If Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA IV are finished, start with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt if you want another authored, character-led adventure. Choose Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut for a historical open-world journey, Cyberpunk 2077 for a dense futuristic city, or Elden Ring if discovering secrets matters more than following a tightly directed story.
No single game recreates both Rockstar experiences. The useful question is what you want to carry forward: a memorable protagonist, a richly atmospheric place, an urban sandbox, or freedom to investigate a world at your own pace.
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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla PlayStation 4 Standard Edition with Free Upgrade to the Digital PS5... | $31.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Quick answer: which game should you play next?
Use this table as a starting point, then read the individual sections before buying. Platform and edition availability can change, and the available source material does not establish a universal release list for every game.
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| Game | Best fit | Setting and tone | Story approach | Exploration emphasis | Edition or availability note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | A long, quest-led role-playing adventure | Fantasy | A defined protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, and a central contract-driven journey | Travel through a large fantasy world while pursuing authored quests | The official page refers to a remastered version and current-generation upgrades; match the edition to your platform |
| Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut | A historical action-adventure alternative | Historical | A directed adventure rather than a crime sandbox | Move through a carefully presented historical landscape | PlayStation materials cover specific console versions; catalog inclusion is region- and date-sensitive |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Another urban setting, but in science fiction | Futuristic Night City | An open-world role-playing game about a cyberpunk mercenary | Explore a dense city rather than a rural frontier | Check whether you are buying the base game alone or a package including Phantom Liberty |
| Elden Ring | Player-led exploration and discovery | Fantasy | Less dependent on a conventional, character-led crime or Western narrative | Travel on foot or horseback, search for secrets and pursue mysteries | Confirm the current platform release and edition before purchase |
Choose by what you loved about the Rockstar games
These recommendations work because they separate the two reference games into different strengths. Red Dead Redemption 2 offers a character-led story in an intensely described setting. GTA IV puts you in an urban environment where movement, missions and freedom create a different kind of momentum. A follow-up choice becomes easier when you identify which part you are actually trying to replace.
#1 Best Overall
- Stunning graphics and gameplay, explore the wild and striking lands around Mount Yotei on foot or horseback. Travel picturesque parts of northern Japan through grasslands, snowy ridges, fields of wildflowers, and more.
- Discover renegade combat, engage in lawless katana combat and battles with adversaires. Train with various sensei as you find and learn to use each new weapon.
- An unconventional story and journey, take in the cultural beauty of Japan, bathe in an onsen, visit shrines to pray, try Sumi-e painting, and so much more.
- Choose your weapon, battle Atsu's opponents as you see fit, with levelled-up dual katanas, odachi, kusarigama and other new weapons.
If the protagonist and central story mattered most
Begin with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It is the clearest match for the desire to spend dozens of hours with one established protagonist while moving through a world built around substantial quests. The setting changes from a grounded Western to fantasy, but the underlying appeal is similar: a named character, a personal role in the world and an authored journey that gives your wandering a purpose.
If the feeling of inhabiting a place mattered most
Choose Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut. It is not a mechanical copy of either Rockstar game, and it does not offer a modern crime city or a Western frontier. Its value is the historical setting and the way an open-world adventure can make the landscape itself the reason to continue.
If the city was the main attraction
Try Cyberpunk 2077. Its Night City setting gives you another dense urban environment after Liberty City, but the move into science fiction is substantial. You are trading GTA IV’s crime-drama context for an open-world role-playing game about a cyberpunk mercenary.
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Select Elden Ring. Its pitch is built around traversing an open world on foot or horseback, locating secrets and following mysteries. It is the most distinct recommendation here: exploration and discovery lead, while a Rockstar-style character drama is not the reason to buy it.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — the safest first recommendation
Why it follows naturally from Red Dead Redemption 2
The official game description identifies The Witcher 3 as an open-world role-playing game and places Geralt of Rivia at the center of a major monster contract. That combination makes it the strongest starting point for a player who wants another substantial journey with a recognizable lead character. You are not being asked to build an anonymous avatar and invent your own motivation; the world already gives you a role and a reason to travel.
The transition in tone is deliberate. Instead of a realistic Western, you get fantasy, monsters and a setting governed by its own rules. If the thing you valued in Red Dead Redemption 2 was slow-burn character writing and a world that rewards time, this is the recommendation most likely to preserve that appetite while changing the genre.
What kind of player should choose it?
- Choose it if a central protagonist and a main quest are more important than a contemporary city.
- Choose it if you want role-playing structure rather than a pure sandbox.
- Choose it if fantasy is an acceptable replacement for a realistic Western setting.
What should you verify before buying?
The current official page mentions a remastered version and upgrades for current-generation hardware. That wording means the edition matters: do not assume that a copy labeled simply “The Witcher 3” is the same package on every storefront. Check the platform, the remaster or upgrade designation and whether any desired additional content is included. If you are buying a physical copy, confirm that its disc or code matches your console region and hardware generation.
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Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut — for a historical open-world adventure
Why it is a different kind of follow-up
PlayStation’s open-world guide presents Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut as a historical open-world experience. That makes it a strong choice when you want an atmospheric place to move through and a focused action-adventure structure, not when you want the exact systems or social satire of a Rockstar game.
The historical setting changes the rhythm of the experience. You leave behind both the Western frontier and the modern city, so the appeal comes from seeing how an open world can express a particular period and culture. Think of it as a change of subject rather than a replacement with identical mechanics.
Rank #2
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Who is it for?
- Players who want a serious historical setting after two contemporary or Western crime stories.
- Players who prefer a directed action adventure to a role-playing game centered on contracts and character progression.
- Players who value moving through a visually coherent landscape as much as checking mission objectives.
Catalog and platform caution
PlayStation’s materials cover PlayStation-specific open-world selections, and a PlayStation Blog post dated May 22, 2026, also features the game among Game Catalog experiences. Catalog membership is not permanent: it can depend on your country, subscription tier and the date you check. Treat a catalog appearance as a reason to verify availability, not as a promise that the game is included where you live. If you are considering another platform, confirm that the specific Director’s Cut edition you want is sold for it before you plan your purchase.
Cyberpunk 2077 — the urban option after GTA IV
Why Night City is the closest city-to-city switch
After Liberty City, Cyberpunk 2077 is the most obvious choice for a reader who wants another dense urban setting. PlayStation highlights Night City and the Phantom Liberty expansion, while CD PROJEKT RED describes the game as an open-world role-playing experience in which you play a cyberpunk mercenary.
That description tells you both why it fits and why it does not. It preserves the appeal of navigating a city and taking on work in an urban environment, but it replaces GTA IV’s grounded crime drama with science fiction and role-playing conventions. The result should be treated as a new interpretation of the city sandbox, not as “GTA in the future.”
Base game or expansion package?
Store pages may present the base game and a bundle that includes Phantom Liberty. Read the product name and contents before paying. A recommendation for Cyberpunk 2077 does not automatically mean that the expansion is included, and an expansion bundle may have different platform requirements or storage needs. If you already own the base game, check whether the listing is an upgrade, a complete package or a second copy.
Who should pick it?
- Pick it if your favorite part of GTA IV was having a city full of possible directions.
- Pick it if you welcome a science-fiction setting rather than needing realism.
- Pick it if you want an explicitly role-playing-oriented urban game and are willing to learn a different set of assumptions from those in a crime sandbox.
Elden Ring — for discovery instead of a prescribed route
What makes it the outlier
PlayStation describes Elden Ring through traversal, secrets and mysteries: you can cross its open world on foot or horseback, find hidden places and decide what to investigate. That makes it the exploration-first recommendation in this list.
The distinction matters if you are looking for another long narrative with the same kind of scene-to-scene momentum as Red Dead Redemption 2. Elden Ring is better understood as an invitation to investigate. You set a direction, encounter something unexplained and decide whether to pursue it. The reward is the act of uncovering the world, not a familiar crime-drama structure.
When it is the right choice
- Choose it when wandering without a tightly signposted route sounds appealing.
- Choose it when secrets and environmental mysteries are more important than a conventional central protagonist.
- Choose it when you want the most clearly combat-focused option among these recommendations, rather than another dialogue-led urban or Western story.
When to choose something else
If what you miss is the relationship between a defined character and a carefully paced sequence of missions, start with The Witcher 3 or Ghost of Tsushima instead. Elden Ring is not being recommended as a direct substitute for Rockstar’s narrative style; it is the answer for a different priority.
Side-by-side comparison for the decision you actually need to make
| Reader priority | Best match | Why | Main change from RDR2 or GTA IV |
|---|---|---|---|
| A defined hero and a long central quest | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Geralt of Rivia anchors an open-world role-playing journey | Fantasy replaces the realistic Western or urban crime setting |
| A historical atmosphere | Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut | It presents an open-world historical action adventure | It is not a modern city or a Western and should not be sold as a mechanical replica |
| A new city to inhabit | Cyberpunk 2077 | Night City provides a futuristic urban setting and role-playing framework | Science fiction replaces grounded crime drama; expansion packaging varies |
| Secrets, mysteries and self-directed travel | Elden Ring | Its open world is designed around discovery on foot or horseback | Exploration and combat take priority over Rockstar-style character drama |
A practical decision path before you start
Step 1: name the setting you want
Choose realism, history, fantasy or science fiction. The Witcher 3 and Elden Ring both move into fantasy, but they serve different goals: the former is the quest-led role-playing choice, while the latter emphasizes discovery. Ghost of Tsushima changes the period without leaving the human world behind. Cyberpunk 2077 keeps the city but changes the technology and tone.
Step 2: decide whether you want direction or autonomy
A central quest gives your next game a clear spine. That points toward The Witcher 3 and, in a different form, Ghost of Tsushima. If you would rather choose a direction and see what you uncover, Elden Ring is the better fit. Cyberpunk 2077 sits between those impulses: it offers a defined role in a city while retaining an open-world role-playing structure.
Rank #3
- Lead epic Viking raids against Saxon troops and fortresses
- Relive the visceral fighting style of the Vikings as you dual-wield powerful weapons
- Challenge yourself with the most varied collection of enemies ever in Assassin's Creed
- Shape the growth of your character and your clan's settlement with every choice you make
- Explore a Dark Age open world, from the harsh shores of Norway to the beautiful kingdoms of England
Step 3: decide how much change you can tolerate
The least disruptive thematic move is from GTA IV’s city to Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City, although the science-fiction shift is large. The strongest story-led move from Red Dead Redemption 2 is The Witcher 3, although the fantasy setting is equally significant. Ghost of Tsushima and Elden Ring are more substantial departures from both reference games, but that distance is exactly why they are useful alternatives when you have already exhausted Rockstar’s worlds.
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Write down your platform first, then compare the exact product names. Look for “Director’s Cut” when considering Ghost of Tsushima, the remastered or current-generation wording for The Witcher 3, and the base-game-versus-Phantom Liberty distinction for Cyberpunk 2077. For Elden Ring, verify the edition and platform listed by the retailer you intend to use. Do not infer compatibility from a review, a catalog article or a listing for another console.
Platform, subscription and purchase checks
The reader’s platform is not specified, so none of these recommendations should be treated as universally available. Before committing, check four details:
- Hardware: confirm that the game and the exact edition are sold for your PlayStation, Xbox or PC configuration.
- Generation: distinguish a current-generation upgrade or remaster from an older release when the store presents both.
- Package contents: verify whether an expansion, upgrade entitlement or separate download is included.
- Subscription status: if you are relying on a game catalog, check your region, plan and the date of access because catalog entries can change.
Prices, physical stock and third-party listings are not stable facts. Match any store listing to your platform and edition rather than purchasing from a generic search result. The official game pages and platform storefronts are the appropriate places to confirm what is currently sold.
Common mismatches to avoid
Expecting one game to combine both reference experiences
There is no single recommendation here that reproduces Red Dead Redemption 2’s Western character drama and GTA IV’s urban crime world at the same time. Choosing by your favorite element prevents disappointment: Geralt for a central story, Ghost of Tsushima for historical atmosphere, Night City for urban science fiction, or Elden Ring for open-ended discovery.
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Reading “open world” as a promise of identical freedom
All four games use an open-world structure, but that label does not define how the world should be experienced. The Witcher 3 organizes its world around role-playing quests, Ghost of Tsushima around a historical action adventure, Cyberpunk 2077 around a futuristic city and mercenary role, and Elden Ring around secrets and mysteries. Compare the reason for exploring, not just the map shape.
Buying a catalog version without checking the date
A Game Catalog feature is a time-sensitive benefit, not a permanent ownership statement. Confirm that the title remains included for your region and subscription tier when you are ready to play. If it has left the catalog, the same edition may still be sold separately, but that is a different purchase decision.
Final recommendation
For most players coming directly from Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA IV, begin with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt because it most directly continues the desire for a substantial, protagonist-led open-world role-playing journey. Pick Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut when historical atmosphere is the priority, Cyberpunk 2077 when you want another city and can accept science fiction, and Elden Ring when the best part of an open world is finding what the game does not immediately explain.
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.
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