Getting the opportunity to be on the wrong side of the law doesn't come often - and no, jaywalking doesn't count. We're talking about street gangs and running less-than-desirable jobs. Good luck doing that in real life; chances are, most people only get to be a gang member in video games, which is not so bad considering the plethora of options offered.
Suffice to say, video games revolving around gang violence are plentiful. Not only does the premise make for a good open-world formula but it also lets you take out your frustrations against the fabric of society virtually and with no consequences. It just so happens that the need to form gangs or tribes knows no cultural limitation, so open-world games about gangsters come in many cultural flavors.
Updated on January 15, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Video games serve as a great and immersive medium for players to get lost in amazing worlds with larger-than-life settings. In this regard, games that heavily feature gangsters have entertained players to no end, with some of the most popular video game franchises in the industry leaning on the allure of these criminals to drive the overall experience. Players who are seeking out the best games to check out in this regard should try out the following games that have a massive focus on gangsters.
15 Scarface: The World Is Yours (76)
It's hard to believe that a movie adaptation has made this list. However, as you'll read on to find out, it seems that video game adaptations of movies featuring gangsters are surprisingly competent.
Scarface: The World is Yours is one such game that is definitely worth playing for fans of the movie or just great gangster video games. Tony Montana is as entertaining in the game as he is in the movie, making his character the biggest selling point of this title.
14 Mafia 2 (77)
When gangsters are mentioned, the Tommy-gun-wielding Mafia is usually the first that comes to mind thanks to being the subject of many successful crime movies. So it's only natural that an open-world game is dedicated to these slick mobsters.
Among all the Mafia games, the second one would be the most definitive as it follows a classic and entertaining tale that you'll remember. Players take on the role of Vito Scaletta as he returns from the war and tries to re-establish life again in Empire Bay by joining the Falcone Crime Family.
13 The Godfather (77)
The Godfather is one of the best films of all time, and having a game that recreates its cinematic magic ought to be mandatory. Thankfully, there is a game about it, and it's actually decent compared to most games about movies.
The Godfather video game is an open-world marvel developed and published by EA. It follows the journey of a made-up character in the mythos named Aldo Trapani as his rise through the ranks of the Corleone Crime Family coincides with the events of the first film.
12 Assassin's Creed Syndicate (78)
Speaking of rampaging against other gangs with good old-fashioned fisticuffs and blades, you just can't go wrong with Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Most of the game is set in Victorian London in a time when London gangs were rampant.
Two siblings, Evie and Jacob Frye try to clean up the mess started by these gangs by, well, making their own gang. As it turns out, the other gangs are proxies of an organization that's pretty much a wannabe-Illuminati.
11 Sleeping Dogs (83)
Hong Kong and the Chinese Triad are some of the most fearsome and brutal gangs in history. They're also some of the most influential in East Asia. So it's only fair that they get their fair share of open-world crime action with Sleeping Dogs.
This game recreates Hong Kong and makes the story about an undercover cop named Wei Shen who gets in deep with the triad and forgets his mission. It's a lovely change of scenery from the Western games and ought to surprise players with hip music and oriental aesthetics.
10 Saints Row: The Third (84)
The Saints Row series is easily one of the most over-the-top video game series ever made. The fact that it focuses on a bunch of charismatic gangsters is also a pretty major positive.
The third game marked a turning point in the series, arguably for the better. With the Saints Row reboot due in 2022, there's no better time to experience this masterpiece.
9 The Warriors (85)
The Warriors is a video game adaptation of the film of the same name, and much like its source material, it's about peculiar gangs of violent people vying for turfs in a seemingly dystopian New York City. Of course, it's not an actual dystopia, but 1970s or 1980s New York City was not too far off from what the film portrayed.
In any case, The Warriors video game is a faithful recreation of the movie and its premise. The Warriors gives you control of several members of the titular gang as they rampage through the city to defend what's theirs.
8 Saints Row 4 (86)
Saints Row 4 took everything that was present in its predecessor and cranked it all the way to a hundred. All of a sudden, the player-character had superpowers and became the President of the United States, while battling against an alien invasion as well.
It goes without saying that Saints Row 4 is one of the most fun video games on this list, if you're looking for pure chaos. Flying around the map and destroying enemies without a care in the world is an absolute blast.
7 Driver (87)
Driver is easily one of the most legendary games on this list, with the original release on the PlayStation being absolutely revolutionary. The idea of playing as a getaway driver in high-stakes situations is a surprisingly engaging gameplay loop.
Unfortunately, the Driver franchise ended up fading into obscurity after a string of forgettable releases that couldn't live up to the quality of the original. It's a shame, but the first game is still a solid experience that fans of racing games should definitely check out.
6 Mafia (88)
The first game in the Mafia series was a legendary title that allowed players to step into the shoes of a mafia member by the name of Tommy Angelo. It was a great title that received a much-deserved remake, which is also excellent in its own right.
The strength of the first Mafia title is undoubtedly its story, which is an absolute blast to uncover. The original game's gameplay might be somewhat lacking, but its remake did a competent job of modernizing most of its dated mechanics.
5 Yakuza: Like A Dragon (89)
The Yakuza series was a beat-em-up for the longest time with fun gameplay. So, it was somewhat jarring and worrying when fans found out that the seventh game in the mainline series would be a JRPG instead.
However, Like a Dragon managed to incorporate this gameplay change with amazing panache and delivered one of the greatest turn-based games of all time. It helps that Ichiban Kasuga is a pretty entertaining protagonist who takes over Kiryu's role in the story in a competent fashion.
4 Yakuza 0 (90)
Taking it back to the earlier Yakuza setting, the Yakuza have long-established their gang's dominance in the urbanity of Japanese cities. That's why they have a highly-popular game series about them in the form of the Yakuza franchise.
If there was to be one game only that well-represents the height of the series' potential and wackiness, it would be Yakuza 0. Not many games about murderous and hardened gangsters let you channel their softer sides with karaoke or gambling machines.
3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (95)
As for the best gangster experience ever in a video game, not many can match the magic that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas gave to the gaming community. It was released back in 2004, but it still manages to compete with even the latest GTA games in terms of depth, size, and scope.
Players step into the shoes of Carl Johnson and slowly re-establish his dying gang's dominance in Los Santos through open-world gang wars while going on dates, getting tangled with the CIA, and fixing his family's issues. Just as soon as he succeeds in following that damn train.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2 (97)
Technically, cowboys and Western Frontier outlaws can be considered gangsters too. They have guns and form bonds of loyalty toward one another, especially in Red Dead Redemption 2 where players are a part of a group that gets increasingly fragmented over time.
In Red Dead Redemption 2 specifically, the main character Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang try to escape America's modernization at the turn of the century. It's currently the best-looking gangster game right now. That is until Rockstar releases the next Grand Theft Auto game to reshuffle the throne.
1 Grand Theft Auto 4 (98)
While most players consider Grand Theft Auto 5 to be the definitive Grand Theft Auto experience, it's actually the fourth game in the series that is more critically appreciated. This is mainly due to the more focused approach to its gameplay.
Of course, it helped that Grand Theft Auto 4 was also a massive improvement over its predecessors, which were also amazing games in their own right. Fans of the series will definitely have a great time playing as Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto 4.