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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is the best overall choice for a classic open-world crime experience on Nintendo Switch: it combines three full campaigns, urban free roaming and the series’ defining criminal rise-and-fall structure. Choose Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package for louder, more ridiculous gang warfare; L.A. Noire for detective work and period atmosphere; LEGO City Undercover for family-friendly exploration and two-player co-op; or Saints Row IV: Re-Elected for a comic, superpowered spin on crime-game conventions.
The right pick depends less on map size than on what you want to do in that map. The games below divide cleanly between criminal sandboxes, gang-action comedies, investigative dramas and all-ages adventures.
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Quick picks
| What you want | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Classic GTA-style crime sandbox | Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition | Three connected classics—Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas—with story missions, side activities and open urban worlds. |
| Chaotic gang action | Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package | Steelport, exaggerated weapons, vehicles, rival gangs and set pieces that favor spectacle over realism. |
| Detective story and noir atmosphere | L.A. Noire | Investigate arson, racketeering and murders as Cole Phelps through clues, chases and witness interrogations. |
| Family-friendly open world | LEGO City Undercover | A mild, humorous undercover-police adventure with more than 20 districts, vehicles, collectibles and two-player co-op. |
| Superpowers and satire | Saints Row IV: Re-Elected | The Saints’ Boss becomes president and fights an alien invasion inside a simulated Steelport using superpowers and strange weapons. |
1. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition
Why it is the best overall classic crime pick
This collection is the most direct answer to “What is the best GTA-like game on Switch?” It includes Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in one portable release. Each game gives you a different city, cast and criminal trajectory, so the package offers three complete campaigns rather than one short sandbox.
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Nintendo presents the Switch edition as the original trilogy updated with new lighting and environmental upgrades, higher-resolution textures, longer draw distances and controls modeled on Grand Theft Auto V. Those changes make the older games easier to approach on a modern console while preserving their mission-driven structure: steal or acquire vehicles, follow story objectives, build relationships with criminal factions and return to the city for optional activities.
#1 Best Overall
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s. CJ’s got to go home - his mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart, and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.
What each game contributes
- Grand Theft Auto III establishes the compact urban crime-sandbox template and the series’ rise-through-the-underworld story.
- Vice City shifts the setting and atmosphere to a stylized 1980s city, with its own criminal empire narrative.
- San Andreas broadens the scale and gives the trilogy’s final campaign a larger journey and more varied environments.
Playing all three also gives useful historical context: you can see how mission design, world size and character systems developed across the original trilogy instead of judging one era in isolation.
The Switch trade-off
Portability is the collection’s major advantage. Three substantial crime games fit a handheld format, making it easy to continue a campaign in short sessions or move between campaigns when you want a change of setting. The technical compromise is equally important. A Nintendo Life Switch review describes the collection as three classic crime games in a rough technical package. If you also own another platform and prioritize visual polish or performance consistency, that criticism should affect your purchase decision.
Check the exact regional package before buying a physical copy. Nintendo’s regional listing indicates that the game card requires an internet download for some content, so leave enough storage space and confirm what your box includes. The collection is primarily a single-player experience, making it a better fit for solo story play than for group sessions.
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Choose the trilogy when you want the most recognizable crime-game formula on Switch: freely navigable cities, criminal missions, vehicle-based traversal, side activities and several long campaigns. It is also the strongest choice for readers deciding between a single modern release and a compact history of the genre. Skip it only if technical roughness is a deal-breaker or if you specifically want co-op, a detective structure or a child-friendly tone.
2. Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package
Why it is the best for chaotic gang action
Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package is the closest alternative here for someone asking for a GTA-like game but preferring comedy, excess and constant escalation. Nintendo’s eShop places you in Steelport, a city of crime and violence controlled by the Saints and threatened by the Syndicate. The premise gives the game a familiar criminal-sandbox foundation, then pushes every element toward absurdity.
You get an open city with vehicles, weapons, rival gangs and the freedom to move between missions and unscripted trouble. The game’s appeal is not careful realism. It is the pleasure of turning a conventional gang story into a sequence of outrageous situations, destructive set pieces and jokes. Missions are designed to keep the action moving, so the campaign often feels more like a playable action comedy than a grounded account of organized crime.
How it differs from GTA
| Comparison | Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy | Saints Row: The Third |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Criminal rise-and-fall stories with a more grounded presentation. | Gang satire, broad humor and deliberately exaggerated situations. |
| Mission style | Story missions balanced with side activities across three campaigns. | Set-piece chaos and escalation are the central attraction. |
| World use | Three cities tied to distinct campaigns and eras. | One Steelport sandbox built around the Saints’ conflict with the Syndicate. |
| Best reason to buy | Variety, historical importance and classic crime structure. | Spectacle, humor and a willingness to make every activity excessive. |
That distinction answers “Is Saints Row 3 worth it on Switch?” If you want a serious crime story, the trilogy is a better fit. If you want to hijack a vehicle, fire unusual weapons and watch a gang war become increasingly ridiculous, Saints Row: The Third is the more focused choice. Its Full Package edition is the Switch release to look for, rather than treating the game as a bare original port.
Rank #2
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
Who should choose it
Pick it for sandbox mayhem, comic writing and missions that value surprise over plausibility. It suits players who found GTA’s tone too restrained, while still providing the open urban freedom and criminal factions that define the genre. It is not the best option for a family audience or for someone seeking procedural investigation.
3. L.A. Noire
Why it is the best detective crime drama
L.A. Noire answers a different question: which Switch game has the best crime story when “crime” means solving cases rather than building a criminal empire? Nintendo describes it as a dark crime thriller set in 1940s Los Angeles. You play Cole Phelps, investigating arson, racketeering and murders by searching scenes, finding clues, chasing suspects and interrogating witnesses.
The city is still explorable, but free roaming serves the casework. You drive between locations, respond to incidents and pursue leads; the point is not to create unlimited chaos but to reconstruct what happened. Evidence and interviews determine whether an investigation advances, so attention and judgment matter more than collecting weapons or expanding territory.
What makes the Switch edition distinct
The Switch version includes the complete original game and all additional downloadable content. It also adds platform-specific features: Joy-Con motion controls, HD rumble, alternate camera angles and touch controls. These options are useful rather than essential. Motion and touch inputs can make individual actions feel more immediate, while alternate camera views let you tailor driving and exploration to your preference.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIts 1940s setting gives the game a period-noir identity that none of the other recommendations share. The atmosphere is dark, and the cases include violence and disturbing crimes, so “detective” does not mean family-friendly. The game’s slower rhythm—search, interpret, question, then chase—will appeal to players who enjoy methodical stories but may frustrate anyone expecting uninterrupted sandbox action.
L.A. Noire or GTA Trilogy on Switch?
- Choose L.A. Noire if clues, interviews, historical atmosphere and a single detective narrative are your priority.
- Choose GTA: The Trilogy if you want unrestricted movement, criminal progression, side activities and three separate campaigns.
- Choose L.A. Noire for a focused case structure; choose the trilogy for variety and a broader action sandbox.
Both are primarily solo experiences, but they ask for different kinds of attention. L.A. Noire rewards observation and consistent reasoning; GTA rewards navigation, improvisation and experimentation.
4. LEGO City Undercover
Why it is the best family-friendly GTA alternative
LEGO City Undercover is the safest recommendation for families, younger players and anyone who wants open-world exploration without the harsh tone of the other crime games. You play Chase McCain, an undercover police officer pursuing escaped criminal Rex Fury. The framing uses crime and policing, but the presentation is built around LEGO humor, disguises, puzzles and playful vehicle sequences.
Rank #3
- UK version, region-free, fully compatible with all Nintendo Switch consoles worldwide
Nintendo’s listing describes a sprawling open-world LEGO City with more than 20 unique districts. You can investigate areas, bust car thieves, drive different vehicles and collect hundreds of items scattered through the city. The result is an exploration game with crime-themed objectives rather than a criminal power fantasy.
Why it works for co-op
The Switch release supports two-player co-op, making it the clearest choice in this group for playing with a child, sibling or friend on the same adventure. Co-op changes the experience from a solo collectible hunt into a shared search through districts, puzzles and missions. The lighter tone also makes mistakes less consequential for younger players.
Storage is a practical consideration: Nintendo lists the Switch download at 8.7 GB. Make sure the console or microSD card has that space available before starting a digital installation.
Content and expectations
LEGO City Undercover has mild peril and cartoon conflict rather than the strong crime, violence or sexual themes associated with the adult-focused recommendations. Check the age rating for your region, but it is the mildest option in this list. It is also less interested in realistic criminal storytelling: the appeal is disguises, jokes, vehicles, puzzles, exploration and collectibles.
Choose it when “open-world crime game” really means an open city with undercover missions that the whole household can enjoy. Do not choose it expecting GTA’s adult themes, Saints Row’s weapon-based spectacle or L.A. Noire’s interrogation drama.
5. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected
Why it is the best superpowered alternative
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected deliberately leaves grounded crime behind. Nintendo’s description makes the shift explicit: the Saints’ Boss is now President, Earth is attacked by Zinyak and the action unfolds in a simulated Steelport. Superpowers and strange weapons replace the usual limits of cars, firearms and ordinary city traversal.
The game remains crime-adjacent because it carries the Saints’ characters, satire and open-city structure, but its central conflict is an alien invasion. Running, jumping and fighting with powers changes how you navigate the map and how missions are designed. Instead of stealing a car to cross town, you can move through the simulated city with abilities that turn traversal itself into a toy.
Rank #4
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s. CJ’s got to go home - his mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart, and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.
Modes and audience
The Switch edition supports a one-player campaign and optional two-player modes. Nintendo’s listing identifies local wireless and online two-player options; online features require the relevant Nintendo Switch Online membership. Confirm your account and subscription requirements in your region before planning an online session.
Pick Saints Row IV when satire, superpowers and alien combat sound more appealing than a realistic gang story. It is the most mechanically unusual recommendation here, but also the least conventional answer to a search for a crime game. Players wanting believable criminal progression should select GTA or Saints Row: The Third instead.
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How the five games compare
Crime tone and story
The tonal spread is wide. GTA follows criminal rise-and-fall stories across three settings. Saints Row: The Third turns gang warfare into satire and spectacle. L.A. Noire presents crime as a dark investigative profession. LEGO City Undercover transforms undercover policing into an all-ages comedy. Saints Row IV uses the Saints’ criminal identity as a launch point for presidential satire and alien action.
World design and traversal
GTA and Saints Row: The Third are the purest urban sandboxes: their cities are designed for roaming, vehicle use and unscripted trouble between missions. L.A. Noire also gives you a city to drive through, but its streets primarily connect case locations and pursuits. LEGO City is organized around districts, vehicles, disguises and collectible routes. Saints Row IV makes traversal a central joke and reward by giving the player superpowers in a simulated Steelport.
Mission focus
- GTA Trilogy: story missions plus side activities, with three campaigns to work through.
- Saints Row: The Third: gang conflict, escalating set pieces and weapon-driven chaos.
- L.A. Noire: searching for clues, evaluating interviews, pursuing suspects and resolving cases.
- LEGO City Undercover: puzzles, disguises, vehicles, undercover objectives and collectible hunting.
- Saints Row IV: satirical missions, superpowered traversal and combat against an alien occupation.
Co-op and solo play
LEGO City Undercover is the most straightforward co-op recommendation because it supports two-player play in a family-oriented campaign. Saints Row IV offers local wireless and online two-player modes, with online play requiring membership. The other three recommendations are primarily single-player, so buy them for their campaigns rather than shared multiplayer.
Age and content
The adult-oriented choices are GTA, Saints Row: The Third and L.A. Noire, all of which involve serious or strong crime and violence themes; L.A. Noire also depicts dark cases. Saints Row IV adds broad satire, superpowers and alien combat but is not a children’s game. LEGO City Undercover is the mildest and most family-oriented option. Regional age ratings and content descriptors can differ, so check the rating attached to the exact Switch edition you plan to buy.
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Physical versus digital GTA Trilogy copies
The regional Nintendo listing for the GTA collection states that the physical game card requires an internet download for some content. Treat the box as an edition-specific purchase: verify the region, included content and available storage before opening it. This matters especially if you are buying used or importing a copy.
Best Value
![Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51FDQfY5qzL._SL160_.jpg)
- Three iconic cities, three epic stories. Play the genre-defining classics of the original Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas updated for a new generation.
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the centre of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, , and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s.
Digital space for LEGO City Undercover
The listed Switch download size for LEGO City Undercover is 8.7 GB. Check free system or microSD storage before downloading, and allow additional room for normal console updates.
Ratings, editions and availability
Listings, stock and age ratings can vary by country. Confirm that the product page matches Nintendo Switch, not a discontinued Wii U or 3DS version, and read the edition name carefully. Nintendo Support says the Wii U and 3DS versions of LEGO City Undercover left the eShop on December 22, 2020, while the Nintendo Switch version continues to be available. That distinction prevents buying the wrong platform version when searching older listings.
Which game should you buy?
Choose Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy when…
- You want the most recognizable crime-sandbox structure.
- You value three campaigns and multiple historical settings.
- You are comfortable with a Switch port that has documented technical roughness.
Choose Saints Row: The Third when…
- You prefer humor and exaggerated gang warfare to realism.
- You want a focused Steelport sandbox full of weapons, vehicles and set pieces.
- You are asking for a GTA-like game with a more outrageous tone.
Choose L.A. Noire when…
- Your ideal crime story involves clues, interviews and case resolution.
- You want a 1940s Los Angeles setting and a dark detective atmosphere.
- You prefer a structured investigation to unrestricted criminal free roaming.
Choose LEGO City Undercover when…
- You need a family-friendly alternative.
- You want two-player co-op, collectibles and puzzle-based exploration.
- You prefer undercover police comedy to adult crime themes.
Choose Saints Row IV when…
- You want superpowers, satire and alien combat.
- You plan to use the optional two-player modes.
- You are happy with a crime-adjacent adventure rather than a grounded crime narrative.
Final ranking by reader need
- Best overall classic crime pick: Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.
- Best GTA-like chaos: Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package.
- Best detective story: L.A. Noire.
- Best family-friendly open world: LEGO City Undercover.
- Best superpowered comedy: Saints Row IV: Re-Elected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best GTA-like game on Nintendo Switch?
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is the strongest classic choice because it includes Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas. Saints Row: The Third is the better GTA-like option if you prefer exaggerated humor and gang-action spectacle.
Is Saints Row: The Third worth it on Switch?
Yes, if you want a deliberately chaotic Steelport sandbox with gangs, vehicles, unusual weapons and comic set pieces. Choose GTA Trilogy instead for a more grounded crime structure and three campaigns.
Which Switch crime game has the best story?
That depends on the kind of story you want. L.A. Noire is the strongest detective narrative, while GTA Trilogy offers the broadest criminal rise-and-fall experience across three campaigns.
What is the best family-friendly GTA alternative on Switch?
LEGO City Undercover is the best fit. It uses undercover-police missions, puzzles, vehicles, collectibles and LEGO humor, and supports two-player co-op without the adult themes of the other recommendations.
Does LEGO City Undercover support co-op on Switch?
Yes. The Switch version supports two-player co-op and includes an open LEGO City with more than 20 districts and hundreds of collectibles.
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Does Saints Row IV: Re-Elected have multiplayer?
It supports optional two-player modes, including local wireless and online play. Online features require the applicable Nintendo Switch Online membership.
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.
