Red Dead was a franchise that was fairly unknown for the most part, until Rockstar Games took over the IP and bestowed upon us one of the greatest open-world adventures of all time in the form of Red Dead Redemption. For the longest time, this was the only peek that gamers had into the Red Dead series until Rockstar Games decided to up the ante and release a sequel that most people consider to be one of the greatest open-world games of the modern generation.

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Red Dead Redemption 2 is a marvel in every aspect, with the story, in particular, being a well-thought-out and emotional ride that most people would remember long after finishing this masterpiece. For people who still want to experience the feeling that Red Dead Redemption 2 invoked in them by playing other games, there are many other story-heavy games like RDR2 that will certainly fill up this void.

Updated on June 10th, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Red Dead Redemption 2 features one of the most well-written and emotional narratives ever told in a Rockstar game. Players who had valid criticisms about the disjointed nature of Rockstar's narratives in their previous endeavors were pleasantly surprised by how succinct and memorable the story of Arthur Morgan's redemption is, tying in neatly with the events of the first game by the end. The full spectrum of emotions players will experience while playing this title will be pretty astonishing, and it's easy to see why players would want to check out more story-heavy titles in the same vein. With that in mind, a few more story-heavy games that compare to RDR2 have been added to this list.

1 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

CJ's Tale Of Revenge After Being Betrayed By His Closest Friends Is A Moving Experience

San Andreas is one of the best entries in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, featuring one of the biggest worlds in the series. The epic story sees CJ obtaining revenge at all costs, after members of the Grove Street Families ally themselves with C.R.A.S.H.'s corrupt forces to fill their own pockets at the cost of his family's well-being.

What follows is an immersive journey where CJ makes unlikely allies in various areas before finally coming back to Los Santos and showing the Ballas who's boss. It's an amazing game that players still can't get enough of to this day, and fans of Rockstar Games who loved Red Dead Redemption 2 will obviously have a great time playing through the lengthy and engaging story of San Andreas.

2 Mafia: Definitive Edition

A Story-Driven Open-World Game That's Perfect For RDR2 Fans

Mafia is one of the first GTA clones to hit the market, using the structure of Rockstar's flagship series to make a more story-focused game. Mafia tells a unique story that revolves around a crime family and documents the rise of a lowly grunt to become one of the most influential figures in the mafia. The first game was pretty, fun but quite dated, so fans were glad to see that this game was remade with modern graphics while retaining a lot of what made the original so special in the first place.

The sandbox may be nowhere near as interactive as titles like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, but most players will forgive this after playing through one of the most engaging stories ever told in an open-world game. Tommy Angelo is a likable protagonist, and fans are bound to get attached to this character, which makes the ending that much harder to digest.

3 Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

A Surprisingly Fun Title Full Of Witty Banter And An Emotional Story

It's a shame that Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy sold so poorly at launch, with many people of the opinion that the launch of Marvel's Avengers was so poor that most people were turned off from checking this game out. Players who gave Guardians of the Galaxy a shot would find themselves enjoying one of the best superhero video games ever made, especially from a narrative standpoint.

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The chemistry between Quill and his buddies is palpable for everyone to see, with the overarching narrative being rife with emotion. It helps that the script is full of humorous instances that just work, with the game setting up some creative set pieces that most people don't always see in most AAA games.

4 Westerado: Double Barreled

An Indie Open-World Game With A Narrative That Changes Ever So Slightly With Each Playthrough

The ambition of Westerado: Double Barreled should certainly be lauded, with this game's attempts to integrate a procedurally-generated narrative in a sandbox being pretty interesting to behold. After the main character's family is killed and their ranch is burned down by an unknown culprit, the protagonist must investigate the world and figure out who this person is.

The identity of the aggressor changes in each playthrough, and players must gather the relevant clues before finally landing upon a suspect. This gameplay loop is a pretty simple yet riveting one, with the combat and exploration being pretty interesting in its own right. The story may not set the world on fire but gets the job done and is pretty engaging given how elements of the plot change every single time.

5 Red Dead Revolver

The Game That Started It All

There would be no Red Dead series without an interesting take on the Wild West that features its fair share of cowboy action, tense duels, and a story rife with betrayal. Red Dead Revolver is a game that not many people may have checked out, but the importance of this title can't be stated enough.

If players take the time to figure out some way to play this unique action game, the plot is one of its strongest aspects that will keep them hooked till the end of the experience. The story of Red as he seeks revenge for the death of his family is a riveting one that shows exactly where Rockstar picked up its influences for Red Dead Redemption.

6 Mafia 2

An Excellent Tale About Vito's Life In The Mafia

The first Mafia game is a pretty fun title in its own right, receiving a well-deserved remake that has made the title way more accessible for modern games. The sequel to this title is considered by many to be a step up in every way, with the storyline being quite engaging indeed.

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The crime-laden drama of Mafia 2 coupled with Vito Scaletta's brilliance as a protagonist really elevates the game in many ways. While Mafia 2 may not have the most interactive open world, the fun gameplay, great performances, and excellent narrative carry the experience with ease.

7 Telltale's The Walking Dead

An Emotional Story-Driven Adventure

There was a time when Telltale was at the very top of its game, and this was around the time when The Walking Dead was released to unprecedented levels of success all over the world. The story of Lee and Clementine struck a chord with players who loved how this game explored the human side of the zombie apocalypse, with the game focusing on these survivors who gave it their all to ensure that they didn't succumb to the plague that has ravaged the entire world.

The first Red Dead Redemption game features the Undead Nightmare DLC, which was lauded for how it changed up the formula of the series while allowing players to experience a new, more supernatural side of Red Dead's gameplay. It's a shame that Red Dead Redemption 2 is probably never going to get a DLC that continues this legacy, so the closest thing players can enjoy are fantastic and emotional experiences like Telltale's The Walking Dead!

8 Ghost Of Tsushima

A Beautiful Open-World Game With An Engrossing Narrative

The PlayStation 4 was littered with some of the greatest exclusives of all time, and Ghost of Tsushima was no exception to this golden rule. While some people felt that the gameplay didn't cover any new ground, the amazing presentation and engaging narrative more than made up for this minor complaint.

The story of Jin, as he tried to save Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, makes for a great time, with the narrative being highly engaging despite having some missteps of its own. However, players who love emotionally charged stories will love what Ghost of Tsushima brings to the table, with the presentation of the game being so stellar that it will take a Herculean effort for players to stop playing through this amazing game.

9 Dragon Age: Origins

An Epic Adventure With Lovable Characters

High fantasy and cowboy adventures may seem worlds apart, but there's something that both Dragon Age: Origins and Red Dead Redemption 2 have in common — strong writing. There's a reason why BioWare was put on the map with the immense success of the first Dragon Age game, with many people loving the epic story that they could experience in this truly incredible RPG.

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Even with all the advancements seen in the realm of narrative RPGs, there's something special about Dragon Age: Origins that causes people to still consider it to be the greatest title in the series and one of the best video games ever made. The different origin stories still make each playthrough pretty interesting and show just how ahead of its time this title was.

10 Grand Theft Auto 4

An Important Game That Evolved Rockstar's Design Philosophy

Grand Theft Auto 4 was a massive step in the right direction for Rockstar Games. The adventures of Niko Bellic in Liberty City are pretty engaging in their own right, with fans fondly looking back on the events of this masterpiece.

The game's open-world action coupled with an amazing narrative made for a great time indeed. This was also the first game to play around with the idea of alternate endings, managing to execute the concept pretty successfully.

11 Sleeping Dogs

Action-Packed Open-World Filled With Crime

Sleeping Dogs arose from the ashes of True Crime and wowed everyone by showing just how fun the game is. The melee combat of this game is truly one of a kind and one of the best parts of the other experience.

The other impressive half of Sleeping Dogs is its story, which follows the life of undercover cop Wei Shen. His assignments lead to him making friends with his targets and getting caught in a whirlwind of events that are all pretty memorable in their own right.

12 Mass Effect

An Epic Sci-Fi Journey That Never Lets Up

Mass Effect is one of the greatest sci-fi epics in gaming history. Pretty much all three games could qualify for this list, with their stories being truly brilliant in their own right.

Even the ending of Mass Effect 3 has been improved dramatically with the various updates released over time by BioWare, making this conclusion pretty satisfying after a long and engaging journey. The inclusion of third-person combat will make fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 feel right at home, and the host of abilities that a player can mess around with makes these battles even more fun to experience.

13 Fallout: New Vegas

An Epic Post-Apocalyptic Adventure With Memorable Characters

Fallout: New Vegas is one of the greatest open-world roleplaying games ever made. The game might've been unacceptably buggy on launch, but a slew of updates coupled with the many mods released for this game has turned it into a pretty stable experience on modern hardware.

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Players will certainly get their money's worth with these open-world games, as many people can't help but start new save files time and time again.

New Vegas absolutely shines in its storytelling, accounting for everything the player does in both small and major ways. This ultimately leads to a great and satisfying experience that fans will have a blast playing.

14 L.A. Noire

A Detective Game Set In The 1940s

L.A. Noire was a groundbreaking game at the time, with its amazing graphics and brilliant motion capture system leading to the game feeling all the more immersive. The facial expressions might seem a bit goofy right now but did a great job of letting players feel smart as they read faces and uncovered the mysteries of the cases they were pursuing.

The story of war veterans being unable to get over their trauma makes for a harrowing tale, with the ending being pretty sad in its own right. Regardless, L.A. Noire is an experience that no fan of Red Dead Redemption 2 should miss out on if they loved the complex story of Rockstar's western game.

15 Horizon Zero Dawn

A Story-Driven Post-Post-Apocalyptic Open-World Game

Players looking for story-heavy games like Red Dead Redemption 2 will certainly enjoy Horizon Zero Dawn. The game served as an excellent addition to an already stellar lineup on the PlayStation 4, featuring an exciting world and brilliant characters that are bound to be expanded upon in the sequel.

One major thing to note about Horizon Zero Dawn's story is the ingenious manner in which its scope expands as players get through the game. Initially, the game seems rather limited, and the world map is also rather limited as a result. However, as players get through the title, the story becomes more grandiose and epic, while the world also expands to allow the player to explore new regions as well.

16 BioShock Infinite

An Excellent Action-Adventure Game With A Great Story And A Memorable Lead Duo

An excellent story-driven title that will be up the alley of any fan who wants more games like RDR2, BioShock Infinite is one of the greatest first-person shooter titles of all time. It's a testament to Ken Levine's genius that every game that he's been a part of has been phenomenal.

Stepping into the shoes of Booker DeWitt and accompanying Elizabeth on a quest for the ages, BioShock Infinite features some of the most memorable video game moments of all time. It's no wonder why people are still pining for either a sequel to this title or another Ken Levine masterpiece.

17 Cyberpunk 2077

A Tragic Narrative-Driven RPG Set In A Bleak Cyberpunk Dystopia

Speaking of story-driven first-person shooters, one can't fail to mention the immensely hyped title that was Cyberpunk 2077. While the game might've been disappointing for many, there's no denying the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 is still an incredible title that any fan of story-driven games like Red Dead Redemption 2 should try out.

If players have a system that is stable enough to play the game, then they should check this title out. It might not be the game that it was hyped up to be, but Cyberpunk 2077 is still an excellent title that deserves some praise for its great narrative and characters.

18 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

One Of The Greatest Story-Driven Games Ever Made

CD Projekt Red might be at its lowest point right now, but there was a time when the studio was celebrated within the gaming industry. This was mainly due to the massive success of its magnum opus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

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Geralt's final chapter in The Witcher trilogy was a wild and entertaining ride that most fans still remember to this day. If any player is seeking out story-heavy titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, then they can't go wrong with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

19 Marvel's Spider-Man 2

A Huge Improvement Over The First Game With Two Spider-Men To Play Around With

Players who loved what the first Insomniac Spider-Man game had to offer will be more than pleased to see the leaps and bounds that the sequel has taken. Miles Morales was a nice interlude that let players control this new Miles for a change and check out his new suite of powers, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 brings even more of this swinging and punching goodness to Insomniac's biggest New York map yet..

With many emotional highs in its well-crafted story, along with amazing set-pieces, it's easy to see why fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 who loved the cinematic storytelling there would love more of the same in a different setting with superpowered protagonists. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could've had a longer third arc that fleshed out the Symbiote crisis a bit more, but the game is still a blast to play through regardless, and has left fans eagerly awaiting more from Insomniac's Marvel universe.

20 Days Gone

An Underrated PlayStation Zombie Title

The slightly bugged launch of Days Gone meant that most gamers wrote this game off from the get-go, which is quite a shame since Days Gone has one of the more nuanced protagonists and interesting plots ever featured in a video game.

While the game might not be everyone's cup of tea, players who come into this story knowing exactly what to expect — namely, an enjoyable open world and a mature story — will not be disappointed.