Series X|S support; check the current store listing and backward-compatibility information for your region.
Which game has the best crime story?
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the most focused organized-crime narrative here. Sleeping Dogs is the alternative if you prefer an undercover-detective premise and martial-arts combat.
Which game is best for pure open-world chaos?
Just Cause 3 is built around grappling, wingsuit travel, vehicles and destruction. Saints Row is better if you want exaggerated energy combined with a comedic criminal sandbox.
Do these games all include the same freedom as GTA?
No. Each emphasizes a different element: exploration, role-playing, hacking, directed crime storytelling, martial arts, or destruction. Treat them as alternatives to specific GTA features, not identical substitutes.
The Bottom Line
Pick Cyberpunk 2077 for a modern city and RPG systems, Mafia: Definitive Edition for a concentrated crime drama, Red Dead Redemption 2 for frontier freedom, Sleeping Dogs for martial-arts crime action, Watch Dogs 2 for hacking, Saints Row for comedic criminal mayhem, or Just Cause 3 for stunts and destruction. Verify the exact edition and current PS5 or Xbox Series X|S compatibility before purchase.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
