5 Best Video Games Like Saints Row

When the original “Saints Row” launched in 2006, it was dismissed by some as a shameless knock-off of “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.” It was that, for sure, but it was also a really fun open world crime game with its own merits and unique qualities. The game had deep player customization, a unique mission structure with three gangs you could pursue at your own pace, and plenty of wacky open world activities to tackle.

The game was followed by numerous sequels that upped the gameplay insanity but also dulled the storytelling edge, for better or worse. By the time of “Saints Row: The Third,” the games were outright comedies, and “Saints Row 4,” set in a VR recreation of Steelport from the previous game, introduced superhero powers that would make Neo from “The Matrix” blush (or sue for copyright infringement).

Unfortunately, the series crashed and burned with the failure of the ill-advised 2022 reboot, simply titled “Saints Row.” The game’s failure led to the closure of studio Volition and left the franchise’s future in doubt. Nobody knows if and when we’ll get another “Saints Row” game, but until then, here are five games that might scratch the same itch. 

The Simpsons: Hit & Run

“Saints Row” at its best is raunchy, mean-spirited, audacious, and delightful. It might be hard to imagine now, but in the early days of “The Simpsons,” that show was met with the same criticisms. Of course, before the likes of “South Park” and “American Dad” came along, there was nothing on TV quite like “The Simpsons.”

There’ve been no shortage of “Simpsons” video games over the decades, with one of the most notable being 2003’s “The Simpsons: Hit & Run,” which was basically “The Simpsons” meets “Grand Theft Auto.” Actually, that’s a pretty good way to describe “Saints Row,” too.

“Hit & Run” lets players be Marge, Homer, Lisa, Bart, and even Apu (remember Apu?) as they cause chaos all around Springfield. Of course, nobody actually dies in this game. They just get knocked out, even if you run them over in a car. The game features driving, melee combat, and platforming, allowing for kids (and “Simpsons” enthusiasts) to enjoy a “Grand Theft Auto”-like experience without all the blood and cursing that gets parents so riled up. To this day, “Hit & Run” is held in high regard as both a “GTA” clone and a worthwhile piece of “Simpsons” media. If you want a “Saints Row” type of game that’s heavy on humor and light on violence, “The Simpsons: Hit & Run” has you covered.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

While “The Stick of Truth” often felt like a greatest hits of “South Park” jokes, “The Fractured But Whole” feels like a brand new season of the show with more original humor based on the superhero-themed episodes of the show. It also features a more advanced combat system with tactical elements and deeper RPG elements.

While it’s not an open world action game like “Saints Row,” the raunchy humor is certainly cut from the same cloth. They’re quite different games, but if you want to experience the kind of jokes and absurd situations that will make moral guardians shake their heads in self-righteous disapproval, “South Park: The Fractured But Whole” goes further than any other game would ever dare.

Prototype

“Saints Row 4” pivoted away from “Grand Theft Auto” gameplay. Sure, you could still drive around and shoot stuff, but it was much more about running at super-sonic speeds, jumping across buildings, and blasting alien invaders with superpowers. While a wild pivot for the series, its new gameplay was clearly inspired by the “Prototype” games.

If you don’t remember “Prototype,” we can’t blame you. The original game came out in 2009, just two weeks after the original “Infamous.” The two games were often compared, which is a bit unfair, since they are very different experiences, but “Infamous” came out ahead. In 2012, the sequel came and went with little fanfare, and the series was quickly forgotten by all but the most hardcore fans.

However, if you absolutely fell in love with the gameplay of “Saints Row 4” and lament that the 2022 reboot went back to “GTA”-inspired antics, it’s worth seeking out the “Prototype” games. They’re set in an open world version of Manhattan and allow players to brutalize military and civilians alike with awesome superpowers while navigating the concrete jungle like an R-rated version of Spider-Man. They’re not the most polished games around, but they’re nevertheless a grisly good time.

High on Life

Squanch Games cut their teeth with VR titles “Accounting” and “Trover Saves the Universe,” but it was “High on Life” that really got the public to take notice. While its “Rick & Morty”-inspired humor might not be for everyone, if it is, you’re gonna have an absolute blast in this comedy first-person shooter.

Players take on the role of a nondescript teen who has to fight an alien invasion of Earth. The invaders are an intergalactic drug cartel that turns humans into a drug consumed by aliens, hence the title. It’s a silly premise that’s played for maximum absurdity and humor, with a colorful cast of characters, including the guns themselves, who are all voiced by notable comedians like Betsy Sodaro, J.B. Smoove, and Tim Robinson.

The game boasts a gorgeous art style and fast-paced gunplay buoyed by some Search Action exploration. “High on Life” was followed by a sequel, “High on Life 2,” which released in February of 2026. It remains to be seen what Squanch Games will do next, but maybe someone should get them on a “Saints Row” re-reboot!

Grand Theft Auto V

Finally, there’s the series to which “Saints Row” owes its existence. The legend goes that “Saints Row” leaned more towards absurd antics in its gameplay (and eventually, story) in order to present itself as counter-programming to the deadly serious and decidedly realistic tone of 2008’s “Grand Theft Auto IV.”

Odds are, you’ve probably played “Grand Theft Auto V.” It’s widely recognized as one of the greatest games of all time, and its sprawling multiplayer mode, “Grand Theft Auto Online,” is irrepressibly popular and continues to receive updates to this day (even if that stupid Oppressor Mk II completely ruined the game balance, but I digress). Any way you cut it, “GTA V” is still an all-time classic, which has expectations set sky-high for “Grand Theft Auto VI,” which is slated for release on November 19, 2026.