6 Games you have to play before GTA VI

The hype for GTA VI is real but in the meantime, here are some games you have to play while you wait!

With the GTA VI trailer surpassing 200 million views in just 7 months, it’s clear that everyone is on the edge of their seat with anticipation - we are too! When GTA VI fi nally drops, we’ll all be sinking hours into causing chaos on the streets of Vice City, so before we load into the state of Leonida, here are 6 games you have to play.

HADES (and HADES 2)

Play through a one of a kind rogue-like dungeon crawler and defy the god of the dead in Hades. Play as the immortal prince of hell, as you battle your way out of a Sisyphean narrative and grow stronger with every failed run. The artwork, voice acting and music all marry together so beautifully that I even found myself pausing to listen to Eurydice’s solo, content to stick around for a while.

The combat is fast-paced and ever-changing, offering up plenty of new content each time you delve into the Underworld. Progression is primarily repetition driven but despite that, Supergiant Games have done a masterful job at making each run unique. The comic styling of the characters and environment is jaw dropping and an absolute delight to witness. It’s also worth noting that yes, you can pet the dog - Cerberus.

This is easily one of the best rogue-like’s on the market and it’s sequel is currently out in it’s Early Access form. Despite only being in early access, HADES 2 shows immense promise. The original charm of the fi rst game has been perfectly preserved whilst still being expanded on. This is something that I’ve been holding out hope for, time and time again we see the sequel fall fl at in the face of the original game - completely missing the mark on fan expectation. Supergiant Games have broken the mould and done what feels like the impossible, they have made a sequel that exceeds expectations. This enormous early access release holds huge amount of promise as more and more updates roll out, keeping us hooked until it’s out.

NieR: Automata™

With humanity driven from Earth by powerful machines ushering in a dystopian nightmare, the human resistance send a force of android soldiers in a last ditch attempt to reclaim our home. Follow the story of 2B, 9S and A2 as they fi ght a ferocious war in this Action RPG.

This game is truly beautiful, from stunning environments to a phenomenal soundtrack that pairs to create an immersive and emotional experience. Try to play this one without looking up the story beforehand, it’s defi nitely something you want to experience for yourself fi rst time. Each route that you play is different, with a total of 26 different endings; 5 main endings lettered A through to E and 21 additional endings lettered F through to Z. There is so much wonderful narrative here to explore that you’ll have plenty to play until GTA VI comes out, and you’ll love every moment of it.

inFAMOUS Second Son

Sucker Punch Productions brought to inFAMOUS Second Son to the PlayStation 4 back in 2014 to huge success. This is the third instalment in the inFAMOUS series and is a standalone sequel to inFAMOUS 2.

Play as Delsin Rowe, a conduit capable of using superpowers to manipulate various materials readily available in the urban streets of Seattle. This is a spectacular game, picture GTA but with superpowers. There’s a blend of sandbox open-world freedom but with a gripping story where your choices matter. Anyone playing this game for the fi rst time is sure to have a blast pushing back against a corrupt government as punk graffi ti-artist Delsin.

PS5 owners rejoice, you can still play this title on current generation consoles and it plays really nicely. You’re locked to 60FPS at 1800c resolution, making this world an absolute treat to explore. Make sure to scale up high to really appreciate the city you’re running.

Since this is a standalone sequel, you don’t need to have played any of the other games in the series before jumping into this one.

Crackdown 3

BOOM Baby! Terry Crews drops into Crackdown 3 as Commander Jaxon the bio-engineered bad-ass. If you and some friends are looking for that low-commitment shoot-em-up fun, this is the game for you. Explore the dangerous streets of New Providence either alone or with a friend in the campaign mode; tasked with using your Agent Skills and an arsenal of weaponry to bring the corrupt TerraNova to justice once and for all. Outside of the main story mode, you also have the option to dive into the Wrecking Zone; Crackdown 3's explosive multiplayer mode. Get yourself into a team of 5 and fi ght for supremacy against the other team in an arena of destruction. There are 7 agents to choose from, so you have plenty of options for team synergy and playstyle.

Don’t be deterred by the online reviews, this is honestly a fun game that was underrated during release. Load up on snacks, grab your buddies and get ready for some mindless fun blasting enemies, exploding bombs and collecting those sweet, sweet orbs.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Even though Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 isn’t releasing until September 9th 2024, the hype we have for it is so high that it secures it’s place on this list. Always wondered what it would be like to create and play as your very own Space Marine? Well pretty soon you’ll be able to defend the Imperium as your custom Space Marine; choose from 6 classes, unlock new skills and equip a multitude of cosmetics.

From what has been released so far online about gameplay footage, this looks absolutely amazing. The environment design, movement, enemy and the application of the Saber Interactive’s unique swarm technology all merge into a fast-paced action-shooter that shouldn’t be missed. If you pre-order, you can start playing from 5th September - so grab your friends, add this game to your library and get ready to purge the Tyranid swarm!

Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord released a whopping 12 years after Mount & Blade: Warband so fans of the GTA game series will be able to relate hard with this series. The wait was well worth it though, Bannerlord is a fantastic strategy/action RPG that puts you in a medieval sandbox world where your decisions matter. Raise armies and fi ght alongside your troops in real-time battles in a skill-based combat system. The learning curve for the combat is a steep one but once you fi nally get the hang of it, you are fully immersed into the battle. Blocking, parrying and attacking directionally in real time makes for an incredibly unique gaming experience. Before getting the hang of the combat, I was near to rage quitting many times but once it clicked, I felt like a god among men. It’s such a rewarding game. Combat and war not your thing? Well don’t worry, I sunk tons of hours into this game simply being a merchant. Finding the best locations to buy product for cheap and fl ip it for a profi t elsewhere is super satisfying and keeps me occupied for hours.