Open-World Games With Better Sandbox Mayhem Than GTA 5

The Grand Theft Auto series really took off with Grand Theft Auto 3, becoming known for its chaotic and wild gameplay. People loved simply driving around or causing trouble with the police, and passing the controller to let a friend join the fun was a great experience. Grand Theft Auto 5 expanded on this even further with its online mode, offering even more ways to play and create mayhem.

If you’re looking for a popular game to cause some fun mayhem in an open world, Grand Theft Auto 5 is a great choice. However, it’s not necessarily the best option. Other games offer unique abilities, gameplay, and vehicles that can lead to even more enjoyable chaotic experiences.

Saints Row 4

Right Away, Mr. President

The Saints Row games are often compared to GTA, and even though Saints Row 4’s map isn’t as large as GTA 5’s, it feels more engaging and well-designed.

When aliens invade Earth, players step into the role of the President of the United States – and suddenly gain incredible superpowers! Players can develop these powers, like freezing enemies or moving at super speed, offering exciting new ways to fight back against the invasion and demolish towns. Taking on alien forces as a superpowered President is a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

Prototype

Ultimate Destruction

Prototype is a superhero game, but it focuses on a morally ambiguous character. Like a game featuring Venom, the main character, Alex, isn’t a traditional hero – he’s become ruthless after being part of a scientific experiment.

Okay, so this character, Alex, is seriously powerful! He can transform his arms into all kinds of weapons – massive fists or even sharp blades. What’s even crazier is he can eat enemies to heal himself and then take on their appearance! Plus, he’s super agile, able to scale buildings effortlessly and even glide through the air. Honestly, with abilities like that, I can’t wait to play as him and cause some serious chaos for anyone who tries to stop me – the citizens and the military are in for a rough time!

Crackdown

Collect The Orbs

In Crackdown, you play as an officer with incredible abilities who’s tasked with eliminating criminal groups throughout the city. You begin with standard weapons and enhanced jumping, but collecting orbs unlocks even greater powers.

Exploring the city feels a bit like the game Pac-Man – you’re collecting items to take down criminal groups. When a police officer is fully equipped, they become incredibly powerful and agile, moving quickly around the city, and that’s a big part of what makes the game so fun and engaging.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Jungle Beat

In Donkey Kong Bananza, Donkey Kong gains incredible freedom – he can break through almost anything with his punches! Players can dig anywhere, even through walls, and use the debris they find as weapons or to glide around. It’s a simple and fun way to fight and get around.

Players had the ability to completely reshape landscapes by digging them up, essentially stripping them bare. Fortunately, the game world naturally recovers over time, preventing permanent environmental damage and allowing players to modify the land repeatedly.

Red Faction: Guerrilla

30 Seconds To Mars

Without the open-world destruction of Red Faction: Guerrilla, Donkey Kong Bananza wouldn’t have been possible. Red Faction: Guerrilla is set on Mars and puts you in the role of a rebel fighting against an oppressive system. You can demolish structures with a hammer or use explosives for even bigger results.

Look, I love a good destruction derby, and in Red Faction: Guerrilla, everything will eventually crumble if you hit it hard enough. Seriously, it’s just so satisfying watching those oppressive structures come crashing down. The world isn’t quite as solid as in GTA 5, which actually makes you want to hunt down every enemy base just to level it. It’s a total power fantasy!

Just Cause 2

Grappling With Success

In Just Cause 2, players take on the role of a liberator, working to free people from an oppressive regime. A key part of the game involves destroying enemy bases, and conveniently, those bases are often full of explosive fuel tanks just waiting to be detonated.

Successfully demolishing an enemy base and then escaping using a grappling hook and glider feels like you’re in an action film. The grappling hook can be a little challenging to learn at first, but with practice, you’ll move with the skill of a secret agent rather than just another soldier.

Far Cry 6

Release The Gators Of War

Like Just Cause 2, Far Cry 6 takes place in a country suffering under oppressive rule, and players will have access to a huge arsenal of weapons and explosives. In addition to the standard weaponry, players can also equip various backpacks to help them along the way.

One backpack lets you carry a missile launcher – perfect for destroying enemy vehicles, for instance. The game also lets you team up with animal companions to aid your revolution, offering a fun variety of choices like a wheeled dog or even a crocodile, which is a welcome addition to the Far Cry experience.

Watch Dogs 2

Hack The Planet

Watch Dogs 2 takes place in San Francisco and, much like the original game, features a sprawling city environment with driving that feels similar to the GTA series. However, what really makes it unique is the ability to hack almost anything electronic in the game world.

Players can remotely control parts of the city to create diversions – like hacking a car to lead police on a chase while they focus on their own goals. They can also cause explosions by manipulating pipes or disrupt traffic by changing signals, all using just their phone to control the environment.

Mercenaries 2: World In Flames

Oh No, You Didn’t

In Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, you begin as a powerful mercenary, but things quickly go wrong when your client betrays you, takes over Venezuela, and leaves you for dead.

This game centers around a quest for revenge, where you play as a mercenary working to restore your reputation and rebuild your resources. Completing missions and causing mayhem will help you unlock powerful weapons and vehicles, like helicopters and tanks, and even recruit AI allies to fight alongside you.

Teardown

Destroy The Voxels

Teardown is a game where you can destroy almost anything, similar to a mix of Minecraft and Red Faction: Guerrilla. The game world is made of detailed, destructible blocks. While there’s a story mode, it mainly connects different missions across various maps, often involving tasks like demolishing buildings or vehicle theft.

Players can damage or destroy buildings with practically anything – tools, vehicles, even exploding objects. The game doesn’t take itself seriously, making it perfect for those who just want to cause some chaotic fun and break things.

2025-12-14 08:35