Rockstar has just released the second trailer for GTA6. Although it remains purely cinematic, without showing us any gameplay, it already gives us a glimpse of some of its dynamics. Pure Vice City, very focused on its main couple and with what seems to be huge set pieces typical of a big Tom Cruise action movie. Which we think is great. But since they just delayed it until next year a few days ago, let’s not kid ourselves, we are left wanting more.
But that’s what we’re here for. To recommend a series of games that you can buy and play right now and enjoy while waiting for GTA6, which is set to release on May 26, 2026. Six games that won’t be GTA 6 but we can assure you are fantastic and will make that wait much shorter.
Sleeping Dogs
The best GTA-style game. Better than many GTAs and, depending on who you ask, the best GTA ever made, even without being called GTA. Why? Because its combat is excellent, its driving is exceptional, its story is incredible, and the recreation of the city of Hong Kong is simply amazing. Sleeping Dogs is one of the best games of its generation, and no one has managed to replicate what it achieved. Not even GTA, in many ways. And that’s why it’s on this list and at the top: because Sleeping Dogs is the king, and no one can deny it.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
It may not have the depth of GTA, but what does it matter when all the characters you control come from the best television series of all time? The Simpsons: Hit & Run is like a good season of The Simpsons turned into a video game, with all the craziness of a GTA and even the original voice acting from the series, so we can’t say there isn’t extraordinary care put into it. Could it look better? Obviously. It’s a game from the PlayStation 2 and GameCube generation. That’s why we always ask for a remaster. Because a The Simpsons: Hit & Run that looked just like the television series is a game we would never stop playing.
Saints Row 2
The craziest gang game in history managed to take the GTA formula and make it its own. How? By doing what GTA does, but even more outrageous. There are more explosions, more violence, more madness, and more sex. Hitting gang members with giant dildos? Attacking your enemies with rocket launchers while jumping from skyscrapers? Missions to blow up entire neighborhoods? Of course. If GTA has always been a satire of the USA, Saints Row is what happens when you turn the volume of the satire up to 12. Including breaking the speaker and making it sound pretty bad in later installments.
Mafia
Although it has never achieved the same relevance as the Rockstar franchise, Mafia is one of its most advanced disciples. With a more realistic approach set in the 1920s, it puts us in the shoes of a mobster who must climb the ranks within the dangerous world of Italian-American mafia. Frustrating due to the rigidity of its simulation, especially in traffic laws, but fascinating in terms of atmosphere and stories, Mafia remains a captivating game and franchise. A much more mature and cinematic approach than GTA.
Yakuza 0
Although we do not recommend starting the franchise with this installment, but rather with the first one, Yakuza 0 demonstrates that a Japanese version of GTA can be made. Because Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been making games in the Yakuza franchise for over 20 years, showing that you don’t need giant cities or cutting-edge graphics to create incredible games that stay in the hearts and minds of players. You need memorable places and characters that you will never forget and always want to spend more time with. This is something that Yakuza and GTA have in common, and it is the reason why you should dive into this legendary franchise if you haven’t done so already.
Lego City Undercover
We have saved the most peculiar example for last, because it is likely to shock many people. What do you mean a LEGO game? And on top of that, you are a police officer? Well, yes, indeed. Because LEGO City: Undercover is an excellent action-adventure game in the style of GTA, made by LEGO, where you can find everything you would expect from a game of this kind. Driving, action scenes, missions, and collectibles are present in a game that is much more contained, both in violence and size, but serves as both an excellent first approach and a great reminder of what we love about the genre. In other words, perfect to make the wait for GTA6 a little shorter.