Six open-world crime games to play while you wait for Grand Theft Auto VI

Few video game franchises have been as influential as <i>Grand Theft Auto</i>. When Rockstar Games released <i>GTA III</i> in 2001, it helped redefine what an open-world game could be, enabling players to explore a sprawling city, steal vehicles, carry out criminal missions and generally cause havoc at their leisure. Its success inspired an entire generation of imitators, as developers scrambled to create their own versions of Rockstar's <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2026/08/22/from-1997s-grand-theft-auto-to-gta-6-the-evolution-of-gamings-biggest-crime-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2026/08/22/from-1997s-grand-theft-auto-to-gta-6-the-evolution-of-gamings-biggest-crime-series/">blockbuster formula</a>. The term "<i>GTA </i>clone" became a genre in itself, encompassing gangster adventures and increasingly ridiculous urban playgrounds. While some were shameless copies, others introduced imaginative settings, inventive mechanics and memorable characters that helped the games to stand on their own. Several even improved on aspects of Rockstar's games.