A subgenre of videogames which share the core elements of Rockstar's "Grand Theft Auto" series, including:
1. an open, explorable world with hidden collectibles,
2. multiple vehicles and weapons, and
3. (a majority of the time) the ability to commit various misdemeanors and felonies, such as murder, theft, and aggravated assault, in addition to a "Wanted" system which responds to the player's misdeeds.
Most well-known Theftlike games, such as Red Dead Redemption I and II, Bully, and L.A. Noire, are actually published by Rockstar, though others, such as Mafia and Saints Row, are not. The name is derived from the Soulslike subgenre, which, as the name implies, are games which take heavy inspiration from FromSoftware's series "Dark Souls".
1. an open, explorable world with hidden collectibles,
2. multiple vehicles and weapons, and
3. (a majority of the time) the ability to commit various misdemeanors and felonies, such as murder, theft, and aggravated assault, in addition to a "Wanted" system which responds to the player's misdeeds.
Most well-known Theftlike games, such as Red Dead Redemption I and II, Bully, and L.A. Noire, are actually published by Rockstar, though others, such as Mafia and Saints Row, are not. The name is derived from the Soulslike subgenre, which, as the name implies, are games which take heavy inspiration from FromSoftware's series "Dark Souls".
After my little brother Brayden got his PS5 taken away for racking up $3,000 worth of Shark Cards on our dad's IRL credit card, he's been desperate to find another Theftlike game that's available on our musty, old Xbox 360.
by Hoagy Macintosh November 19, 2023