Video games are first and foremost an escape. This means going on extraordinary fantasy and sci-fi adventures. But for some players, escapism actually means being a criminal and operating in the underworld. This is not a single species. There are a wide variety of games that focus on crime, both in the real-world sense and in fantasy worlds as well.
There is a certain appeal to give in to one’s baser instincts and break the law. Players can separate fantasy from reality and they’re not inherently criminal, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be incredibly fun. Here is a list of some of the greatest crime games out there.
10 Convicted: Criminal Origins
The thing about crime is that there are many different aspects to it. When the topic comes up, players often think of organized crime. Conviction goes in a different direction as it focuses on the serial killing aspects of the crime.
It leans into horror territory, but this is a game deeply rooted in what it means to be a criminal and what goes into getting caught. After all, the phrase “criminal origins” is true to the title, as the game focuses on the detective doing real cop work.
9 Poor disguise
The obvious attraction of Peaky Blinders is that it takes place in the world and with characters from the popular gangster show. For fans of the series, it is interesting to play as fantastic characters and navigate the criminal streets of England after the First World War.
The game itself takes a little getting used to. It works as a unique puzzle game that makes players work on a timeline while juggling multiple characters simultaneously. It’s challenging, but it also can be fun once the player gets the hang of it.
8 Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments
When it comes to popular crime and detective games, it’s hard to think of one as popular or more influential than Sherlock Holmes. Crime can take many different forms, and Sherlock takes part in all of them.
There are many different games that focus on the character, but none that extensively deal with crime, and its various elements of crimes and punishments. Rather than being an overarching story, this game contains a series of one-off incidents where the famous detective has to put his skills to work and pass judgment on those involved.
7 watch dogs
When gamers think of games involving criminals, gangsters, and killers, it comes to mind. But being a criminal can take many different forms. For Watchdogs, this means becoming a hacktivist who commits crimes for what they believe is the greater good.
The fact that a player can literally walk down the street and hack money out of people’s bank accounts is pretty scary. But it is undoubtedly a crime, which is ironic considering these criminals see themselves as heroes.
6 Los Angeles Noir
LA Noire is interesting for several reasons. First, it’s set in the classic hard-boiled era detective. But besides the great setting, it really tries to anchor the crime game to the detective experience only.
It does so by breaking down the meaning of crime solving. The player has to search for clues, interrogate suspects, and even hunt them down when necessary. The crazy thing is, real cops do make mistakes. It is certainly possible to make mistakes in this game as well.
5 Secret Lego City
Crime is too serious a business to be entertained. But players know that Cops and Robbers is a fun childhood game that should not be taken lightly. LEGO knows this too, which is why LEGO City Undercover is so much fun and one of the best LEGO games around.
It takes the criminal experience and turns it on its head with typical LEGO ingenuity. But this does not mean that it is less of a crime game. The player takes on the role of the cop who has to go undercover to catch a criminal who has escaped from prison, which is a crime story ever.
4 sleeping dogs
When it comes to stories, setting is very important. This applies doubly to crime stories and games. Obviously, an organized crime story that takes place in New York City will be a very different experience than a crime story that takes place in Hong Kong.
This is what makes Sleeping Dogs so exceptional. But besides having a new and different environment, this game also takes its combat mechanics to another level. The game world has such an immersive setting that allows it to become a part of the action.
3 saints row
By the end of the series, Saint’s Row has become quite ridiculous including hell, aliens, and a Matrix-like computer program. But it is important to remember where this series began. Initially, with the first two games specifically, crime and gang warfare remained at the forefront of Saint’s Row.
The player is very focused on building up his gang and competing for turf against other gangs. Dirty crime rather than excessive insanity was the backbone of the series. This has changed over time, but those origins must be respected.
2 payday
In the fields of crime stories, there are special ones, and the most notorious of them are robberies. A lot of games use heists as a plot device, but none of them highlight the heist gameplay function as well as Payday.
The game is designed around performing and executing a heist to perfection, something any fan of the genre knows rarely goes according to plan. And this is the great thing about Payday. Players can do the same heist multiple times and still have different experiences.
1 grand theft auto
It’s hard to think of any game series that epitomizes the crime experience more than Grand Theft Auto. After all, crime is literally the name of the game. From the very beginning, Grand Theft Auto was all about being a criminal immersed in the drug underworld and driving nice cars.
In fact, it was this very experience that had a lot of controversy coming its way. However, Grand Theft Auto has never slowed down. It continues to pump out more games and content that showcase criminals doing what they do best while evading the law.
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