Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular video games till date. The publisher, Rockstar Games, has released a total of 5 versions of this game with a lot of improvements. But if GTA gets too boring, you could get something similar in game stores, provided you know what exactly to look for. Techspirited furnishes you with a list of games like Grand Theft Auto, with a brief outline of each.
The emergence of GTA III changed the perception of the gaming industry altogether. A completely new concept of open world action-adventure gaming forced competitors to launch similar games which followed the driving and shooting formula. Such games were typically referred to as Grand Theft Auto Clones
Grand Theft Auto, or GTA as it is popularly referred to, is an open world type of game, which allows the player to manipulate several elements of this fictional world. The latest version GTA V allows a player to sleep, eat, date girls, call friends, and even access the in-game Internet. Each of the five versions are based on a storyline.
The recent versions provide a multi-player option, wherein one can connect with others and play cooperative missions in this fascinating game world. However, the single player version of the game sticks to the storyline, wherein the main character/s complete several missions (mostly illegal) to accomplish a certain level of achievement, and earn dollars. Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates the game as Mature (17+), as it contains sexually explicit content, strong language, and intense violence. However good the game is, it might turn boring after you complete all the missions, and nothing else is left to do besides just exploring. In such a case, try out some games which are of a similar genre like GTA, but have a different storyline.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
The Saints Row series is all about the adventures of a street gang called the Third Street Saints. The game is in its fourth version, and the next one called Gat Out of Hell (2015) is on the wish-list. The game focuses on the main character, which is of course the player. The player completes missions to increase the reputation of the gang and himself in the underworld. In the first three parts, a lot of gang wars are shown. The saints eradicate every rival in order to rule the fictional city of Stilwater, which is based on real-world American cities Chicago and Detroit.
In the third and the fourth parts, a new city named Steelport is introduced. Steelport is quite similar to Stilwater, in fact smaller, but has larger buildings. In the latest release, an alien invasion has brought trouble to Steelport. The Saints’ leader has been elected as the president, and holds the responsibility of saving the U.S. from aliens. The aliens have created a simulation of Steelport to break the Saints’ will. But the Saints have to fight the enemy and claim their possession over Steelport.
The gameplay is pretty good, and a lot of manipulations and customizations are possible. One can even use cheat codes to make the game more fun and easy to win.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: PS3 and Xbox 360
Another of Rockstar’s open world creation, Red Dead Redemption is mainly an action-adventure video game, but with more of a Western touch to it. The word ‘West’ would bring all cowboys and shotguns to your world of imagination, and that’s exactly what the game contains. The game is about John Marston, a former outlaw and the main character of the game, who is a bounty hunter by force, as his wife and son are held hostage by the government. He agrees to bring the members of his old gang to justice. But the old gangsters have something else in mind.
The whole plot is about Marston’s journey to get his gang members back. Eventually, all the members in his gang are killed one by one by Marston and Reyes (rebel leader). In the end, the government withdraws its charges and allows Marston to meet his family. But the government ain’t leaving the last gang member too. Marston is killed by Reyes, and a bunch of government agents and his son seeks revenge.
Most of the game is played in a simulated version of Mexico and Western United States. The game uses horses as a means of transport; the horses need to be tamed in order to use them, and different horse breeds possess different attributes. The weapons are mostly revolvers and double barrel shotguns. Apart from horses, a quick transport medium is the train. The player can earn money and bonuses from side-activities like ambushes, public hangings, protecting the town, dueling, bounty hunting, herb collecting, and gambling. Marston can use the earned money to buy weapons, medicines, or horses. Overall, a very interesting and different game, as compared to GTA.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: (1) Windows, PS2, Xbox, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PSP;
(2) Windows, PS3, and Xbox 360
Developed by Electronic Arts, The Godfather is based on the 1972 film of the same name. The player is basically a soldier in the Corleone family named Aldo Trapani, and witnesses the death of his father and the destruction of their bakery by the Barzini crime family. Aldo is willing to seek revenge and kill the don of Barzini. The further plot is all about family rivalry, and several killings which Aldo undertakes in order to eradicate Barzinis and conquer their territories. In the end, Aldo kills his father’s murderer, and takes out the rival family’s territories. He becomes the don of the Corleone family, and undertakes the family’s operations in New York. The sequel is the continuation of the first game, which portrays Aldo Trapani’s dealings and encounters in the underworld.
The original story is written by Mario Puzo in his novel with the same name. It was adapted in a film and this game by EA. The storyline of the game isn’t exactly the same, but has several modifications and additions. There are a total of five families in the game, namely Corleone, Barzini, Tattaglia, Cuneo, and the Stracci family.
A great game to play with a unique theme, The Godfather features the New York City of the ’40s and ’50s, with a free-roam environment and a mission-style gameplay.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: T (Teen – 13+)
Compatible Platforms: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and OS X
Created by Ubisoft, Driver: San Francisco is about an outlaw Jericho from Istanbul, who is charged with homicide and illegal activities, and is currently in San Francisco awaiting trial. As Jericho is being transported back to prison in a truck, a hired assassin fires an RPG on the truck. Jericho cuts himself loose with a hidden vial of acid provided to him by a bribed guard and escapes.
The game gets its popularity from Jericho’s ability to teleport. He can shift cars without actually getting down. Jericho’s on the run to save himself from the cops. Tanner and Jones are in charge of the case and are on Jericho’s trail, Tanner also has the same ability Jericho has, that of teleporting. At the end, both the drivers (Jericho and Tanner) confront each other on a head-on-head collision, when Jones arrives and rams Jericho’s car with an SUV from the side, and arrests him.
The game is really good if you are more into racing but enjoy open world themed games too. The simulated version of San Francisco is vast and provides an astounding 208 miles of roads. Further, the cars seen are from top brands, including Audi, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Dodge, Ford, Shelby, Volkswagen, Pagani, Lincoln, Lamborghini, and Cadillac. There is also an interactive multi-player version of the game, but it isn’t connected to the story, and just features standalone missions.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: Windows, PS3, and Xbox 360
Developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision, Prototype swings more towards the ‘sci-fi’ open world genre. The game centers on Alexander, who is the main character of the game, and is being secretly treated upon in a morgue in the basement of a genetic engineering company Gentak, based in Manhattan. He wakes up from an unconscious state and escapes the facility and the military operatives who are on his trail.
He then discovers that the treatment actually has given him superhuman powers, including agility, speed, shape-shifting abilities, strength, weaponry, and most importantly, the ability to consume people to gain their memories, skills, and appearance. The game is based in New York, where a viral epidemic is infecting the people of Manhattan, who are mutating into ugly monsters and destroying all uninfected forms of life. An agency named Blackwatch has been deployed to stop the infection from spreading and save the uninfected. Alex too is involved in the mission to save Manhattan from the deadly virus. The game is again an open world themed game ,and fun to play with an altogether different theme.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One
The game is based in a simulation of Hong Kong city. Like other open world games, it is based on a third person perspective, and is one of the popular GTA clones. The main character of the game is Wei Shen, who is an undercover cop. The ultimate mission of the game is to infiltrate the Sun On Yee Triad organization and destroy them. Wei takes up several criminal missions just to build his place in the organization.
The gameplay is quite interactive, and after a few opening missions, the player can explore the game world freely. People who enjoy playing GTA are surely going to like this one.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: Windows, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and OS X
The game features a complete map of Los Angeles, including some of the most popular landmarks, like the Hollywood sign, Paramount Picture Studios, Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Coast highway, etc. Nick Kang, a young detective, is on a case to bust a group of Chinese Triads for their criminal activities. Nick’s father was an exceptional officer, who one day suddenly disappeared and was never found. He was charged for drug dealings, which Nick doesn’t believe, and aims to eradicate crime in the city. He wishes to become a sincere police officer like his father, and prove to the department that his father was innocent.
The game can be played either in a good way or a bad way; each style has different endings. Nick can become a bad cop or a good cop, which depends on his actions. The game also has a sequel named True Crime: New York City, which is similar to the first part, so that gives you one more game similar to GTA.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: (1) Windows, Xbox, and PS2;
(2) Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, and OS X
The first game was launched somewhere near the time when GTA III was launched. As the name suggests, this game series is about a criminal organization operating under Don Ennio Salieri. The protagonist is Thomas Angelo, a.k.a Tommy, who is a taxi driver in the city of Lost Heaven. One fine day, things suddenly change, and Tommy unwillingly and unexpectedly becomes a part of the mafia under Salieri.
Tommy doesn’t like this life full of risks and threats which affects him as well as his family, and decides to talk to a detective to sort Salieri and his mafia. He asks the detective for protection in return for information about Salieri’s whereabouts. When Salieri discovers that Tommy is actually betraying him, he sends for two of his men to kill him.
The next game in the series narrates the story of Tommy’s killer, Vito Scaletta. This one has improved graphics, more weapons and cars to choose from, and a more modern approach. The game is set in the 1940s to early 1950s era, unlike its predecessor which portrays an even older era (1930s). Mafia II, as the name goes, is a better option to its predecessor, and a much better alternative when it comes to graphics and gameplay.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: Windows, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Wii U
A 2014 game with unmatched graphics and innovations, Watch Dogs can be called a great alternative to the recent GTA editions, including IV and V. The game is developed by Ubisoft Montreal, and published by Ubisoft. The player controls Aiden Pearce, a computer hacker who can hack into the Centralized Operating System (cTOS) which manages the hyper-connected city of Chicago, where most of the game is pictured. In the single-player mode, Aiden is a hacker who wishes to seek revenge for the accidental death of his niece.
cTOS controls everything in the city, including personal data, traffic lights, security cameras, and everything that has chips and belongs to the government. Aiden eventually gathers a team which includes a fixer, tattoo artist and hacker, and a former cTOS engineer. But Aiden makes some rivals too; people from the underworld, and his niece’s assassin (Aiden’s former partner). Aiden wants to set a new kind of justice by hacking into the cTOS supercomputer.
ESRB/PEGI Rating: M (Mature – 17+)
Compatible Platforms: (1) Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PS2;
(2) Windows, PS3, and Xbox 360
The series is about Rico Rodriguez, who is an operative of an organization named Agency is on a mission on an island called San Esperito. The mission objective is to dethrone the dictator of the island who possesses WMDs and is engaged in illegal business. The graphics and gameplay of the first game have a lot of resemblance with GTA games released somewhere near the same period (GTA Vice City, and San Andreas).
The second game does have better graphics and an improved storyline, but is a disappointment for those looking for an alternative to GTA’s most recent versions. The character of Rico does repeat in the second game too, and this time the island is Panau, a fictional island in Southeast Asia. This time Rico has to deal with another dictator named Pandak Panay. Just Cause 2 introduces Avalanche Engine 2.0, which is an updated version of the one used in the first game. The series is more warfare- and shooting-oriented as compared to other games, though not on par to the recent GTA versions, Just Cause I and II are fun to play, and are surely great alternatives to some of the older GTA versions.
So play these great games when you’re bored of GTA, and enjoy!