GTA Clones You Completely Forgot About
Crime Life: Gang Wars
It’s not a new idea for developers to follow the latest trends in hopes of making quick bucks. In recent years, many developers jumped on the battle royale train to make more money or get some recognition. However, not all games can achieve success quickly. Battle royales, like many other imitators, are not without risk.
Although it’s not as popular today (unless you are in mobile game development), Rockstar’s winning formula was very much in fashion in the 2000s. Many GTA clones tried to emulate Rockstar’s success. Some of them went on to great success, like Crackdown and Saints Row. Some others, however, are now history. Here are ten GTA clones that you may have forgotten about.
The Godfather 1 and 2
Open-world crime games based on iconic mafia films was an impressive move. However, it is even more remarkable to do it again, even though gamers and critics weren’t keen on the original game. EA’s The Godfather games did precisely that. It put you in the middle of intricate crime family drama and solved all the problems before you became The Don.
This sounds like fan fiction about wish fulfilment. You build your mafioso and rise the ranks, while also inserting yourself in crucial scenes from the first two films.
The core gameplay was confusing, and the open world was very sparse. This made for a weak GTA clone.
Gangs Of London
PS2 enthusiasts of a certain age, also British, will probably remember The Getaway. This was a GTA-inspired crime trip through London. Black Monday was the sequel to The Getaway, but there is a third instalment in the series that may have been overlooked by most, probably because it was released on the PSP without much fanfare. Gangs of London is that game.
As the name suggests, the gangs of London’s greatest attraction are the many crime families who call London their capital. Although each gang has its own identity, motivations and characters, Gangs of London all share one goal: to take over London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV14EwnBs-8
This is true if you aren’t just going to the pub to play some darts or pool, but also if your goal is to kidnap your enemies.
Fists of Vengeance: Beat down
Japanese developers wanted to be part of GTA’s success, and some were more successful than others. SEGA’s gamble in Yakuza was a great success. It gave a real(ish) insight into Japanese organized crime. Capcom also hired a team for Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance. This beat ’em-up with free roam elements is one of the most infamous games of the PS2/Xbox era.
One of five underworld enforcers is yours. They are then betrayed and taken to the grave. Your character is separated from the others and must avoid corrupt police officers or rival gang members. To build a crew, you will need to find answers by leaving cracked skulls behind.
Although it sounds great, the game was influenced by GTA and virtually every other grey and brown mid-2000s game, while its core gameplay could not match Urban Reign’s tighter 3D brawlers. This one is important.
Scarface: The World Is Yours
Scarface: The World Is Yours was a full-length documentary. Scarface: The World Is Yours was free-roaming, third-person shooting, and lots of crime. Tony Montana, the original GTA protagonist, was the only clone of Scarface. You’re now the one who cuts down people with chainsaws, shoots people in the dick and calls them “cock-aroach”, among other charming uses of the English language.
Scarface: TWIY is an unofficial sequel to the original film. Tony survived the attack on his mansion thanks to Scarface: TWIY. After recovering in solitude from his injuries, Tony is back on the streets to rebuild his criminal enterprise.
Scarface is not a GTA clone. It introduced new ideas such as a target system that allowed you to shoot someone in each testicle individually. You could also use the “balls” meter to enter an invincible rage mode. Trevor Philips wishes that he could be this skilled.
Wheelman
Imagine the Driver series. You play as a driver that can escape from any chase and accomplish amazing feats in any car. Imagine getting out of your vehicle and doing less. Although it might sound like Driver 3 or Driv3r, you should also consider the equally terrible Wheelman, which gets extra points for having Vin Diesel in it. Vin’s game development company helped with its development. It’s possible.
Vin is Vin’s undercover CIA agent Milo in Barcelona to take down a large criminal organization. It is fair to say that Wheelman’s driving skills were decent, even if they were silly arcade bollocks. The decision to have the game set in Barcelona rather than “another fictional American town” was smart.
The on-foot gun sections destroyed any hype that the game may have generated. It could have done what Driver: San Francisco did.
