When you ask a fan of Red Dead Redemption 2 to name off some games like it, they'll often respond with "there are no games like Red Dead Redemption 2." Rockstar Games' masterpiece has been referred to as a "generational game" by many in the community, and that remark still holds up even seven years after the game's release date. Red Dead Redemption 2's attention to detail, map design, gripping and emotional story, and realistic gameplay have captured gamers' attention for the better part of a decade now, and few games come close to offering a similar experience.
Fortunately, we have come up with a dozen games like RDR2. These titles might offer in-depth character interactions and development, a detailed open world, complete freedom, quirky combat, or all of the above. At the very least, you can expect the games on the list to offer one distinct aspect of Red Dead 2 in their gameplay.
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Developer: Rockstar Games
- Release Date: September 17, 2013
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Could we have started this list with any other game? Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the best-selling video games of all time, and it's Rockstar Games' other main franchise aside from Red Dead Redemption. Whether you like Red Dead Redemption 2 for the in-depth world, the incredible characters, or the sheer freedom you get from the get-go, you'll find all of that in GTA 5. While the settings of the two games couldn't be more different, with GTA 5 taking place in a fictional version of modern Los Angeles, you'll instantly recognize gameplay mechanics and features from Red Dead 2. Also, if you're a fan of Red Dead Online, you can hop into GTA Online, which is still receiving massive content updates over a decade after its release.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Developer: CD Projekt
- Release Date: May 19, 2015
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an easy suggestion for any fans of Red Dead Redemption 2. While it's a fantasy RPG that incorporates magic, gear progression, and mythical beasts, it's right up there with Red Dead 2 as one of the most immersive gaming experiences you can have. In The Witcher 3, you play as Geralt of Rivia, who's on a journey to find his adopted daughter. You'll travel across a massive open-world map complete with shanty towns, sprawling cities, and dangerous islands that present more than a few challenges. One of the best aspects about The Witcher 3 is that you don't have to pay any attention to the main story; you can go around the map meeting NPCs, completing quests, and interacting with the world. If that doesn't sound similar enough to Red Dead 2, The Witcher 3 also offers Gwent, an interactive card mini-game you can play with other characters. While it's a bit more complicated than Poker or Blackjack, you can easily sink hours into it.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Developer: Warhorse Studios
- Release Date: February 13, 2018
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
If realism and immersion are your favorite parts of Red Dead Redemption 2, then Kingdom Come: Deliverance might be the best option for you on this list. It's an RPG that follows Henry of Skalitz in 15th-century Europe, whose hometown has been burned down by a militia that's on the opposite side of an ongoing war. At the start of the game, Henry won't have anything to his name, and you'll need to work through exhaustion, thirst, and hunger to build yourself back up to seek revenge on the men who caused you so much pain. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance, you need to keep Henry bathed or else NPCs will be repulsed by you, keeping your horse clean is an ongoing task, and maintaining your weapons and gear requires actual labor. It's a truly realistic game, both in its mechanics and the events of the story.
Elden Ring
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Release Date: February 25, 2022
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
In terms of mechanics, Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2 are almost nothing alike. Red Dead 2 offers simple, and oftentimes clunky, combat that revolves around a few guns and other weapons. Meanwhile, Elden Ring is an in-depth RPG that offers hundreds of build options, weapons, and other abilities to make use of as you battle against some of the toughest enemies and bosses in any video game. However, if you're willing to learn the combat mechanics, you'll be stepping into a world where you have the freedom to do anything you want. From the first moments of Elden Ring, you're given no quests, map markers, or anything of that nature. It's your job to explore a massive world, find out where to talk to NPCs, and how to progress the story. Elden Ring offers one of the most challenging gameplay experiences available, but you can get lost in the game for easily over 100 hours if you learn its mechanics.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Developer: CD Projekt RED
- Release Date: December 10, 2020
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 1+2
Cyberpunk 2077 offers the complete opposite setting to Red Dead Redemption 2. However, as long as you're alright with a game that takes place in a distant future where technology has overrun the Earth, then you're in for a wild ride. Cyberpunk 2077 is set in Night City and is an in-depth RPG where you play as V, who can have one of a few backgrounds that you choose for them. This background gets thrown out the window when you get mixed up in a massive conspiracy that threatens your life and results in a dead rockstar being implanted in your mind. Between the varied world of Cyberpunk 2077 that offers distinct districts and fascinating characters you meet through the story or on your own, you'll never get bored roaming the streets and backroads of Night City.
Fallout New Vegas
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Release Date: October 19, 2010
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
While the Old West and an apocalyptic version of the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas aren't exactly the same, it might be the closest setting to Red Dead Redemption 2 on this list. Fallout New Vegas is an RPG that takes place in an alternate reality where a nuclear war ravaged the world. You play as a deliveryman in the Mojave Desert of Nevada, but soon find yourself entrenched in a strange war over control of the renovated Las Vegas Strip. New Vegas' world is a desolate wasteland complete with human enemies and monsters that have been transformed as a result of radiation exposure. The world offers plenty of characters that all have something to say, unique locations to stumble across, and factions that each have their own storyline to complete. It's one of the best RPG experiences you can have, and any Red Dead 2 fan should find at least one enjoyable element throughout the game.
Ghost of Tsushima
- Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
- Release Date: July 17, 2020
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, PC
Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game that shares a lot of qualities with Red Dead Redemption 2. In Ghost of Tsushima, you play as a samurai during the 13th century when the Mongol Invasion of Feudal Japan occurred. In between taking part in battles across the Japanese countryside, you'll interact with a slew of interesting characters who evolve with the protagonist as the story goes on. Like in Red Dead 2, you have a trusty steed to make traveling enjoyable and easy. Exploration in Ghost of Tsushima is also similar to Red Dead 2, as you have a large map at your disposal with all the freedom you could ask for. You'll never know what you find around a corner in Ghost of Tsushima, but you will go on a fantastic adventure that features a particularly emotional story.
Days Gone
- Developer: Bend Studio
- Release Date: April 26, 2019
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
Days Gone is unlike any other game we've mentioned so far on this list, but it's quite similar to Red Dead Redemption 2 in more ways than you might expect. The main purpose of Days Gone is to mow down hundreds of zombies that you can encounter at any time during your traversal of an open map. However, the game is gritty in its mechanics, features changing environments, and offers a cool way of getting around, which in this case is a motorcycle. You'll also experience a story full of twists and turns that involves betrayal from characters and a protagonist who goes on a personal journey of self-discovery. It's not quite Arthur Morgan's story, but it certainly comes close.
Horizon Zero Dawn
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Release Date: February 28, 2017
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
We have another game that offers a completely different setting and gameplay loop compared to Red Dead Redemption 2. However, if you're willing to go on a slightly different experience, you'll find that Horizon Zero Dawn is a game worthy of your time. Horizon Zero Dawn follows the story of Aloy, an outcast in a post-post-apocalyptic version of the western United States. In this timeline, killer machines have taken over the Earth, and tribes of warriors have popped up that try to co-exist with the machines. As Aloy, you'll explore a gigantic map that's absolutely chock-full of lore to explain exactly what caused the downfall of civilization. You'll also fight extremely varied machines that all feature separate mechanics. Horizon Zero Dawn can be a non-stop thrill ride and a relaxing adventure where you read and hear about the intriguing story the developers created.
Hogwarts Legacy
- Developer: Avalanche Software
- Release Date: February 10, 2023
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 1+2
Hogwarts Legacy is a game that manages to scratch some of the same itches that you get when playing Red Dead Redemption 2. While it's an RPG where you create your own character, it also offers environments that change with the story, large questlines for several NPCs you can meet during the game, and various side activities that distract you from the main story. Of course, Hogwarts Legacy is set in the Harry Potter universe, but it features an original story and a fabulous recreation of Hogwarts Castle and its surrounding areas. You can explore the castle grounds along with other locations such as the Forbidden Forest, hamlets outside the grounds, and the village of Hogsmeade. Hogwarts Legacy is a charming game that gives you plenty of freedom and content to take part in, as well as in-depth character development and a story full of intrigue and mystery.
Batman: Arkham City
- Developer: Rocksteady Studios
- Release Date: October 18, 2011
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
First and foremost, if you've never played any of the Batman Arkham games developed by Rocksteady Studios, you'll want to change that. Even if you're not a fan of superhero games or Batman altogether, the Arkham trilogy is one of the most complete gaming experiences you can have. For our list, we're choosing to highlight Batman Arkham City, which is the second game in the trilogy. It's the first game in the series to offer an open world, which is jam-packed with side missions and activities that will make you totally forget about the main story. You can take part in Riddler challenges, do battle with several classic Batman villains, clean up the streets of Gotham, and search the city for different collectibles. Also, Arkham City and the rest of the trilogy feature some of the most intuitive combat and movement that you'll find in a video game. While it is a different experience from Red Dead Redemption 2, Batman Arkham City certainly shares some of its qualities.
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition
- Developer: United Front Games
- Release Date: August 13, 2012
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Sleeping Dogs is an underrated action adventure that actually comes closer to mimicking the Grand Theft Auto games with its visual style, blood and gore, and criminally driven open world. Of course, those qualities are also a part of Red Dead Redemption 2, but Sleeping Dogs is set in a modern version of Hong Kong, so you'll definitely get more of a GTA vibe from the start. Still, Sleeping Dogs is a fantastic game that follows an undercover cop trying to infiltrate a Chinese gang. You need to prove yourself to the gang to be admitted, which means cracking skulls and doing dirt jobs all across Hong Kong. Sleeping Dogs mainly uses hand-to-hand melee combat, but you can also engage enemies while driving down the streets behind the wheel of a supercar. Like Red Dead 2, the entire world is at your disposal, and just about anything goes in this explosive action adventure game.
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