If you haven’t been living under a shell in the past 30 years, you should know by now that videogames are a place where you can live your wildest fantasies of being the hero in your story. You can avenge a fallen loved one, save the princess and finally get the bad guy. But in the recent years, something has hanged, and now we see ourselves on the role of the bad guy. In this list, we talk about the best crime games in the last few years.
10. Omerta - City of Gangsters
Omerta - City of Gangsters Official Trailer We start this list with a fresh twist on the crime game genre with Omerta – City of Gangsters. This tactical turn-based simulation game puts you in the shoes of a newly arrived immigrant in Atlantic City in the 1920, during the prohibition era. Your goal is to climb the crime ladder and work your way to become the biggest crime boss of Atlantic City. You can put teams of mobsters to raid enemy bases, build your own establishment to cover up your illegal misdeeds and even pit other crime bosses against each other for your own benefit. If you enjoy strategy games and crime games, this is the right combination for you.
This game even lets you finally live your dream of beating the hell out of Ku Klux Klan members. You can’t possibly ask for more.
You can live your dream of shooting up an italian restaurant used as a front for money laundering. No more using blood money to sell canollis.
9. Thief Simulator
Thief Simulator Official Gameplay Trailer
Have you ever been through your city’s fancy neighborhood, riding in front of a nice house and wondered what it was like inside? With Thief Simulator you can not only stop wondering, you can even take stuff from the house. In this game, you need to find an eye catching house, study it’s surroundings, make reconaissance, to then finally enter it without alerting the cops and take whatever it is that you can find. Money, DVD players (surprised people still use those), videogame consoles, guitars, even cars, you name it. Your final goal is to get these items, sell them and buy more high tech equipment to get inside houses with better security until you become the ultimate thief. My only advice here, kids, is that you should not try this at home. Any home.
If you don’t like the game, at least you will learn how to sucessfully pick a lock. Which is something you should only do with your own door. Because, you know, that’s illegal.
“An Xbox 360? Jesus Christ kid, I’m taking this. Trust me, I’m doing you a favor, go buy yourself a Playstation.”
8. The Masterplan
The Masterplan Trailer
The Masterplan is a different take on the usual heist games we are used to. This 2D top-down perspective single-player game gives you control of a squad and your goal is to succesfully complete 20 different heists. For that, you have different equipments, different squad members and different means of getting in and out. This game is basically as if Payday was a 2D single-player game with hand drawn graphics. Speaking of which...
“We don’t have the tools to open this safe right now. Let’s just blow it up, what could possibly go wrong?”
“I told you Greg, we should have gone with the stealthy approach...”
7. Payday 2
Payday 2 Gameplay Trailer
Probably among the top 3 games that come to mind when someone says ‘crime game’, Payday 2 is also among the best. Mixing RPG elements with different skill trees and the action packed gameplay of a FPS game, Payday 2 can provide you with near endless possibilities and several hours of fun, either playing solo or in squad with your friends. There are stealth heists, your usual guns blazing heist, and each level of difficulty adds a new challenge to your crime career. With constant updates and DLCs since the game’s release in 2013, Payday 2 holds up pretty well for today’s standards. And if you ever try sneaking into an art gallery through the roof windows, make sure you can properly land your jump down, or you are going to have a hard time walking out.
To sucessfully complete your goal, you must absolutely not kill any civilian hostages. The guards are fine though, it’s not like they’re only doing their job.
Also, name one other game where you can literally rob the White House as John Wick. There is none. Just Payday 2.
6. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto Online – The Doomsday Heist Trailer
Probably the franchise that kickstarted the whole ‘crime game’ genre, the Grand Theft Auto series requires no further introductions. Their latest installment puts you on the shoes of three different yet very similar protagonists, a first on the franchise history, each with their personalities and goals to achieve during the course of the game on the beautifully handcrafted open world of San Andreas and Blaine County. And if the wonderful plot of the singleplayer isn’t enough for your criminal mind, the game also has the GTA Online multiplayer, with countless of other heists and jobs available for you to play with friends or with other solo players. Frequently being updated with heists, races, vehicles and weapons, GTA V is a great pick, even if you’re into it for the story alone.
Both the GTA V and the GTA Online component allows you to carefully plan and execute heists, with each character being responsible for a job. Not even my desktop is that well organized.
Always remember to wear your suit and tie when robbing a bank. After all, if you get arrested, at least you will be looking pretty sharp.
5. Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 PC Launch Trailer
The Yakuza franchise has established themselves on the Playstation since the release of the original game in 2005 for the Playstation 2, releasing 7 games in the main series and several other spin-offs. Taking place in 1988, Yakuza 0 works a prequel to the first game, setting up the events that lead to the rest of the beat’em-up franchise, and further explains the inner workings of the Yakuza and their lifestyle. With beautifully crafted combat gameplay and a captivating plot, the game was a big success in the west and remasters of the previous games of the franchise were announced by Sega, so if you enjoy the prequel, you might enjoy the other games in the series as well, and if you have a Playstation 4 available, they are right around the corner.
If you never high-fived someone in the face with a bright neon sign, have you ever truly lived? Were you ever truly alive? I don’t believe so.
Don’t let the visuals and the trailer fool you though, this game can get pretty weird sometimes. And this is just scratching the surface.
4. Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs – Definitive Edition
From Japan to China, we arrive at one of the most underrated entries of this list, Sleeping Dogs is the textbook definition of a hidden gem. But being is this list kinda doesn’t live up to the game premise, it’s a blurred line really. Sleeping Dogs puts you in the role of Wei Shen, a dangerous member of the Hong Kong Triads gang, and also an undercover cop for working to bring down the Triads from the inside. The game gives you morally questionable choices throughout its gameplay, along with action packed chase sequences, beautifully crafted martial arts combat, and a really well written plot, worthy of a big screen Hollywood mafia movie. If you truly enjoy crime stories, Sleeping Dogs is a definite must play.
Sleeping Dogs had it’s bloody moments, but you know what they say: to make an omelete, you gotta break a few... skulls? Wait, that’s not right...
What’s better to get the blood pumping than a high speed chase with a shootout and explosions in a crowded highway?
3. Party Hard
Party Hard Reveal Trailer
Picture this: it’s 3am, you are at home, the lights are off, you find yourself deeply sleeping, in total and complete bliss. Then suddenly, you wake up to the the loud sound of music and party goers on your next-door neighbor. What is the most reasonable thing to do? Infiltrate the party and asssasinate every single person in there, obviously, that seems pretty reasonable. Your goal in this game is exactly that, infiltrate your neighbor’s semi-procedurally generated party and commit the stealthiest mass murder recorded in history, so you can finally have some peace and quiet. To be honest, I’m not entirely shocked by this premise, I find it quite appealing. And apparently I’m not alone, since the game managed to get a sequel.
“Hey bro, remember when we partied so hard we had aliens killed by a mass murderer and no one knew who the guy was? Those were the days...”
Wait, if my goal is to ruin this party, why am I killing everyone? There is a literal satanic ritual going on in the living room, these guys are probably into killing as well.
2. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Kane & Lynch 2 E3 2010 Trailer
What do you get when you put a self medicated psychopath and a disillusioned and desperate ex-mercenary together to perform a simple smuggling job? Well, mayhem, that’s what you get. Kane & Lynch 2 is a gritty neo-noir psychological thriller with a camera work that emulates the ‘found footage’ documentaries and has some pretty nasty and violent scenes. The game has recieved mixed reviews generally, but was mostly praised for it’s unique take on the camera perspective, soundtrack and visuals. Oh, and the game has a very nice (?) torture scene, so, I guess there’s that.
Wearing sunglasses in a poorly lit street, now that’s what I call an unspeakable crime.
But what’s up with all these crime games and Asia though? I’m almost sensing some kind of bias from the game developer community, but I might be reading too much into it.
1. Mafia 2
Mafia 2 Gameplay Trailer
Indisputably the best entry in the series, Mafia 2 is the epitome of the crime genre game. The game perfectly captures the nuances of the life of a mafia member, and makes you care about the character and his life choices. Set in the 1940s-50s in the city of Empire Bay (a beautiful fictional version of New York City), you take the role of Vito Scaletta, where he recounts tales of his life as a mafia member. Drug dealings, car chases, shooting sequences in restaurants, you name it, this game has everything a game about the mafia could possibly have. And don’t get me started on the wonderful soundtrack. Handpicked music from the era makes you really feel like you are living in the 50s. This game is so good, that can easily make you forget about the wonky gameplay of the first entry of the series. Trust me on this one, this is definetly a must have.
Stylish trenchcoat? Check. Pouring rain? Check. Dead guy in a bloody car? Check. A street shootout? Check. This game has everything you could possibly ask from a Mafia game.
Who knew being a mobster could actually make you look this good.
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