Video games are incredibly popular, with players enjoying both the freedom they offer and the intricate worlds they create. Unfortunately, while some classic open-world games are now available on newer systems, many remain playable only on older consoles and computers.
Man, there are some seriously awesome open-world games from the past that I really wish I could play on my current setup. I’m talking about titles like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and The Godfather – games that haven’t been updated or released on newer consoles or PC. Every open-world fan is missing out if they haven’t played these, but honestly, it’s a pain to even get them running these days!
The Simpsons: Hit & Run Is the Ultimate GTA Clone
The Simpsons: Hit & Run is an exciting action game where you race around Springfield and solve a mystery. It’s similar to Grand Theft Auto, but with the funny characters and jokes you’d expect from The Simpsons. You play as Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Marge as they try to figure out what’s happening in town.
Similar to the Grand Theft Auto series, The Simpsons: Hit & Run allows players to create chaos in an open world. While it’s not as intense as a typical GTA game, it’s still incredibly fun and engaging.
The game could be successfully updated for modern consoles like the PS5 or a potential Nintendo Switch 2, reimagined as a remake, or continued with a sequel. Its core concept is strong enough that the gameplay wouldn’t require major changes – a new version could simply update the story or, if it were a sequel, playfully reference more recent GTA titles.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Isn’t Available on Modern Platforms
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is an action-packed game where you play as Spider-Man, battling villains across New York City. Depending on the platform, it combines action, adventure, and elements from beat ’em up and Metroidvania-style games. While the story changes slightly depending on which version you play, you’ll always be controlling Peter Parker as Spider-Man.
The game launched in 2008 on a variety of consoles, including both the powerful Xbox 360 and the less powerful DS. On the Xbox 360, players can explore a detailed open world and gain experience points by destroying alien nests located throughout New York City.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is a great game that should be mentioned alongside the best superhero titles, but it’s currently unavailable on Xbox Game Pass. This has made the game, particularly the Xbox 360 version, a rare find for collectors rather than something players can easily access and play.
Driver: San Francisco Is a Supernatural Open-World Game With Cars
Driver: San Francisco is an exciting action game where you play as FBI agent John Tanner. He’s chasing Charles Jericho, a dangerous cartel leader who has broken out of a hospital. As the story unfolds, Tanner realizes he has incredible, superhuman abilities.
Instead of following the typical formula of games like Grand Theft Auto, Driver: San Francisco does something quite different. Its main unique feature is the ‘Shift’ ability, letting the player instantly take control of other drivers. This power proves incredibly helpful in many situations.
The Driver series lost its spark after the original PlayStation games, but Driver: San Francisco briefly brought fans back with its unique gameplay feature. It’s a surprisingly good game, feeling special and memorable. It’s odd, though, that it’s never been updated and released for modern consoles.
True Crime: Streets of LA Is GTA With Zombies
In the action game True Crime: Streets of LA, players take on the role of police detective Nick Kang Wilson in Los Angeles. He starts by investigating a series of bombings in Chinatown, but the case quickly becomes much more complicated when zombies suddenly appear.
Despite being very similar to Grand Theft Auto, True Crime: Streets of LA is surprisingly engaging thanks to its unique elements. The game throws in bizarre surprises like zombies, ancient crime bosses, and even imps. Plus, it boasts a helpful auto-aiming feature that’s an improvement over the manual aiming in Grand Theft Auto 3.
The game was also released on the GameCube, and it’s the closest that console ever came to having a game like Grand Theft Auto. It’s too bad True Crime: Streets of LA hasn’t been re-released on later Nintendo consoles or modern platforms, where it could reach a wider audience.
The Godfather Is Forgotten Despite Its Connection to a Famous Franchise
The Godfather is a video game inspired by the famous 1972 film. Players take on the role of Aldo Trapani, a young man climbing the ladder in a mafia family. He faces challenges from competing gangs and conflicts within his own organization as he works his way up.
The Godfather video game lives up to the quality of the classic film it’s based on. It successfully takes the familiar open-world gameplay of games like GTA and reimagines it in a historical setting. Players can earn money both for themselves and their mafia family, and a clever feature lets them shake down businesses for extra cash, adding even more to the gameplay.
It’s a shame that The Godfather game remains largely overlooked. This is especially true since it hasn’t been updated for modern platforms like Steam. As a result, players hoping to experience it might have to track down a used, physical copy – an offer that’s hard to pass up for fans.
Saints Row Is Nearly Impossible to Find Today
Saints Row is an action game that came out for the Xbox 360 when people were waiting for a new Grand Theft Auto game. It’s set in the dangerous city of Stilwater and lets players explore and meet the various characters who live there.
Unlike many games similar to GTA, Saints Row stands out because of how you create your main character. You can design them completely from scratch or pick from a few pre-made options, which gives the game a more unique feel than GTA – especially compared to the single-player experience. What’s really cool is that Saints Row lets you create your own brand of mayhem and play however you want.
As a result, Saints Row successfully challenged the GTA series, even getting a remake in 2022. Unfortunately, the very first Saints Row game remains exclusive to Xbox. While it’s available through Game Pass, many players are disappointed it never came to PC. The game’s developer, Volition, has closed down, meaning the original Saints Row likely won’t be re-released anytime soon.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Is an Underrated Entry in the Series
In the action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, players follow Vic Vance, a soldier who is kicked out of the military after following bad orders. He then joins forces with his brother, Lance, and together they work to create a powerful drug business.
In Vice City Stories, the protagonist, Vic, faces a lot of hardship from scheming characters. Luckily, it’s a more user-friendly experience than the original Vice City, with the addition of swimming and helpful features like improved aiming controls.
Originally launched on the PSP as a follow-up to Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories ended up being the final GTA game released for the PlayStation 2. Unlike the main GTA titles like GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, neither Liberty City Stories nor Vice City Stories have been updated for modern consoles, making them difficult for many players to access today.
Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.
Read More
- Solo Leveling’s New Manhwa Chapter Revives a Forgotten LGBTQ Story After 2 Years
- All Itzaland Animal Locations in Infinity Nikki
- How to Get to the Undercoast in Esoteric Ebb
- The Boys Season 5 Spoilers: Every Major Character Death If the Show Follows the Comics
- Mewgenics vinyl limited editions now available to pre-order
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Shiba Inu reappointed as “inspector” dog by Japanese police
- CBR’s Official Spring 2026 Anime Series Power Ranking (Week 1)
- Smarter, Faster Networks: Optimizing Early-Exit Architectures for Edge AI
- YouTuber Karl Jobst sues Billy Mitchell for defamation
2026-04-14 23:12