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Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition

29 Games like Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition on Xbox that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentHow this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

We filtered the 50 games similar to Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition down to the 29 that fit the “Xbox” category. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Mafia III top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition.

iRank63/ 100

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GenreActionSubgenreOpen World Action
Tags
DarkSolo
Year 2021Dev Grove Street Games

Quick answer

Within the “Xbox” category, the closest game to Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition — scoring 89/100 on our similarity scale. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Mafia III follow close behind.

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The best games like Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition on Xbox

29 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition. Each one has been evaluated across 10 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 79%· 14K
Year 2021Dev Grove Street Games · Rockstar GamesOn Xbox · PS4 · Android

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Its own twist: horror tension, sandbox freedom and strong narrative focus

Same studio: Grove Street Games.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100World89
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 93%· 30KRAWG👍 93%· 3.1KMC94IGDB94· 4
Year 2002Dev Rockstar North · Rockstar GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with third-person shooting, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

Tighter and more focused than the open worlds that followed it, with a compact city you learn by heart rather than by map marker. Driving carries most of the game. The shooting has aged badly — no proper cover, stiff aiming — and missions restart from the beginning, which turns a late failure into a long redo.

It predates Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition by 19 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100Game mode85Combat77Tone73
Mafia III
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 57%· 63KIGDB68· 23
Year 2016Dev Hangar 13 · 2K GamesOn PS4 · PC · Mac

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Its own twist: first-person shooting, sandbox freedom and strong narrative focus

New Bordeaux and its period soundtrack are exceptional, and the story handles race and its era with more seriousness than the genre usually manages. Driving feels heavy and right. The structure undercuts all of it — the same racket-clearing loop repeats across every district, and the mission variety runs out long before the map does.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100World90Game mode79Combat75
Just Cause
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 66%· 5.2KRAWG👍 48%· 446MC75IGDB60· 1
Year 2006Dev Avalanche Studios · Square EnixPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing third-person shooting, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Stands apart with sandbox freedom, sandbox world and procedural generation, while skipping dark, oppressive atmosphere

The first outing for the grapple-and-parachute traversal the series became known for, though far cruder here — the hook is limited and stunt-jumping between vehicles is the main trick. The island is large and mostly empty, missions repeat a handful of templates, and the driving physics are loose enough that chases become guesswork.

It predates Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition by 15 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100Game mode85Combat68World56
Just Cause 2
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 91%· 51KRAWG👍 64%· 1.4KMC84IGDB85· 4
Year 2010Dev Square EnixPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with third-person shooting, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Where it differs: brings sandbox freedom, sandbox world and ranged combat, while skipping dark, oppressive atmosphere

A physics sandbox first and a shooter a distant second. The grapple and parachute let you chain traversal indefinitely, and most of the fun comes from improvising with them rather than from any mission. Expect repetition: the island is enormous but the objectives recycle a handful of templates, and the story is barely present.

It predates Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100Combat72World70Game mode67
#6Agents of Mayhem
Agents of Mayhem
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 58%· 4.9KIGDB73· 19OC67· 131
Year 2017Dev Volition · Deep SilverOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of open-world action games: shooter, third-person shooting and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: first-person shooting and setting scifi, while skipping racing gameplay

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100World100Progression100
Destroy All Humans!
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 92%· 11KIGDB67· 11OC69· 13
Year 2020Dev Black Forest Games · THQ NordicOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of open-world action games: adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, sandbox world and setting scifi, while skipping racing gameplay

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Progression100Visuals100
Mafia II: Definitive Edition
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 74%· 37KIGDB61· 4
Year 2020Dev D3T Limited · 2KOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of open-world action games: adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Stands apart with first-person shooting and strong narrative focus, while skipping racing gameplay

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals100
Control
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 86%· 60KIGDB83· 15OC84· 183
Year 2019Dev Remedy Entertainment · 505 GamesOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of open-world action games: adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Where it differs: brings horror tension, first-person shooting and Metroidvania exploration, while skipping racing gameplay

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World100Visuals100Progression73
Just Cause 4
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 62%· 32KIGDB69· 15OC68· 134
Year 2018Dev Avalanche Studios · Square EnixOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus, while skipping racing gameplay

Genre100Combat100Progression100Visuals100Tone79Game mode78
Driver Parallel Lines
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 90%· 1.5KRAWG👍 64%· 106MC61IGDB66· 3
Year 2006Dev Ubisoft · Ubisoft EntertainmentPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of open-world action games: racing gameplay, third-person shooting and shooter

≠ Stands apart with ranged combat, while skipping adventure storytelling

Driving is where the series always delivered, and the handling here is heavy and satisfying in a way most open-world games skip. The 1978-to-2006 time jump changes the whole city halfway through, which is a strong structural idea. On-foot sections and shooting are stiff and unwelcome, and the difficulty spikes without warning.

It predates Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition by 15 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals100Combat80
Sunset Overdrive
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 90%· 14KIGDB82· 16OC83· 89
Year 2014Dev Insomniac Games · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, first-person shooting and sandbox freedom, while skipping racing gameplay

Where it drifts furthest from Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition: game mode.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Visuals100World88Progression50
Gears 5
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 71%· 24KIGDB88· 12OC85· 150
Year 2019Dev The Coalition · Xbox Game StudiosOn Xbox · PC

✓ Both are open-world action games — sharing adventure storytelling, shooter and third-person shooting

≠ Its own twist: first-person shooting, strong narrative focus and setting scifi, while skipping racing gameplay

Where it drifts furthest from Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition: game mode.

Genre100Combat100World100Progression100Visuals100Tone83
Red Faction Guerrilla Steam Edition
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
Steam👍 90%· 7.7KRAWG👍 67%· 627MC82
Year 2009Dev THQ NordicPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of open-world action games: third-person shooting, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings sandbox freedom, sandbox world and ranged combat, while skipping racing gameplay

Its destruction system is the reason to play it — buildings collapse structurally rather than in scripted pieces, and the sledgehammer makes demolition a genuine tactic. Mars is drab and repetitive as a setting, missions recycle a small set of objectives, and the story is barely there. The physics carry almost the entire game.

It predates Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100World85Combat71Game mode54
High on Life
ActionOpen World Action
SoloMeleeDarkOpen WorldExploration
Steam👍 89%· 25KIGDB69· 5OC69· 92
Year 2022Dev Squanch GamesOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Fits the open-world action games cluster, with shooter, adventure storytelling and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Where it differs: brings first-person shooting, strong narrative focus and setting scifi, while skipping third-person shooting

Where it drifts furthest from Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition: visuals.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100World100Progression100Tone71

Complete list of games like Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition on Xbox

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