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Prior to Grand Theft Auto 3, the concept of open-world gaming was very much in its infancy, with only a handful of titles trying anything anywhere near as ambitious. With the rise of GTA though came a flood of imitators hoping to cash in on the emerging open world market. Although some of these titles have gone on to find success of their own, most of the GTA clones released over the years needed a lot more time in the sequencer.

Updated September 23, 2022, by Tom Bowen: With Rockstar remaining tight-lipped when it comes to a potential release date for Grand Theft Auto 6 and the Saints Row reboot falling flat on its face, those looking to unleash carnage in an open-world sandbox may have to venture a little further afield for the time being. Thankfully, there have been plenty of great GTA clones over the years, some of which look and play a lot like the franchise that so clearly inspired them. That’s not to say that all GTA clones are good though, with many providing an experience that’s more Grand Theft Snore-to than Grand Theft Auto.

16 Best: Crackdown

Though the Crackdown series had begun to run out of steam by the time of its third installment, the first two Crackdown games are considered by many to be among the very best GTA clones. This is because they each sought to build upon the hugely successful Grand Theft Auto formula rather than just trying to emulate it pixel for pixel. Granted, the first game’s narrative is weak and its music isn’t a patch on GTA’s, but it’s a more than solid title nonetheless.

Perhaps the most notable thing about the first Crackdown game was its implementation of multiplayer; something that wouldn’t come to the GTA series for quite some time. Its unique art style also helped to set it apart from some of the other turn-of-the-century open-world sandbox games, putting aside the quest for hyper-realism in favor of a more stylized cell-shaded approach. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why some are still hoping for a fourth Crackdown game someday.

15 Worst: Gangstar: Crime City

Gameloft’s Gangstar: Crime City definitely deserves some credit for being one of the first GTA clones to make their way onto mobile devices. Releasing in late 2006, the game pre-dates the mobile version of GTA 3 by more than half a decade and blazed a trail for future mobile GTA clones to follow, including its very own sequel. Sadly, however, the game just wasn’t all that good and holds up about as well as one might expect from an early two-thousands mobile game.

As well as lacking polish, Gangstar: Crime City didn’t really have an identity of its own and its heavy use of stereotypes led to some people taking offense. Of course, given that the aim of the game is to make money by committing crimes, a certain degree of offensive content is perhaps to be expected, but other games have shown that it’s possible to delve into the world of gangsta and hip-hop culture without needing to pigeonhole the people who reside there.

14 Best: Scarface: The World Is Yours

The Grand Theft Auto series has always taken a lot of inspiration from old gangster movies, particularly those starring the mercurial talent that is Al Pacino. Vice City arguably provides the best examples of this, with numerous references made to both Carlito’s Way and Scarface throughout the game. The latter movie would later get its own video game adaptation in the form of Scarface: The World is Yours, which, perhaps fittingly, borrows plenty of elements from GTA.

It’s an open-world third-person action-adventure game that looks incredibly similar to early 3D Grand Theft Auto titles. Combat isn’t all that different either, although developers did make it impossible to harm innocent civilians - either with weapons or vehicles. It’s nowhere near as well-polished as a Rockstar game, but for those looking for a solid GTA clone, it’s definitely worth a look.

13 Worst: Wheelman

As the name might suggest, Wheelman, starring Vin Diesel, is primarily a driving-centric game, though there are on-foot missions from time to time. It would arguably be a much better game if these hadn’t been included though, as they can often feel more like a poorly executed afterthought than an integral part of the gameplay experience.

Considering it was released more than a decade ago now, Wheelman still holds up surprisingly well in the visuals department. Sadly, however, the same cannot be said of its gameplay. Poor vehicle handling and terrible AI led to a lukewarm response from critics, although it did receive some praise for its light-hearted humor and strong graphics.

12 Best: Sunset Overdrive

Whether or not Sunset Overdrive can really be classed as a true GTA clone is perhaps a matter for debate, though many of the ideas and mechanics found throughout the game can easily be traced back to the early 3D Grand Theft Auto games. Apart from the zombies, that is. It’s these, together with the game’s fantastic map traversal mechanics, that make it such a blast to play.

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The oft-overlooked Xbox exclusive is one of the funnest games for the system and is arguably the closest that Microsoft really came to matching the excellent mobility found in Marvel’s Spider-Man. It doesn’t quite reach those same lofty heights, but is still a highly enjoyable action-adventure game for those looking to blow off some steam by blowing up some zombies.

11 Worst: Miami Vice

There have been quite a few video game adaptations of Miami Vice over the years. Some have been pretty decent, while others have struggled to make much of a mark with players or critics. Then there’s the self-titled 2004 game, which certainly left an impression all right, but, sadly, for all the wrong reasons.

It’s one thing to draw inspiration from other sources, but Miami Vice brings absolutely nothing worthwhile to the table when it comes to originality. The ideas that it “borrows” are poorly executed too, leading to a terrible experience from start to finish. Those looking for a passable Miami Vice game should consider checking out the 2006 PSP release instead, though everybody else would be better off just avoiding the franchise altogether.

10 Best: The Getaway

Heavily inspired by British cinema, The Getaway was an incredibly ambitious title. It certainly had its fair share of problems, but there was a lot to love about it too. From its intricate plot to its detailed environments, it offered an experience that was different enough from GTA to stand on its own two feet but still familiar enough to entice fans of Rockstar’s games.

The game performed well both critically and commercially and even spawned a sequel. Despite The Getaway: Black Monday’s failure to expand upon the original formula, it still sold well enough for a third Getaway game to be greenlit. Early footage of The Getaway 3 was incredibly impressive for the era, but it was ultimately canceled a few years into development.

9 Worst: The Godfather

When it comes to crime, The Godfather is to movies what GTA is to gaming. With that in mind, merging the two together should have led to something wonderful. Instead, the 2006 title left many wondering what might have been had just a bit more thought been put into the project. In the end, it was more Godfather Part 3 than GTA 3.

Although it introduced some nice ideas like the extortion mechanic, it was let down by its floaty driving and mediocre combat. Perhaps its biggest problem though was its use of the Godfather IP itself. In a world where subtlety and inference provide much of the narrative tension, the gung-ho gameplay just didn’t feel like it belonged. As a game, it wasn’t half bad, but as a Godfather game, it really missed the mark.

8 Best: Mafia

Where The Godfather tied itself to a pre-existing IP, 2K’s Mafia instead opted for a broader take on organized crime. As a result, the violence and high-octane scenes feel more believable as they’re taking place in a world of their own rather than one that has already explored. It still feels like the organized crime that everyone knows and loves, but an interpretation of it that’s fresh and unique.

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Although the console ports leave a lot to be desired, the PC version is a thing of beauty. Its stunning environments are backed up with solid gameplay and a more than serviceable narrative. Subsequent Mafia titles may have failed to reach the same lofty heights, but the original provides a masterclass in how to adapt a concept into an engaging experience.

7 Worst: Driver 3

Driver 3 made quite a few changes to what, at the time, was a very successful formula. The first two Driver games were incredibly enjoyable and each did well critically and commercially. In trying to make the series more like Grand Theft Auto, however, the developers shot themselves very squarely in the foot.

To say that the game’s graphics are its only saving grace would be a lie, as although the game can at times look beautiful, this doesn’t come close to making up for the plethora of other problems. The animations are poor, the gameplay is dull and it’s littered with technical issues from start to finish.

6 Best: The Simpsons: Hit & Run

Springfield doesn’t seem like a great setting for a GTA-style game, but the two franchises meld together surprisingly well. Although it might not feature the crime and violence that are synonymous with Grand Theft Auto, the influence that the series had on The Simpsons: Hit & Run and its predecessor is clear for all to see. It’s arguably more of a parody than a clone, but, whatever it is, there’s no disputing that it is a lot of fun.

There’s a heavy emphasis placed on exploration and a plot that’s coherent enough to keep players along for the ride. Its real strength though comes in the form of its humor, which is thankfully more nineties Simpsons than modern day. It’s not at all surprising that the game performed well, but that there was never a true sequel remains perplexing to many.

5 Worst: True Crime

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Rockstar clearly feels otherwise though. Upon the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, they made it perfectly clear how they felt about the True Crime series with an in-game billboard. It mockingly refers to the series as ‘True Grime’ and on the PC version, typing this into the console will spawn a Trashmaster garbage truck.

Although referring to the series as garbage may be a little harsh, it really doesn’t come close to challenging Grand Theft Auto when it comes to open-world experiences. Both entries in the series do a very good job of replicating the cities in which they are set and also feature some great voice acting. Unfortunately, though, the gameplay is about as bland as it gets.

4 Best: Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs went through several iterations before the finished game was finally released. At one point it was to be part of the True Crime series and had the working title True Crime: Hong Kong. A few years into development though, Activision sold the publishing rights to Square Enix and a brilliant game was born.

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Sleeping Dogs maintains the fantastic settings that the True Crime games had perfected but is able to back them up with some incredibly tight gameplay. Combat is great and the environmental kills make for some wonderfully cinematic moments. It’s still not quite on par with Grand Theft Auto but really isn’t too far behind.

3 Worst: 25 To Life

25 to Life featured a lot of interesting ideas. Amongst other things, the game features multiple playable protagonists and a fairly well-fleshed-out online multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, though, good ideas alone do not make for a good game. The execution of these ideas was a lot more gangland than it was clinical.

For a game that was released in 2006, it’s incredibly ugly and it controls about as well as it looks. The story is derivative and at times can be downright offensive and the characters are about as one-dimensional as they come. Thankfully, the game’s story is incredibly short, so players do not need to endure it for too long.

2 Best: Saints Row

Although much of its core gameplay remains incredibly similar to GTA, Saints Row differentiates itself in many ways. Its wacky sense of humor takes it into realms of absurdity that GTA has never dared to explore whilst its wide array of minigames and side-activities offer distractions that are far more enjoyable than the laundry list of fetch quests found in many of the earlier GTA titles.

Saints Row may have started out as a GTA clone, but it has mutated into something much, much more. It still has some work to do if it ever wishes to topple its long-term rival, but given the success it has achieved throughout the years, Saints Row has nothing left to prove to anyone. The series is very much its own entity now and one that may someday spawn little clones of its very own. For that to be the case though, it will need to do much better than the 2022 reboot, which most felt was inferior to its predecessors in just about every possible way.

1 Worst: The Sopranos: Road To Respect

The Sopranos: Road to Respect had the potential to be a fantastic game. Most of the TV show’s cast reprised their roles and series creator David Chase was also involved. Despite all of the talent attached to the project though, the game is at times an unplayable mess. To its credit though, it is at least a well-voiced unplayable mess.

Much of the game’s problems come from its awful combat engine. Players will regularly find themselves unable to act as enemies beat them to a pulp, with getting up after being knocked to the ground nigh on impossible at times. Picking up weapons in a crowded area is incredibly difficult and usually results in more endless beatings. They’re so overpowered though that it can be difficult to resist the urge to try.

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