Best Games Like GTA 5 On Xbox Game Pass

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 seems like it will never go away, or at least not until its successor launches. The game debuted in 2013 to universal praise thanks to its gorgeous and vast open-world, engaging single-player story that goes to some grim places, multi-protagonist system, and, eventually, the introduction of GTA Online. The latter has hogged Rockstar’s attention for the past decade, and while it is not to everyone’s fancy, the online mode can be an absolute blast with the right crew. It is also overflowing with enough heists, missions, challenges, and distractions to keep somebody busy for potentially years.

At the beginning of July 2023, GTA 5 and its online companion were added back to Xbox Game Pass, making them available for the first time since August 2021. However, the game was removed just a few months later, meaning it is no longer part of the Game Pass library. Consequently, if someone wants something similar but different, they should check out the best Game Pass games like GTA 5.

In case someone prefers physical copies, links to the games’ Amazon listing pages have been included if they are available.

Just Cause 4 Reloaded

Destruction On A Large Scale

Madness and mayhem in an open-world environment are par for the course for Just Cause 4, and it is this quality that will appeal to any hardcore GTA fan. Players are placed in the shoes of Rico Rodriguez as he once again grapple-hooks his way past a host of enemies, destroying the environment with explosions and shoot-outs galore.

Though less realistic than a typical Grand Theft Auto game (and that is saying something), Just Cause 4 ticks a lot of the same boxes. While they are funneled through a story, players are also encouraged to explore the map as they see fit, destroying as many things as they can along the way. A pure sandbox experience, this game (and the entire franchise) provides players with the tools required for them to create (explosive) magic. It is not necessarily deep or ground-breaking, but it is fun. While the fourth entry is fairly divisive among long-time Just Cause fans, the game is a fine option for newcomers, especially since none of its predecessors are on Xbox Game Pass.

Yakuza Series

More Than Just Japanese GTA

Sega’s Yakuza series is overall a great recommendation for fans of GTA 5. While the Japanese games take place in much smaller open-worlds, both series offer stellar writing, memorable side content, and engaging main storylines that touch upon mature themes. Xbox Game Pass has the entirety of Sega’s main series, allowing players to experience Kiryu’s story in full (for the moment), starting from the brilliant Yakuza 0 and ending with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon marks a new chapter in the franchise’s history, introducing a fresh protagonist called Ichiban, a new central location, and an entirely different combat system. Narratively, Like a Dragon is just as strong as anything that came before it, and this feat is accomplished without the game retreading familiar ground. Rather than beat ‘em up combat, this entry uses a turn-based battle system akin to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Gameplay-wise, Yakuza was never that similar to GTA, but this change created an even bigger divide between the franchises. That said, Sega’s license is all about its stories.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

A Historical Open-World Epic

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed games are nothing like Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto. The franchises have widely different tones, gameplay loops, themes, and settings; however, the one area they overlap is in their commitment to immersion. Both series are known for crafting detailed open-worlds driven by fantastical realism.

Assassin’s Creed Origins drops players into a beautifully realized rendition of Ancient Egypt, and the game’s main appeal is exploring this stunning world. GTA might prioritize fictional and modern settings over historical ones, but Rockstar takes plenty of inspiration from real-world locations. Assassin’s Creed is like the History Channel version of GTA.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is also on Xbox Game Pass, in case someone prefers Ancient Greece to Egypt along with a heavier focus on RPG elements.

Payday 2: Crimewave Edition

A Heist Simulator

A co-op first-person shooter, Payday 2 revolves entirely around planning and executing heists, be it alone or as part of a team. These missions follow a narrative thread that, while not quite as complicated or fascinating as GTA 5, provides enough intrigue to keep new players hooked during their first few hours.

That said, Payday 2 is ultimately about its multiplayer content, and players will be spending most of their time conducting an array of jobs ranging from traditional bank heists to prison escapes. The gameplay loop is addictive and has kept the first-person shooter alive for close to a decade.

Payday 3 is also on Xbox Game Pass.

A Way Out (Requires EA Play)

A Mature Co-Op Crime Story

A Way Out‘s gameplay is nothing like Grand Theft Auto 5. Hazelight’s title focuses on two convicts trying to escape prison, and most segments play out like puzzles. Consequently, the game is designed for co-op too, with each player assuming the role of one of the convicts as the story plays out on split-screen.

Even with all these differences, A Way Out‘s narrative and characters are very reminiscent of GTA, although without the satire that defines Rockstar’s franchise. They both tell mature stories that feature, to an extent, realistic characters.

Sea Of Thieves

Take To The High Seas Alongside A Crew

In terms of visuals, gameplay, and story content, Sea of Thieves and GTA 5 have almost nothing in common. However, there is one area where the two games overlap: they both let players make their own fun. While traversing Los Santos or Sea of Thieves‘ expansive world filled with islands waiting to be explored, the simple act of mucking around is not only encouraged but can produce moments of pure merriment.

Sea of Thieves is at its best when played with others, as forming a pirate crew and sailing the high seas in search of treasure provides endless rewards. Despite having a rather rough launch, Rare’s dedication has permitted Sea of Thieves to flourish, and the game is now as good as it has ever been.

Fallout: New Vegas

Embrace The Wasteland

Those looking to immerse themselves in an open world where they are free to do as they please can check out Fallout: New Vegas. This entry in the Fallout series has players traveling across the wastelands in a bid for revenge but soon has them making choices and taking on missions that will help reshape the Mojave. Players are free to make their way through the expansive open world of New Vegas as they see fit, using an array of weapons and skills to complete the dangerous tasks at hand.

With a robust story and some seedier elements that feel right at home in the Grand Theft Auto series, Fallout: New Vegas is a great FPS alternative for those who want to explore an open world with the freedom to play their way.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Travel The World With Good Flight Controls

Microsoft Flight Simulator is just as marvelous on console as it is on PC. Flying a plane might not be a huge part of GTA 5, but its inclusion highlights Rockstar’s tendency to go for broke.

As awe-inspiring as it can be to take to Los Santos’ skies, GTA 5‘s trips through the clouds do not compare to the unlimited splendor offered by Microsoft Flight Simulator. Jump into one of the flight sim’s many planes, pick a destination on Earth, and depart on a journey like no other offered on any console.

Watch Dogs 2

San Francisco Brought To Life Beautifully

Rockstar is not the only studio that specializes in open-world projects, and Ubisoft has made a couple of its releases available on Microsoft’s subscription service. Assassin’s Creed Origins is a bit too far removed from GTA 5 for a straight-up recommendation, but Watch Dogs 2 should be able to scratch that itch.

Set in a gorgeously recreated version of San Francisco, Ubisoft’s game revolves around a group of hackers who are trying to take down the city’s surveillance system. Third-person gunplay is a fixture of Watch Dogs 2; however, the gameplay primarily revolves around the player’s hacking abilities. These skills provide quite a bit of freedom in how situations can be approached.

Skyrim Special Edition

Explore Endlessly

Skyrim might seem like an odd fit at first, but dragons aside, it’s got a lot more in common with Rockstar’s flagship crime simulator than one might imagine — an expansive open world with a nearly absurd depth of content, impressive levels of player agency, and of course, the ability to go on unprecedented crime sprees at the drop of a hat. Or helmet, as it were.

Players can even choose to walk the path of a career criminal if they join up with Skyrim’s Thieves Guild, though they’ll be breaking into Imperial strongholds and hurling fireballs as opposed to robbing banks guns blazing.

Goat Simulator 3

An Open-World Parody

Xbox Game Pass has both Goat Simulator games (Goat Simulator 2 does not exist), and they are good for more than just a quick laugh. Fueled by the power of memes and irreverence, the original title is rough but charming, at least if the idea of rampaging through an easily breakable sandbox sounds enticing to a player. The sequel is bigger and better, building upon its predecessor’s blueprint to craft a simultaneously more structured and chaotic experience. Generally, the goal is still the same: mayhem. Players are dropped into a respectable large city and granted the freedom to do whatever they please. Unlike the first game, Goat Simulator 3 provides direction by incorporating quests and something of a narrative, although the former are largely just there to set up wacky situations.

Obviously, Goat Simulator 3 is nowhere near as polished as GTA 5. The game is arguably designed to be janky and broken to cater for maximum carnage, although some aspects of the package are rough-around-the-edges rather than endearingly buggy. Still, in terms of pure entertainment factor, Goat Simulator 3 ranks highly in Xbox Game Pass’ selection of sandbox titles, and the campaign is generally a blast. Ultimately, these types of meta games are an acquired and polarizing taste that can be hard to recommend to people who are on the fence, which makes them perfect additions to Game Pass.

Need For Speed Heat (Requires EA Play)

Great Arcade Driving

Xbox Game Pass has six Need for Speed games, and they all incorporate free roam or explorable maps in some form or another. EA’s racing franchise has an uneven track record when it comes to open-worlds, and the series has arguably yet to create something on the level of a Forza Horizon 5.

However, 2020’s Need for Speed Heat was a step in the right direction. Inspired by Miami, Palm City is a large and varied sandbox that provides plenty of room for drivers to hit their maximum speeds. The game uses a day/night cycle to shake up the flow of gameplay. During the day, players can freely roam the map while taking part in races or missions. At night, the cops hit the street, making it more difficult to take part in illegal races.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Explore A Still-Impressive Version Of Gotham

Though the story of Batman: Arkham Knight is more linear in nature, its map layout and mission design will no doubt call to those who enjoy a classic GTA game. If anything, Arkham Knight just throws a gritty, superhero overtone into the popular open-world formula. To make the comparison even more apt, this particular title in the Arkham series includes the Batmobile, which allows Batman to race around the streets of Gotham in a fashion that is reminiscent of cruising around in a car in GTA 5.

Unlike GTA 5, the Arkham games focus on melee combat rather than ranged weapons, although Batman has far more tools at his disposal than just his fists.

Burnout Paradise Remastered (Requires EA Play)

A Dense Open-World Racer That Holds Up

If driving at a million miles a second through the streets of Los Santos is someone’s idea of a good time, then they need to head to Paradise City. Burnout Paradise adapted the acclaimed arcade racing franchise to an open-world setting, and it proved to be a match made in heaven. Paradise City is nowhere near as huge as Los Santos, but that is not a negative in this case.

A significant portion of the fun derives from learning the intricacies of the map so that players can take the optimum routes during races. Burnout Paradise Remastered is the ultimate pick-up-and-play racer, as the game is accessible, packed with content, and just a lot of fun. The online modes are also worth checking out, provided the scene is active.

Minecraft

The Ultimate Sandbox

OK, Minecraft might seem like a stretch since it doesn’t have much in common with GTA 5 when it comes to tone, story, characters, or even gameplay. Those are all valid points, however, the two beloved games share one significant thing in common: player freedom. Rockstar and Mojang’s open-world masterpieces are arguably the definitive sandbox experiences.

Even though they are significantly different in most ways, ultimately, they both unleash players in a large playground and tell them to go wild. In GTA 5, that process usually involves a lot of destruction; conversely, Minecraft encourages creation. In some ways, these two games complement each other.

SnowRunner

A Different Type Of Driving Game

GTA 5 makes driving fun. Cruising along Los Santos’ streets is enjoyable enough on its own to consume a few hours without the execution of any missions. Rockstar implemented a wide range of vehicle types to ensure drivers can pick the optimal option for every job. SnowRunner offers kind of the same thing, although it is specifically designed with sim fans in mind. Saber’s game tasks players with carrying cargo across large sandboxes, and these trips are consistently grueling.

Focusing on off-road driving, SnowRunner does not pull any punches as it demands that players master their trucks while also planning each journey well. The base game is split between three regions (two in the United States and one in Russia), each of which comes with a few reasonably large maps that can take more than a dozen hours to master. Players will gradually unlock new vehicles as they earn money for completing jobs.

Palworld

Blends Many Genres To Create Something Unique

OK, Palworld and GTA 5 are nothing alike in most ways; however, they both represent the open-world genre at its peak, all the while offering different experiences that cater to fairly wide audiences. Before its debut, Palworld was known as Pokemon with guns, and while not completely inaccurate, that description fails to properly showcase the game’s ambition, appeal, and variety. First and foremost, Pocker Pair has crafted a survival open-world project with accessible base-building mechanics, an addictive monster-catching system, and enjoyable third-person gunplay. While a major selling point, the latter is not an especially huge part of the overall package, and it takes a while for players to unlock guns.

Unlike GTA 5‘s single-player campaign, Palworld does not have much of a story, and it largely leaves players to their own devices. That said, the game still offers a strong sense of progression, even if it does not have a traditional endpoint. In terms of exploration, Palworld is rewarding and enjoyable, particularly once players unlock a couple of different mounts. Similar to GTA Online, the 2024 release focuses on multiplayer, with co-op being an option on both PC and Xbox. Players are encouraged to work together in either groups of four or by jumping into 32-user servers.

Palworld is still in early access, so it is a work in progress. While in good shape, the game does have its share of bugs and features that need to be expanded or tweaked.

Crackdown 3

Dumb Fun

After being stuck in development hell for a long time, Crackdown 3 finally made its way to the Xbox One and PC, garnering a middling reception from critics. Similar to its predecessors, the 2019 sequel drops players in a relatively large sandbox and tells them to go wild, which mainly includes a lot of explosions and superpowered antics.

Crackdown‘s central idea is that players gain experience points (or orbs) for specific stats depending on their gameplay style; therefore, someone improves by playing the game. Crackdown 3 is nowhere near as expansive or ambitious as a GTA release, but it does offer an opportunity to cut loose in a sandbox that has decent verticality. The weapons are also quite fun to use.

Sunset Overdrive

Great Traversal Mechanics

Despite garnering a reasonably positive reception, Sunset Overdrive did not make an especially huge splash upon its debut. Since then, the game has grown a cult following, cementing itself as one of the more underappreciated Xbox One releases. Insomniac’s title drops players in a colorful open-world with zip lines as the main mode of transport, and grinding on these rails is a joy. Sunset Overdrive nails its minute-to-minute gameplay loop since the simple act of movement is innately fun, and this component is backed by solid third-person shooter gunplay and a respectable selection of weapons.

Ultimately, Sunset Overdrive is not that similar to GTA, but both titles make the act of traversing their worlds enjoyable. Insomniac’s game is also drenched in social commentary, and it is about as subtle as Rockstar’s jabs in GTA 5.

Far Cry 5

An American Satire

Ubisoft’s open-world games are a different breed from Rockstar’s projects, although they do share some similarities. Watch Dogs is the most similar in gameplay to GTA 5, but Far Cry 5 arguably comes the closest to matching its tone. Ubisoft’s popular FPS series does not have many representatives on Xbox Game Pass; nevertheless, while not as decorated as Far Cry 3 and 4, the fifth entry has a lot of positives in its favor. The game takes place in Montana’s fictional Hope County, a region that has fallen under the control of a cult. The junior deputy sheriff protagonist has to gradually reclaim the land from Joseph Seed and his disciples, with the latter all being a good mix of terrifying and charismatic.

As tends to always be the case with Ubisoft’s license, Far Cry 5‘s villains steal the show, and the Seed family compares favorably to most antagonists in gaming. Due to its setting, Ubisoft’s title tackles and parodies Americana to an extent, which puts it in line with GTA 5‘s cynical tone. In terms of its open-world, Far Cry 5 is devoid of major cities or towns since it takes place entirely in the wilderness. This puts it in stark contrast with a typical GTA release, although the world itself is still fun to explore.

Far Cry 6 is coming to Xbox Game Pass on December 14.

Forza Horizon 5

The Ultimate Open-World Racing Game

Playground Games perfected the formula of open-world racers with Forza Horizon. Each entry in the franchise is, at the bare minimum, great, and someone’s favorite project might simply come down to their preferred region. Xbox Game Pass has Forza Horizon 4 and 5; the former is set in and around Edinburgh, while the latter takes place in Mexico. Although they are both fantastic in their own right, the fifth entry not only has a bigger map but also a far more diverse one. Thanks to its unique biomes, Forza Horizon 5‘s world is inherently exciting to explore even when players are not discovering barns with new cars.

Obviously, Playground’s racer is a whole different beast than GTA 5, and anyone looking for a story-driven experience should search elsewhere. However, both games feature realistic open-worlds, arcade-style driving, and a huge roster of vehicles. This recommendation is for those people who love nothing more than to drive around Los Santos while occasionally taking part in a street race. Unlike Forza Motorsport, Horizon does not take itself seriously at all, with the game including a few outlandish set pieces that could even impress Trevor.