Highlights
- Open-world crime games allow players to experience being a criminal without consequences, inspired by gangster and heist films.
- Titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Scarface offer stunning worlds, dynamic characters, and engaging storytelling in the genre.
- The variety of settings, character-driven narratives, and immersive gameplay in crime games make for an unforgettable experience.
Where most games put the player in the shoes of a hero, sometimes it’s good to take on the role of a villain or an antihero. There is no better genre to play out fantasies of causing havoc than open-world crime games. Many games take inspiration from gangster movies like Goodfellas or Heist films like Ronin and Heat.
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The Grand Theft Auto series and the original Driver helped popularize crime sagas where the player controls a rising gangster or a getaway driver in their respective open worlds. The beauty of video games is they allow players to act out fantasies of being a criminal trying to rise to the top of the city’s underworld without repercussions. This list includes some of the best open-world crime games where players can cause chaos or get involved in the drama of being a mobster on the way up.
Updated February 25, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Crime games where players take on the role of a villain or an antihero are perfect for the open-world genre. They allow the freedom to cause chaos on a mass scale or take down rivals as players move up the ranks of the criminal underworld. Whether they are robbing banks as an outlaw in a Western or living a life of crime as a mob boss, this list is updated to include more of the best open-world crime games available.
13 Yakuza 0
Metascore: 85
Yakuza 0
- Released
- January 24, 2017
The Yakuza series is a vast saga of games in the same universe. The Like Dragon games continue the series under its original Japanese title, featuring a new protagonist, Ichiban. However, the latest title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, features the return of Kiryu. As a result, the best starting point for newcomers is the prequel, Yakuza 0.
Naturally, as a prequel, there are nods to its predecessors. However, it is such a high-quality game with an excellent story and character development for Kiryu and his longtime rival, Goro Majima, as dual protagonists – it’s a solid starting point. Yakuza 0 provides backstory for Kiryu’s criminal past and sets up his journey across seven mainline titles and the side story Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Moreover, it has a terrific late 1980s time period, which creates a slightly different tone and an interestingly different take on the streets of Kamurocho – the fictionalized version of Tokyo’s Kabuchiko.
12 Red Dead Redemption 2
Metascore: 97
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
Being an outlaw in a crime drama isn’t restricted to modern-day city streets. The American Wild West sets up the iconic backdrop for Red Dead Redemption, where players take on the role of Arthur Morgan, one of the most prominent members of the Van der Linde gang. Players will participate in heists, robberies, and battles against rival gangs, the Pinkertons, and the government to survive in a world that doesn’t want criminals anymore.
The Wild West provides one of the most dynamic and beautiful open worlds in gaming. Despite being a PS4 and Xbox One-era title, the world, characters, and graphics are among the best. Red Dead Redemption 2 does take a bit of time to get going but stick with it because it features some of the best storytelling and character development in the genre.
11 True Crime: Streets Of LA
Metascore: 77
True Crime: Streets Of LA
- Released
- November 4, 2003
- Developer
- Luxoflux, Exakt Entertainment, ImaginEngine
True Crime: Streets of LA was among the first of many GTA clones during the PlayStation 2 and Xbox eras. However, it stood out as one of the best with its excellent combat, setting, character development, and outstanding voice cast. Russell Wong leads an all-star lineup featuring Michelle Rodriguez, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, James Hong, Mako, Michael Madsen, and more.
In addition to an A-List voice cast, True Crime: Streets of LA features an outstanding crime story with memorable characters and enough twists and turns to keep fans of open-world crime dramas happy. Even though the True Crime series ended with True Crime: New York City, 2012’s Sleeping Dogs is considered a spiritual successor.
10 Scarface: The World Is Yours
Metascore: 75
Scarface: The World Is Yours
- Released
- July 25, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
For many fans of mobster movies, Scarface, starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, is the epitome of the rise and fall of a gangster story. So a video game sequel where Tony Montana survives the now-iconic shootout at his mansion may be sacrilege to many. However, Scarface: The World is Yours is a surprisingly good open-world crime game with an all-star cast.
Pacino didn’t reprise his role, but he handpicked the perfect soundalike, André Sogliuzzo. Keeping in line with Montana’s refusal to kill innocents in the film, players are unable to go completely GTA style and hurt civilians, making for an interesting mechanic in the genre. Montana is tasked with taking over districts as he fights to reclaim his criminal empire and improve his reputation.
9 The Godfather
Metascore: 77
The Godfather
- Released
- March 21, 2006
- Developer(s)
- EA Redwood Shores
The Godfather is an open-world crime game similar to the GTA series, but the setting and iconic characters make it feel like a breath of fresh air. Like the Scarface adaptation, many fans of the epic crime saga couldn’t accept a video game adaptation of The Godfather.
However, its focus on a different character with a timeline that ran concurrently with the movie ensured that the original story stayed intact. Players are tasked with running extortion rackets and taking districts by force. The shooting mechanics were well executed, and the Fight Night-like melee combat was fun and responsive.
8 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Metascore: 95
It’s evident that the developers at Rockstar love mobster movies, and that’s obvious in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game features the late Ray Liotta – Goodfellas – in the lead role and references movies like Scarface, Carlito’s Way, Goodfellas, and more.
As with other games in the series, the story is well-written and maintains a balance of dark humor and seriousness as Liotta’s character, Tommy Vercetti, rises through the ranks of Miami’s criminal underworld in the 1980s. In addition to Liotta, the game features prominent actors like Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds, Gary Busey, Lee Majors, and more in what is arguably the most star-studded video game ever made.
7 The Getaway
Metascore: 72
The Getaway
- Released
- January 19, 2003
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- Developer
- Team Soho
The Getaway is a PlayStation 2 mobster game set in London. It was inspired by Guy Ritchie movies like Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Despite its age, the gritty London setting is a refreshing change from open-world crime games set in America.
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Moreover, The Getaway features two protagonists with intertwining stories. One character is Mark, a former bank robber forced back into a life of crime after his son was kidnapped. The second protagonist is a detective on Mark’s trail of destruction. The narrative is mature, well-told, and deserves a second look.
6 Mafia 2
Metascore: 74
Mafia 2: Definitive Edition
- Released
- May 19, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Hangar 13
Mafia 2 is a mobster game set in the mid-1940s and the early 50s, focusing on a World War 2 veteran rising through the ranks in a crime family set in the fictional city of Empire Bay. Empire Bay is based on famous US cities like New York, Chicago, and Detroit. It sets the scene of a mafia war between three crime families.
While the open world in Mafia 2 isn’t as varied or packed with content as the Grand Theft Auto series, the stunning recreation of post-WW2 America is memorable, and the games/”>character-driven narrative with twists and betrayals that will entertain fans of classic mob movies like The Godfather Trilogy.
5 Cyberpunk 2077
Metascore: 86
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
Action RPG Cyberpunk 2077 is a futuristic open-world game where the player takes on the role of V, a custom character of their choosing, to navigate a dangerous world filled with corruption, games-metacritic/”>corporate espionage, and dangerous gangs. The world feels alive with lots to explore and see in its dystopian cyberpunk world.
As V, the player can participate in bounties and intervene during crimes in progress. Night City is ruled by the dangerous gangs that occupy it. There are various gangs that V will encounter, negotiate, and fight against in Cyberpunk 2077. Whether it’s the cybernetically enhanced Animals, the Tyger Claws, or Maelstrom, V is up to their neck in crime in one of the most immersive worlds in gaming.
4 Mafia: The Definitive Edition
Metascore: 78
Mafia (2002)
- Released
- August 28, 2002
- Developer(s)
- Illusion Softworks
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure , Third-Person Shooter
Mafia: The Definitive Edition is a remake that stays true to the original that launched in 2002 and expands on it with new content and an improved voice cast. The visual upgrade is stunning, but the excellent script and execution of one of the best character-driven narratives in the genre take center stage. The game centers on Tommy Angelo as he rises through the ranks of the Salieri crime family before it leads to his eventual downfall.
The game is set in the 1930s in the fictional city of Lost Heaven, a city inspired by New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. As with the other games in the Mafia trilogy, there isn’t much to do in the city beyond exploring in Free Ride mode, but the focus is the plot and characters, making it one of the best crime dramas in gaming.
3 Grand Theft Auto 5
Metascore: 97
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
Featuring three protagonists, Grand Theft Auto 5 lets fans play as Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Again, balancing satirical dark comedy with a crime drama and excellent characterization, GTA 5 is one of the most content-rich open-world Action games, with lots of side content and distractions to keep players coming back.
Michael Mann’s Heat, starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, influenced the heist missions in GTA 5, as it was for GTA 4. Visually, Michael looks like DeNiro’s character, Neil McCauley, and Trevor looks and behaves similarly to Waingro. Franklin appears to be an original character and is all the better for it. He’s intelligent, clever, and resourceful, earning the respect and friendship of Michael and Trevor. GTA 5 continues to sell in high numbers thanks to GTA Online, where players can take on the roles of criminals, police officers, and more in a dynamic, open world with unique story content.
2 Sleeping Dogs
Metascore: 80
Sleeping Dogs
- Released
- August 14, 2012
- Developer(s)
- United Front games
Launched as a spiritual successor to the True Crime series, Sleeping Dogs is distinct from other games on this list. Here, players are an undercover cop infiltrating the criminal underworld. However, the protagonist, Wei Shen, struggles with going too deep undercover as the criminals are his childhood friends.
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Sleeping Dogs is a Hong Kong movie fan’s dream with nods to classic John Woo films and martial arts epics featuring Donnie Yen and Bruce Lee. The fighting system is the best in the genre, with games-replicate-batman-arkham-combat-ranked/”>similar combat to the Batman Arkham games. It also features an impressive voice cast with Will Yun Lee (Altered Carbon), Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man), Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins), and Lucy Liu (Shazam: Fury of the Gods).
1 Grand Theft Auto 4
Metascore: 98
The complete pack of Grand Theft Auto 4 featuring GTA 4 and Episodes from Liberty City is one of the best worthwhile gaming box sets available. The main game puts players in the shoes of a European immigrant named Niko Bellic. GTA 4 isn’t as focused on cinematic references and nods to gangster movies, but they are still there for cinema fans. Hit movies like Heat and The French Connection.
The two expansions are just as worthwhile with arguably tighter stories. The Lost and the Damned centers on the vice president of a biker club called the Lost MC. GTA 4’s narrative also unfolds and connects to Niko’s journey in the GTA 4 timeline. Sons of Anarchy fans will undoubtedly enjoy their time in the shoes of an established member of a dangerous biker club. The Ballad of Gay Tony is the second standalone expansion, but this time, it focuses on Luis Fernando Lopez, the bodyguard of the titular Gay Tony.
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