5 open-world franchises to play while you wait for GTA 6

The wait for Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6 was finally broken when Rockstar Games revealed the trailer a decade after GTA 5's release. While that was refreshing, the wait for the game continues as it is given the 2025 release date for consoles. The Grand Theft Auto series is considered one of the premier franchises in all of gaming and by many, the crown jewel of the open-world gaming franchise.

As there is still a while to go for the launch of GTA 6, there are many other open-world franchises that players can invest their time in. With that in mind, here are five open-world franchises players can invest their time into while waiting for GTA 6.

NOTE: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

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From Mafia to Red Dead Redemption, here are the five open-world franchises to try while awaiting GTA 6

1) Mafia

The Mafia series, along with Grand Theft Auto, has been one of the open-world genre's defining games, ever since the series' first release in 2002. There are currently three games in the Mafia series, namely Mafia, Mafia II, and Mafia III. The series' most recent game is 2020's Mafia: Definitive Edition, a remake of 2002's Mafia.

On most platforms, the games are neatly bundled together as well to make it easier for the player to get introduced to the franchise. The premise of the series is a recreation of vintage America set across various parts of the 1900s, where the player is slowly dropped into a life of crime, and their involvement with the Mafia families.

The Mafia series takes players to an era where the Mafia families were prominent, feared, and powerful. (Image via 2K)

The series features faithfully recreated open worlds and has captivating stories as well. Much like GTA 6, the series' next installment is Mafia: The Old Country, which will also be released in 2025. There's never been a better time to start playing the Mafia games.

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2) Watch Dogs

Ubisoft's Watch Dogs franchise was initially released in 2014, as a competitor to the then-new GTA V. Since the series' debut in 2014, there have been three games in total, namely Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2 in 2016, and Watch Dogs: Legion in 2020.

The franchise focuses on hacker culture, with every game featuring a main character who is looking to be an anonymous vigilante. The detailed open-world settings take gamers around fictionalized representations of Chicago, San Francisco, and even a futuristic version of London.

The Watch Dogs series focuses on hacking culture. (Image via Ubisoft)

The franchise is often compared to GTA thanks to the detailed open-world setting, and providing a large map for the player to explore. Watch Dogs could, hence, be a great way for players to get introduced to Ubisoft's attempt at a series focused on the hacking culture.

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3) Just Cause

Each of the four Just Cause games has been focused on providing players with an incredibly large sandbox map area to play around with, along with some great destruction physics. The series debuted in 2006, with the latest entry, Just Cause 4, released in 2018.

Each game stands independent of the others, meaning that players do not necessarily need to play the older games to understand the newer entries. Each game's story is focused on the same protagonist, Rico Rodriguez. His mission in each game is simple: displace a dictator, and bring freedom to oppressed citizens and lands.

Chaos, destruction, and a large map are second nature for the Just Cause series. (Image via Square Enix)

Across the four games in the franchise, Just Cause 2 and 3 are regarded as must-plays. The series' large open-worlds often result in being compared to GTA. Players can cause destruction and wreak havoc, all while having Rico wingsuit or grapple around vast, picturesque maps.

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4) Far Cry

Another Ubisoft franchise, Far Cry, is a series that has been around since 2004. There have been six main games in the franchise and a few spin-offs as well, with the latest game being 2021's Far Cry 6. The franchise is unique from other open-world games, as it only offers the player a first-person perspective via which they control the protagonist.

The Far Cry franchise puts players into a first-person view, letting them see the world through the character's eyes. (Image via Ubisoft)

Since 2012's Far Cry 3, the focus of the franchise has been to overthrow the brutal leader of the place or country the protagonist finds themselves trapped in. The series has been compared to GTA because of the vast open-worlds, and cinematic storytelling style of the campaigns.

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5) Red Dead Redemption

Though set in the late 1800s and the start of the 1900s, the two games in the Red Dead Redemption franchise have gained much praise from gamers all across the world. The games place players into the boots of protagonists John Marston in RDR 1, and Arthur Morgan in RDR 2. The first game was released in 2010, and the second installment was released in 2018.

The Red Dead franchise is also made by Rockstar and is regarded as one of the best franchises in all of gaming. (Image via Rockstar Games)

The series replicates a classic, rural version of America with a very detailed open-world and story, which is very faithful to the era they are based in. Both games feature expansive and detailed maps, with Red Dead Redemption 2's map being amongst the largest open-world game maps. It should come as no surprise, then, that the series is also made by Rockstar, the creators of Grand Theft Auto.

Though RDR 1 is highly regarded, it is the sequel that is universally acclaimed, with praise directed at every aspect. The faithfulness with which rural America of the late 1800s has been recreated is unlike any other game's rendition of a historic setting. It is no surprise that Red Dead Redemption 2 ranks near the top of the list as a must-play for fans of the GTA series.

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• Full list of GTA series games in release order