The Grand Theft Auto franchise is undeniably one of the most influential IPs in gaming. Spanning over a dozen games, GTA has managed to solidify itself as a gaming behemoth while helping to shape the open-world crime genre. As fans eagerly await the release of GTA 6, it's worth taking a look at some other games that were inspired by, or share many similarities with, Rockstar's flagship franchise.

Grand Theft Auto is the standard that audiences and critics will often measure a game against, if it takes place in an urban environment or hits similar gameplay or story beats. Whether this is fair or not, it shows that some degree of overlap in mechanics, tone, or general structure is unavoidable; video games taking place in urban environments, attempting to have a somewhat grounded tone, with an open-world design, will generally follow at least some of the same steps. Still, there are plenty of great games that stand out from the pack, maybe even giving GTA a run for its money.

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Sleeping Dogs

Although it follows many GTA traditions and conventions, such as the ability to steal cars and own apartments, 2012's Sleeping Dogs offered a unique spin on the time-tested GTA formula. Players assume the role of an undercover member of the Hong Kong Police Force, who needs to weave his way through the criminal underbelly of the city. The tone is more serious than most GTA games, with the story being inspired by classic crime dramas like Infernal Affairs, but the general structure of the missions, side activities, and open world will feel quite familiar to GTA fans. This game is set apart by its focus on hand-to-hand combat over gunplay, which makes the moment-to-moment gameplay feel distinct from other crime games.

Mafia II

As crime-centric as any GTA game, Mafia II is certainly worth the time of anyone who loves gangster flicks or gritty, Scorsese-like urban dramas. The middle entry in the Mafia trilogy, this game struck all the right chords for many players. There is a high level of storytelling talent on display in Mafia II, as players follow Vito Scaletta over a six-year period, covering his time in the military and presenting the rapidly changing tastes and sentiments of the mid-century United States. The experience is very cinematic, placing a premium on narrative, but there are also plenty of side activities, cars and other collectibles to gather, and a good degree of customization, which all come together to make it a game with a lot of meat on its bones.

Yakuza Zero

It may not have the bombastic missions or industry-leading online multiplayer of GTA, but the Yakuza franchise offers one of the best action crime gaming experiences out there. While every game is great and worth checking out, Yakuza Zero is arguably the best starting point for new players, serving as an origin story for series co-leads Majima and Kiryu while still being developed with modern sensibilities and resources. Yakuza Zero is a lovely mash-up of melodramatic storytelling, comedic side missions, and beat-em-up combat, all wrapped up in a charming, grounded Japanese setting, which is always a blast to explore.

There's good reason Grand Theft Auto is as popular as it is; Rockstar puts a great deal of effort into making the games polished, gratifying experiences, and novel features and mechanics in GTA make them groundbreaking and genre-defining, at times. Because of the franchise's ubiquity in the gaming industry, it can be easy to overlook other games that share similar premises. However, gaming fans should take note of these other releases, because they can often shine just as bright as Grand Theft Auto.

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