Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best first choice while waiting for GTA 6. It is Rockstar’s latest major single-player open world before GTA 6, uses the same RAGE and Euphoria technology family as GTA V and GTA VI, and puts character-driven crime at the center of a reactive world. Choose Cyberpunk 2077 for a dense modern city and branching role-playing story, Mafia: Definitive Edition or Mafia: The Old Country for a crime campaign you can finish before launch, and Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition for the strongest non-Rockstar urban crime sandbox.
There are roughly 20 days between 30 October and GTA 6’s launch on 19 November 2026. That makes campaign length as important as setting: Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 can easily continue after launch, while Mafia, Sleeping Dogs, Yakuza 0 and the Vice City remaster are realistic finish-before-release choices.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Free plan / price | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Closest preview of Rockstar’s world-building | 50–80-hour story; Metacritic 97 | Steam list $59.99 | PS4, Xbox One, PC; playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility | Oct 2026 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Dense modern-city RPG | 40–80 hours; Phantom Liberty adds about 30 hours | Steam list $59.99 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac | Oct 2026 |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | Tight, cinematic gangster story | Metacritic 78; 1930s Lost Heaven | Steam list $39.99 | PS4, Xbox One, PC; current-gen backward compatibility | Oct 2026 |
| Mafia: The Old Country | Newest finishable crime campaign | Early-1900s Sicily; Unreal Engine 5 | Launch/list $49.99 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Oct 2026 |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | Best non-Rockstar urban crime game | Metacritic 77; Hong Kong triad plot | Steam list $19.99 | PS4, Xbox One, PC; backward compatible | Oct 2026 |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Most direct modern GTA refresher | 30–40-hour main story; three protagonists | Steam Enhanced list $29.99 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC | Oct 2026 |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | Bleaker, grounded Rockstar crime writing | Liberty City; Complete Edition includes two story expansions | Not stated in the cited listings | PC Complete Edition; other platform availability varies by edition | Oct 2026 |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition | Setting context for GTA 6 | 1986 Vice City; part of the 2021 Trilogy | Not stated in the cited listings | PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile | Oct 2026 |
| Yakuza 0 | 1980s Japanese crime drama | Tokyo and Osaka; Kiryu and Majima | Not stated in the cited listings | Not stated in the cited listings | Oct 2026 |
| Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | Tropical-city setting with a long RPG story | Honolulu; turn-based combat | Steam list $69.99 | Not stated in the cited listings | Oct 2026 |
| Watch Dogs 2 | Sunny modern-city sandbox and co-op | Metacritic 82; hacking-focused open world | Steam list $49.99 | Not stated in the cited listings | Oct 2026 |
| L.A. Noire | Rockstar detective story | 1940s Los Angeles; interrogation and case structure | Not stated in the cited listings | Not stated in the cited listings | Oct 2026 |
Prices are Steam US list-price snapshots from 3 October 2026 where listed; frequent sales can make the effective cost much lower.
Is GTA 6 out yet, and what platforms will it use?
No. Take-Two Interactive’s 24 June 2026 announcement sets the launch for 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Standard Edition is $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition is $99.99. The announcement does not list a PC SKU or a PC release date; xGamerss and Empire likewise report that Rockstar has not announced one.
Take-Two describes the game this way: “Vice City, USA. Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.”
Digital pre-loading begins on 12 November. The physical edition is a box containing a download code, also available from 12 November to support pre-loading. Purchases made before 20 November include the Vintage Vice City Pack, while digital pre-orders include one month of GTA+.
Which game should I play first?
1. Red Dead Redemption 2 — the default first pick
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the closest available preview of Rockstar’s current open-world craft. GTA Zone says it runs on the same RAGE engine, with Euphoria physics, as GTA V and GTA VI; its wording is that “mechanically, it’s the closest thing to GTA that exists.” xGamerss is even more direct: “If you only play one game before GTA 6, make it Red Dead Redemption 2.”
You play Arthur Morgan, an outlaw in Dutch van der Linde’s gang, in 1899, followed by an epilogue set in 1907. The story is a slow collapse of a criminal family, with hunting, fishing, stranger missions and travel woven into the character drama. NPC reactions, changing camps and small environmental routines make the world feel inhabited rather than merely filled with icons.
Two Average Gamers estimate 50–80 hours for the campaign and call it “the single most important pre-GTA-6 open-world backlog clear.” That is also the catch: xGamerss warns that starting now may still leave you riding through Lemoyne on launch day. Buy a version that includes Story Mode, not Red Dead Online alone. Rockstar released it on 26 October 2018 for PS4, Xbox One and PC; PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players use backward compatibility. GTA Zone, citing Take-Two’s fiscal 2026 earnings coverage, reports 85 million copies sold and describes it as the third best-selling game of all time. TechTudo records a Metacritic score of 97.
2. Cyberpunk 2077 — the best dense-city story
Cyberpunk 2077 is the strongest choice when the part of GTA you want is a crowded contemporary city, criminal jobs and freedom to shape a protagonist. You play V, a customizable mercenary in Night City, alongside Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. Phantom Liberty adds Solomon Reed, played by Idris Elba, and a separate spy-thriller thread.
The game is a first-person RPG with skill trees, equipment builds and third-person driving. Update 2.0, released in September 2023, rebuilt major systems, while Phantom Liberty supplied a substantial new district and campaign. Two Average Gamers estimate 40–80 hours for the base game and Phantom Liberty together, with about 30 hours for the expansion itself. That places it firmly in the “you may still be playing when GTA 6 arrives” category.
Use the PS5, Xbox Series X|S or PC version rather than older last-generation editions. xGamerss also lists Nintendo Switch 2 and Mac versions. CD Projekt Red’s Q3 2024 results, as reported by GTA Zone, put Cyberpunk 2077 above 30 million copies sold. TechTudo records a Metacritic score of 86.
3. Mafia: Definitive Edition — the finishable cinematic gangster story
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the best option when the priority is a complete crime narrative before 19 November. Tommy Angelo begins as a taxi driver and is pulled into Don Salieri’s family in 1930s Lost Heaven. The campaign is directed and paced like a gangster film: missions advance the plot rather than constantly diverting you into a giant activity checklist.
Gfinity, Beebom, Gaming.net and dtptips all frame it as a cinematic mob story. The city is there to establish mood and provide driving routes, but this is not the pick for unlimited sandbox experimentation. A 60fps upgrade arrived on 14 August 2026 for eligible PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners; on Xbox, eligibility is tied to digital copies, and old saves do not carry over. Free Ride mode unlocks after the story. The game launched on 25 September 2020 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, with current-generation backward compatibility. TechTudo lists a Metacritic score of 78.
4. Mafia: The Old Country — a newer, linear crime story
Mafia: The Old Country is the newer short-form alternative. Set in early-1900s Sicily, it follows Enzo Favara, a young carusu drawn into the Torrisi family. Hangar 13 built it in Unreal Engine 5, and xGamerss and GTA Zone both describe the design as linear and cinematic rather than a free-roaming sandbox.
Its 8 August 2025 release date is the one used by xGamerss and GTA Zone, matching 2K launch reporting cited by GTA Zone; Beebom lists 7 August in one table. It is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a $49.99 launch/list price in the cited Steam snapshot. Choose it when you want a focused story that can plausibly be completed before GTA 6. Skip it if your priority is wandering, emergent encounters or a city full of optional systems.
5. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition — the strongest non-Rockstar urban crime game
Sleeping Dogs puts undercover cop Wei Shen inside Hong Kong’s Sun On Yee triad. Driving, shooting, police pressure and a substantial martial-arts system all support the central undercover story. Environmental takedowns and hand-to-hand combos give it a distinct combat language instead of copying GTA’s gunplay.
Empire’s review described it as “Think of it as Grand Theft Auto directed by John Woo.” Gaming.net ranks it the strongest alternative outside Rockstar’s catalogue, and EverythingEdinburgh calls it the best all-round non-Rockstar answer. The Definitive Edition includes the original downloadable content and is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC with backward compatibility. TechTudo records a Metacritic score of 77.
6. Grand Theft Auto V — the most direct modern refresher
If GTA V is still unfinished, it is the most efficient preparation for GTA 6’s mission structure, satire and three-character switching. Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips carry the Los Santos story, whose heists and alternating viewpoints remain the clearest introduction to modern Rockstar pacing.
Two Average Gamers estimate 30–40 hours for the main story. The Enhanced PC version arrived as a free update on 4 March 2025. GTA V left Xbox Game Pass on 15 April 2026, so Xbox players now need to purchase it. Select a package that includes Story Mode; GTA Online sold by itself is a different product.
7. Grand Theft Auto IV — the grounded Rockstar crime drama
Grand Theft Auto IV is the choice for a bleaker, more grounded crime story than GTA V. Niko Bellic’s attempt to build a life in Liberty City is shaped by debt, compromised friendships and heavier vehicle handling. The PC Complete Edition includes The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, making it a useful single-player package when the mainline games’ satire feels too broad.
8. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition — setting homework for Leonida
GTA 6 returns to Vice City, so Tommy Vercetti’s 1986 story supplies direct historical and geographic context. The Definitive Edition is part of the 2021 Trilogy and remains the easiest legal route to Vice City on current hardware, despite the trilogy’s rough launch and poor 2021 reviews. It is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC and mobile. Expect a compact classic rather than the systemic density of GTA V or GTA 6.
9. Yakuza 0 — the long-form Japanese crime alternative
Yakuza 0 is a 1980s Tokyo-and-Osaka prequel starring Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Its dense streets are packed with karaoke, substories and deliberately eccentric diversions, while the central crime drama takes itself seriously. Brawler combat makes it a better fit for action-first players than Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but its structure is more chapter-driven than GTA’s free-form mission flow.
10. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth — tropical-city context with turn-based combat
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth moves Ichiban Kasuga and Kiryu to Honolulu, a modern tropical US city that rhymes with GTA 6’s Florida setting. It is a large, character-heavy RPG with a long campaign, but combat is turn-based. That distinction matters: choose it for the setting, humor and ensemble drama, not as a direct substitute for driving and shooting.
11. Watch Dogs 2 — sunny hacking sandbox and co-op
Watch Dogs 2 follows Marcus Holloway and DedSec through the San Francisco Bay Area. Traffic systems, drones, cameras and infrastructure become tools for stealth or mischief, giving the open world a different kind of systemic freedom. CBR describes its story as more engaging than the first Watch Dogs, while xGamerss calls its satirical tone closer to GTA than most imitators. It supports online co-op and is often discounted on Steam. TechTudo lists a Metacritic score of 82.
12. L.A. Noire — a Rockstar detective story
L.A. Noire trades gang warfare for investigations. Cole Phelps works through 1940s Los Angeles cases, examining evidence and interrogating suspects whose motion-captured faces are central to the experience. The open world supports the cases rather than replacing them, so it suits players who want Rockstar’s city detail and crime atmosphere without a conventional criminal power fantasy.
How should I choose with only three weeks left?
Use your available time, not an abstract ranking, to make the decision.
- Many evenings and no problem overlapping launch: start Red Dead Redemption 2 or Cyberpunk 2077. Their 50–80-hour and 40–80-hour estimates make a post-launch finish likely.
- A complete crime story before 19 November: choose Mafia: The Old Country, Mafia: Definitive Edition or Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition.
- GTA 6 setting context: play Vice City – The Definitive Edition. Choose Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth only if turn-based combat is acceptable.
- Tight budget: Sleeping Dogs, Watch Dogs 2 and Saints Row: The Third Remastered often fall to a few dollars during Steam sales, according to xGamerss.
- Playing with a friend: Saints Row: The Third Remastered has campaign co-op, while Watch Dogs 2 offers online co-op. GTA Online is another option, but it is not a substitute for a single-player story.
- An unfinished Rockstar backlog: Two Average Gamers rank Red Dead Redemption 2 first, Cyberpunk 2077 second and GTA V third for this wait.
What are the main platform and edition traps?
- Red Dead Redemption 2: verify that the product includes Story Mode; Red Dead Online alone does not contain the campaign.
- Cyberpunk 2077: prefer PS5, Xbox Series X|S or PC, ideally an edition containing Phantom Liberty. Older last-generation versions are not the recommended way to play.
- Mafia: The Old Country: it is current-generation only on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
- Mafia: Definitive Edition: check whether an Xbox digital copy qualifies for the 60fps upgrade; saves from the older version do not transfer.
- GTA V: on PC, distinguish Enhanced from Legacy, and distinguish a Story Mode package from GTA Online-only.
- Vice City: the Definitive Edition is technically uneven, even though it is the practical current-hardware option.
- Subscription libraries: catalogues change monthly. GTA V is already absent from Xbox Game Pass as of 15 April 2026, so confirm availability rather than assuming a subscription includes it.
Which story-rich open worlds are worth considering even if they are not GTA-like?
Some excellent open worlds match GTA 6’s scale or narrative ambition without matching its crime-sandbox formula.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
Two Average Gamers estimate 30–50 hours including Iki Island and give it high priority for busy adults. Its open-world exploration and focused samurai story make it realistic to finish in a month of weekends.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The main story is estimated at 40–50 hours, while the complete game with expansions reaches 80–120 hours. That makes it a poor choice for a three-week deadline unless you are already invested. TechTudo reported The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered for 29 September 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC, with a free upgrade for eligible owners and both expansions included.
Horizon Forbidden West and Spider-Man 2
Horizon Forbidden West is estimated at 40–60 hours, while Spider-Man 2 is estimated at 30–40 hours. They provide traversal, large spaces and strong stories, but neither is a crime sandbox; choose them for movement and cinematic adventure rather than GTA-style missions.
Elden Ring
Two Average Gamers estimate 60–100 hours. It is an exceptional open world, but it is the least sensible fresh start for this deadline unless you already want its difficulty and exploratory structure.
What if I want chaos more than story?
Saints Row: The Third Remastered is the better chaos-first recommendation than the 2022 reboot. Its campaign supports co-op and follows the “Embrace the Crazy; Fun Trumps All” approach. Just Cause 3 and Just Cause 4 are destruction playgrounds, but Beebom calls Just Cause 3’s story a “nothing burger.” Volition was shut down by Embracer on 31 August 2023, and the Saints Row franchise is currently on hold, so these are diversion picks rather than forward-looking series choices.
How were these games selected?
The ranking weighs five things: how strongly the story drives the open world, how closely the game matches GTA’s crime-and-city appeal, whether its campaign can fit the remaining time before 19 November, the quality of its setting and systems, and the practical platform or edition available in 2026. Long worlds are not penalized for being long; they are labeled honestly as games likely to overlap GTA 6’s launch. Prices are the cited Steam US list snapshots checked in October 2026, not guaranteed sale prices.
FAQ
Will the physical GTA 6 release contain a disc?
Take-Two says the physical package contains a download code inside the box rather than a game disc. Those physical copies are scheduled to be available from 12 November 2026 so buyers can pre-load before launch.
Do GTA 6 digital pre-orders include GTA+?
Digital pre-orders include one month of GTA+, according to Mashable’s summary of the announcement. The offer is tied to digital pre-orders, not described as a benefit of every physical purchase.
Are the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition extras physical items?
Mashable reports that Ultimate Edition extras are digital-store exclusive. The Standard and Ultimate prices are $79.99 and $99.99 respectively, but the extras should not be expected as separate physical goods in the box.
Which game gives the best sense of Rockstar’s NPC reactivity?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the strongest answer because its gang camp, stranger encounters, wildlife systems and contextual reactions are integrated into the story rather than isolated side activities. Its slower pace is intentional, so players seeking immediate driving and gunplay may prefer GTA V instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the physical GTA 6 release contain a disc?
Take-Two says the physical package contains a download code inside the box rather than a game disc. Those physical copies are scheduled to be available from 12 November 2026 so buyers can pre-load before launch.
Do GTA 6 digital pre-orders include GTA+?
Digital pre-orders include one month of GTA+, according to Mashable’s summary of the announcement. The offer is tied to digital pre-orders, not described as a benefit of every physical purchase.
Are the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition extras physical items?
Mashable reports that Ultimate Edition extras are digital-store exclusive. The Standard and Ultimate prices are $79.99 and $99.99 respectively, but the extras should not be expected as separate physical goods in the box.
Which game gives the best sense of Rockstar’s NPC reactivity?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the strongest answer because its gang camp, stranger encounters, wildlife systems and contextual reactions are integrated into the story rather than isolated side activities. Its slower pace is intentional, so players seeking immediate driving and gunplay may prefer GTA V instead.