Summary
- GTA-inspired games like Mafia and Saints Row carved their own niche.
- Lego City Undercover tried a kid-friendly GTA, but lacked commercial success.
- Attempting to rival GTA, Watch Dogs veered into tech and hacker themes.
Grand Theft Auto 3 changed video games forever in 2001 when it launched on the PS2. It put developer Rockstar Games on the map, and it also put a target on their back. With every successful video game achievement, another company will typically try to cash in on their success. It’s how the industry works, which is not a bad thing necessarily.
8 Best Rockstar Games Of The 2000s, Ranked
The 2000s are home to some of the best video games ever made. For fans of Rockstar, here are the best titles the developer released during said time.
After all, it would be boring if there were only one game or franchise per genre. That said, these games were not aiming to coincide with the Grand Theft Auto series. They wanted to usurp its popularity, and it did not go over well. Some of these games blossomed into their own successful series, while others caught on fire. Let’s see how the dreaded “GTA Killers” have evolved since the 2000s.
Mafia
Old-School Mobs
Mafia (2002)
- Released
- August 28, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
The Mafia series kicked off in 2002 and wisely didn’t follow Grand Theft Auto’s modern trend, instead setting itself in the height of the mafia during the 1930s. There is a niche audience of sandbox enthusiasts who like historical settings, which hasn’t led to Mafia overtaking Grand Theft Auto, but the series has remained strong.
There are three numbered sequels, numerous DLC episodes, and Mafia: The Old Country was just released on most modern consoles, and seems to be receiving strong reviews. Whether that will lead to good sales is a mystery, but even with that success, the series is unlikely to unseat Grand Theft Auto.
The Getaway
Going Back To London
The Getaway
- Released
- January 19, 2003
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
The Getaway was set in the "modern" era of the 2000s when it was first released in Europe in 2002, followed by its North American release in 2003. This was another smart move, as it focused on the mob scene in London instead of the U.S., and it was a first-party game for Sony, developed by their London Studio.
The developers were able to make one PS2 sequel and a PSP spinoff, which ended the series in 2006 as the England craze of the early 2000s sort of fizzled out. London Studio basically became Sony’s SingStar developer after the, and The Getaway appears to be a series lost to time.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Cashing In On The Simpsons
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- Released
- September 16, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- 3+
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Sandbox
The Simpsons: Hit & Run was also released in 2003 and smartly tried to usurp Grand Theft Auto by creating a sandbox game based on one of the biggest Western cartoon franchises ever.
It’s still regarded as the best video game adaptation The Simpsons has ever seen, thanks to the full returning cast, several show writers helping script the game, and the ability to explore Springfield so extensively for the first time. It was a competent clone that almost got a sequel, but it was canceled, much to the chagrin of fans. Many gamers are still clamoring for a Hit & Run remake, but there's been no news on that front either.
True Crime: Streets Of LA
GTA Meets The Matrix
True Crime: Streets Of LA
- Released
- November 4, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Action
True Crime: Streets of LA is yet another 2003 sandbox game that shifted its focus to cops rather than gangsters. Also, it seemed to be inspired by The Matrix and the Hong Kong martial arts movies of the 80s, as slow-mo and melee combat were a big focus, which did set it apart from GTA.
The 10 Best GTA Clones Ever Made
With the rise of GTA came a flood of imitators hoping to cash in on the emerging open-world market. Some of the best GTA clones did exactly that.
There was a sequel in 2005, True Crime: New York City, which featured similar vibes, and there was almost a third game as well. This sequel, True Crime: Hong Kong, was canceled and later became a brand-new title called Sleeping Dogs in 2012.
The Godfather
The Trend Of Movie Tie-Ins
- Developer: EA Redwood Shores (PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 Versions)
- Publisher: EA
- Released: March 21, 2006 (PC, PS2, and Xbox Versions)
- Platforms: PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360
The next big leap in GTA killers happened in 2006 when two classic gangster films were adapted into video games. Scarface: The World Is Yours was almost like a reverse spiritual successor to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and it didn’t really go anywhere. The other movie tie-in was The Godfather, which is the more interesting of the two cases.
It chased the Mafia series more than Grand Theft Auto, since they both focused on the Italian mob, but it’s obvious EA’s developers wanted to take down Rockstar Games in the process. Needless to say, they didn't succeed. There was a sequel, The Godfather 2, in 2009, and then that was it.
Saints Row
Retained The Goofiness Of GTA
Saints Row
- Released
- September 1, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- 18+
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Shooter, Racing
Saints Row, next to Mafia, is the best example of a Grand Theft Auto clone succeeding despite having a slow start. Also released in 2006, the goal was seemingly to focus on street gangs instead of organized crime, similar to the vibe of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. While there was humor in the first two games, the series wouldn’t find its stride until Saints Row: The Third in 2011.
This threequel was beyond silly, with absurd character powers and weaponry that made it more akin to a sandbox power fantasy gmae than a story about gangs and criminals. This was cranked up even further in Saints Row 4 two years later. Then, there was trouble with the developer, Volition, leading to a lackluster spinoff and a 2022 reboot, which quickly ended the studio, and probably the Saints Row franchise, in 2023.
Sleeping Dogs
Never Got Its Due
Sleeping Dogs
- Released
- August 14, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Getting back to True Crime, United Front Games took over the series from the previous developer, Luxoflux, under Square Enix’s guidance. This then led to Sleeping Dogs in 2012, which was way better than anyone could have ever predicted. Critics and fans were amazed by the undercover cop story, the intense melee combat, and the cool car-swapping mechanic while driving.
Sleeping Dogs might be the game that emulates Hong Kong action movies the best. Unfortunately, despite work progressing on a sequel, Square Enix canceled it and shut down United Front Games in 2016, although rumors of a movie adaptation reignited recently when actor Simu Liu voiced his determination to bring Sleeping Dogs to the big screen.
Lego City Undercover
An Attempt At A Kid-Friendly GTA
Lego City Undercover
- Released
- March 18, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer, Fighting
LEGO City Undercover sought to capitalize on the LEGO game hype of the past decade and tried to make a killer Grand Theft Auto game at the same time. It was more kid-friendly, like The Simpsons: Hit & Run, but it wasn’t dumbed down either, as a thrilling cop investigation game that was exclusive to the Wii U.
8 Sandbox Games That Defined The Genre
There have been many games that helped to define the sambox genre in some way, making them milestone titles.
This is probably why it didn’t lead to a lot of success, as not many people bought the Wii U to begin with. There was a simultaneously released separate 3DS version, and then ports to other consoles in 2017, but that has been it for this short-lived original LEGO idea.
Watch Dogs
Tech Warfare
Watch Dogs
- Released
- May 26, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature // Blood, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action, Adventure
Grand Theft Auto 5 did tremendously well when it launched in 2013, but despite that, Ubisoft went along and tried to one-up Rockstar Games with Watch Dogs in 2014. This was neither a game about gangsters nor a game about cops. Instead, it was more like if Batman were an ordinary guy who could punch people, shoot guns, and hack technology to get his message across to big companies.
It was gritty and original, but the tone shifted to be a bit more silly in the next two games. The Watch Dogs series, despite good reviews and moderate success for Ubisoft, never quite felt like it found its definitive voice. Watch Dogs 2 is widely considered the series' best effort, but even there, the gameplay and story are often at odds.
MindsEye
What Happened?
MindsEye
- Released
- June 10, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Leslie Benzies is a famous producer who was with Rockstar Games for over a decade before leaving to build his own company, Build a Rocket Boy, in 2016. MindsEye was the company’s first big project, with Benzies set to direct. This game truly seemed like it had legs, given Benzies’ reputation.
However, since its release in June 2025, things have not been going well. The launch was plagued with glitches, leading to a majority of the staff at Build a Rocket Boy getting laid off. It seems impossible now that MindsEye will ever be able to make a dent in Grand Theft Auto 6's momentum, let alone a scratch on the franchise's legacy.
Things That Could Ruin GTA 6 (But Rockstar Can Avoid)
Rockstar can let GTA 6 bake in the sun as long as they want, so long as they use enough suntan lotion and avoid these sunburn-like mistakes.