The endlessly influential GTA series sparked countless debates over its violence and mature themes. But at the same time, it redefined how games could be made without compromising on quality and while introducing innovative mechanics. If you’re craving that same thrill, you’ve got several options. The easiest and most immersive one is choosing live betting lines to bet on car races. But there is another option — playing games similar to GTA, and here are just the most exciting titles.

Sleeping Dogs

A Mature Open World Cop Drama: Sleeping Dogs has you playing the role of Wei Shen, a high-intensity undercover cop from the Triad. But what he has to do is more than take down a crime syndicate; he just as much has to walk the tightrope between loyalty to the law and his burgeoning ties within the gang.

Too often being likened to GTA, this game stands on its own with some really interesting setting, story, and most of all, it’s very satisfying hand to hand combat. You’ll visit richly detailed urban districts, engage in brawls in alleys, run through densely populated streets and engage in story-driven missions. And like GTA, it gives you the ability to drive cars, bikes, boats, get involved in shootouts, and experience a liberal open-city where you can explore shops, market places and eateries.

Far Cry

At first glance, Far Cry’s explosive first-person shooters might feel like GTA in the wild. Both offer open worlds filled with weapons, vehicles, and side missions, but Far Cry swaps gangsters and cityscapes for mercenaries, rebels, and ordinary people dragged into chaos.

These are frequently games where we are toppling dictatorships, on a path of vengeance or just trying to survive. What truly sets Far Cry apart, however, is its commitment to the culture and environment of its settings: from tribal island life and Southeast Asian jungles to backwoods American-ness and cities based on Cuba, each entry boasts a deep, exotic hinterland a world away from GTA’s urban American feel.

Watch Dogs

Think of GTA, but with a hacker as the lead. In Watch Dogs, you play Aiden Pearce, a skilled hacker out for revenge after a tragic loss. Armed with a powerful device, he can tap into Chicago’s central operating system, hijacking everything from traffic lights to cell phones, to manipulate the world around him.

You’ll explore a massive open city, complete missions, and dive into one of the most satisfying hacking mechanics in gaming. While violence is still a part of the experience, Watch Dogs leans into its tech-savvy, cyber-thriller atmosphere. In many ways, it’s GTA’s slick, modern cousin.

L.A. Noire

You’re the detective here. L.A. Noire follows Cole Phelps, a former Marine turned cop, investigating a series of grisly crimes in postwar Los Angeles. But as the story unfolds, he uncovers arson, drug trafficking, and corruption that reaches even his own department.

The game is built around detective work: collecting evidence, interrogating witnesses, and making moral decisions that impact the story. Its standout feature is facial capture tech, allowing players to read characters’ expressions to detect lies. Though there are shootouts and car chases in this open world, L.A. Noire is more of a noir mystery than a chaotic sandbox, setting it apart from the GTA formula, even though it shares Rockstar as a publisher.

Mafia Series

A legendary series often likened to GTA, but with a distinctive, vintage flavor. Each Mafia title is steeped in historical detail complete with era-accurate cars, clothing, and firearms. But the real draw? The storytelling.

Each game introduces a new protagonist and a different angle on the American underworld: a cab driver dragged into organized crime, a young veteran returning from war, a Vietnam vet confronting racism and injustice. These are deep character dramas showing how the criminal world affects people and their families, forcing them into heartbreaking moral choices.

The Saboteur

The Saboteur is set in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII. While not your typical GTA-like setting, it offers many familiar features: an open world, vehicles, weapons, and the freedom to tackle missions your way.

The story follows Sean Devlin, a racecar driver turned resistance fighter after his best friend is murdered by the Nazis. Gameplay focuses on sabotage, stealth, and parkour rather than sheer chaos, but the blend of historical drama and open-world freedom offers a unique and emotionally charged alternative to modern crime sagas.