Criminal Underworld: Quench Your GTA 6 Thirst with These Alternative Games Instead
In the absence of a direct GTA sequel beyond GTA 5, gamers eager for a similar open-world experience have several exciting options to look forward to on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Here are some highly-rated games that offer immersive worlds, player freedom, and varied mission structures, making them suitable alternatives or complements to GTA-style gameplay.
For PS5:
- Horizon Forbidden West: Set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic creatures, this visually stunning open-world action RPG combines stealth and combat with a rich narrative and expansive side quests.
- Ghost of Yotei (Oct 2, 2025): This upcoming open-world action-adventure shares the narrative-driven and exploration-driven style akin to GTA, with a focus on story and world-building.
- Crimson Desert (Fall 2025): This forthcoming action RPG promises extensive open-world exploration, cinematic combat, and immersive storytelling designed to push boundaries of player agency.
For Xbox Series X:
- Starfield: Bethesda’s ambitious sci-fi RPG offers freedom and RPG mechanics, making it a major open-world title on the platform.
- Elden Ring: Known for its expansive world, challenging combat, and freedom to explore, Elden Ring is an open-world fantasy RPG that offers a unique experience, though it's more focused on fantasy and less on urban or crime themes like GTA.
- Games like Streets of Rogue 2: This upcoming roguelike open-world game offers procedural generation and player-driven freedom similar to GTA’s less scripted mission style.
While these games differ in theme — ranging from sci-fi and fantasy to post-apocalyptic and roguelike genres — they share core features of expansive open worlds, player freedom, and varied mission structures, making them suitable alternatives or complements to GTA-style gameplay on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
In addition, the upcoming titles can help satisfy the wait for GTA 6, as no details about these games were provided in the text. The much-anticipated GTA 6 is scheduled for release on May 26, 2026.
Until then, gamers can also revisit classic titles like Sleeping Dogs, an older game set in Hong Kong where players can infiltrate a triad gang, offering a GTA-like experience. Mafia 3, an earlier game in the series, also offers an open-world narrative and third-person action similar to GTA games, set in a New Orleans-inspired city. The Outer Worlds 2, set to release this fall, is more of a Fallout-like game than GTA, but offers deeper and more intentional level design and quests, promising to offer roleplaying elements that can enhance a GTA-like experience.
- The visually stunning open-world action RPG, Horizon Forbidden West, offers an engrossing blend of technology and entertainment on the PS5.
- Elden Ring, an open-world fantasy RPG on Xbox Series X, delivers a unique entertainment experience with its expansive world and freedom to explore, though it leans more towards fantasy than urban or crime themes like GTA.
