The Best Open World Crime Games

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 June 26, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Open-world games focused on crime do not necessarily require players to assume the roles of villains or antiheroes. Just as in the great crime thrillers of TV or film, players can assume the role of a detective determined to clean up the streets and dismantle the criminal organizations that plague the city. This list is updated to include two games that offer something different in the crime genre.

15 LA Noire

Metascore 82

LA Noire is an open-world adventure game in which the player takes on the role of a beat cop who rises through the ranks of a detective in the LAPD during the 1950s. The game is inspired by classic and contemporary noir films such as LA Confidential (starring Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe). LA Noire centers on its protagonist Cole Phelps, an honest cop and war veteran who insists on following the rules, even if his partners benefit from breaking them. Playing the role of a cop rather than a robber offers a refreshing gaming experience.

In addition, LA Noire features exceptional facial animation technology that requires players to recognise whether suspects or witnesses are telling the truth. Phelps gets involved in minor crimes such as theft, but works his way up the trail of a serial killer, offering one of the most distinctive and memorable 1950s LA settings in the open-world crime genre. Moreover, LA Noire features excellent character development as Phelps struggles with his past and time in the military during the Second World War.

14 Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Metascore 76

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is set in a visually stunning Victorian London, reminiscent of a Charles Dickens novel. The game revolves around two protagonists from the Assassin's Brotherhood, the twins Jacob and Evie Frye. Like a Dickens novel, the siblings must navigate the crime-ridden streets and fight against the gangs controlled by the Templars, the Brotherhood's mortal enemies. The twins work to relieve the Templar's grip on London by liberating the work houses, ending child labor and fighting corruption.

With Assassin's Creed Shadows bringing back dual protagonists, it's interesting to take a look at how this concept was implemented in Assassin's Creed Syndicate with its contrasting play styles that complemented each other. Jacob and Evie fight rival gangs, conquer London and even help real-life figures such as the author of the Sherlock Holmes books, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle solve a murder. The downloadable content features a fictionalised version of the infamous real-life serial killer Jack the Ripper. Evie is the central protagonist in the DLC and is tasked with tracking down her brother and ending the Ripper's deadly reign of terror on the streets of London.

13 Yakuza 0

Metascore: 85

Yakuza 0

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Action

Adventure

Beat 'Em Up

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Released

January 24, 2017

Developer(s)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Platform(s)

PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Genre(s)

Action, Adventure, Beat 'Em Up

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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

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 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.

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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

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 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 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 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 character-driven narrative with twists and betrayals that will entertain fans of classic mob movies like The Godfather Trilogy.