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Start with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition if you want the closest overall replacement for Red Dead Redemption’s combination of a long authored story, memorable characters and extensive exploration. Its fantasy setting is the major difference, but its quest-led open world is the broadest match.
Choose Kingdom Come: Deliverance II instead when historical realism is non-negotiable. Pick Cyberpunk 2077 for a dense urban role-playing world, Ghost of Tsushima for samurai combat and landscape, Horizon Forbidden West for science-fiction exploration, or Grand Theft Auto V for a contemporary crime sandbox. No game reproduces Red Dead Redemption’s western setting and pacing exactly, so the right follow-up depends on the part you valued most.
Quick picks
| Game | Choose it when you want | Setting and tone | Main point of difference from Red Dead Redemption |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition | A long, authored adventure with substantial exploration | Fantasy in the war-torn Northern Kingdoms | Magic, monsters and a fantasy world instead of the American West |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | The most grounded historical experience | 15th-century Bohemia | Historical realism and consequential choices replace the western setting |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Dense urban role-playing and a strong central story | Futuristic Night City | A vertical metropolis and cyberpunk technology rather than wilderness travel |
| Ghost of Tsushima | Cinematic swordplay, stealth and historical atmosphere | Samurai-era Japan | Focused samurai combat and a more contemplative landscape |
| Ghost of Yōtei | A newer standalone historical action story on PS5 | Rural Japan in the 1600s | A new protagonist and period setting rather than a direct continuation |
| Horizon Forbidden West | Science-fiction exploration and machine hunting | Science-fiction open world | Machines and speculative technology replace historical realism |
| Grand Theft Auto V | A modern crime sandbox with more self-directed activity | Contemporary crime setting | Urban criminal freedom and sandbox systems take priority over frontier travel |
Why there is no exact substitute
Red Dead Redemption’s appeal is unusually specific: a western landscape, a deliberate road-and-town rhythm, an authored protagonist and a story that gives quiet travel as much weight as major action. The alternatives above overlap with those qualities, but each changes at least one foundation.
The most useful way to choose is to identify the feature you are trying to preserve. If it is the feeling of moving through a large world between carefully written quests, start with The Witcher 3. If it is a believable historical setting, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the stronger fit. If you mainly want a character-driven open-world role-playing game but are happy to trade rural space for a city, Cyberpunk 2077 is the clearest contrast. For cinematic historical action, the two Ghost games are the natural branch. Horizon Forbidden West and Grand Theft Auto V are better choices when exploration or sandbox freedom matters more than western atmosphere.
#1 Best Overall
![NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dWUfwFl5L._SL160_.jpg)
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition
Why it is the best all-round follow-up
The Witcher 3 is the safest first recommendation because it combines a strongly authored protagonist, extensive quest chains and a large world designed for exploration. CD PROJEKT RED describes the game as an open-world role-playing adventure in which Geralt searches for Ciri across the war-torn Northern Kingdoms. That premise gives the journey a clear personal objective while still leaving room to investigate regions, take on side stories and follow activities at your own pace.
The match is strongest for readers who remember Red Dead Redemption for its characters and writing rather than for its literal western trappings. Geralt’s journey is built around named people, competing interests and decisions that make individual quests feel consequential. The tone is darker and more fantastical, however, so this is not a realism substitute. Its world includes magic and supernatural threats, and its combat is based around swordplay and signs rather than firearms.
What the Complete or Remastered edition adds
The Complete Edition includes the two major expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. The official description of the remastered release says it “modernizes the generation-defining open-world role-playing game with a range of upgrades and enhancements to visuals, performance, gameplay, and more.” Those bundled expansions matter when comparing editions: buying a base-game listing without them does not provide the same amount of authored content.
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Check the exact store listing before purchase because the name, included expansions and supported platforms can vary by region and edition. Look specifically for the Complete or Remastered designation and confirm that both expansions are listed.
Who should choose it
- Choose it if your priority is a long story with a large amount of optional exploration.
- Choose it if you prefer a named protagonist and quest chains over a purely self-directed sandbox.
- Choose it if you are comfortable exchanging historical realism for fantasy, magic and monsters.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
The choice for historical realism
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the strongest answer to “What feels realistic rather than fantasy?” PlayStation places Henry of Skalitz in 15th-century Bohemia and emphasizes real-time combat, activities, equipment customization and choices that affect his destiny. That combination makes it the closest thematic alternative for someone who wants a period world that treats its setting as history rather than myth.
Its appeal is not simply that it uses a historical date. The game’s identity comes from the interaction between Henry’s personal story and the systems around him: combat happens in real time, equipment can be customized, and decisions have consequences for his path. These features give the world a more grounded role-playing character than a fantasy adventure with supernatural abilities.
Rank #2
- If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!
- Play as a highly trained monster slayer for hire.
- Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth and complexity.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year edition brings together the base game and all the additional content released to date.
How it differs from Red Dead Redemption
The overlap is in atmosphere and commitment to place, not in geography or combat style. Bohemia replaces the frontier, and swordplay replaces gunfights. Expect a historical setting, period equipment and choices tied to Henry’s fate rather than a western outlaw narrative. If you want the same emotional beats but cannot accept fantasy, this is the better compromise than The Witcher 3.
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- Choose it when realism and historical immersion matter more than a familiar genre.
- Choose it when you want equipment customization and real-time combat to shape progression.
- Choose it when decisions affecting the protagonist’s destiny are a major reason you play open-world games.
Cyberpunk 2077
The strongest urban contrast
Cyberpunk 2077 shifts the open-world formula from roads, farms and wilderness to Night City, a futuristic metropolis. PlayStation describes you as V, a mercenary pursuing a unique implant. That setup provides a focused personal objective while the city supplies a dense environment for role-playing and exploration.
This is the best pick if what you loved was the sense of inhabiting a character with a distinctive identity, but you are ready for a completely different visual and social environment. Night City is the opposite of a sparsely populated frontier: the setting is urban, technological and concentrated. The contrast is especially useful for players who want a new atmosphere rather than another historical landscape.
Phantom Liberty and edition checks
Phantom Liberty adds Dogtown and a further storyline. When comparing listings, determine whether the expansion is bundled or sold separately. Edition names and availability can change by platform and region, so verify the current product description instead of assuming every copy includes it.
Who should choose it
- Choose it for the densest urban alternative to Red Dead Redemption’s open spaces.
- Choose it if a mercenary protagonist, a central implant-related objective and a futuristic metropolis appeal to you.
- Choose it if you want role-playing systems and city traversal rather than historical authenticity.
Ghost of Tsushima
For samurai combat and a contemplative landscape
Ghost of Tsushima is the right follow-up when your favorite part of Red Dead Redemption was the cinematic journey through a historical landscape. Its focus is samurai combat, stealth and a contemplative version of historical Japan. The emphasis is less on fantasy role-playing and more on the relationship between a warrior, a place and the tactics required to survive.
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The game gives you a clear historical-action identity: swordplay is central, stealth provides an alternative approach, and travel through the landscape is part of the experience rather than a transition between unrelated missions. That makes it a strong choice for players who want atmosphere and authored action but do not need a Western setting.
Rank #3
- PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE: Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
- Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic.
- Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.
- EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD: Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
- TRACK DOWN THE CHILD OF PROPHECY: Take on the most important contract of your life: to track down the child of prophecy, the key to saving or destroying this world. In times of war, chase down the child of prophecy, a living weapon foretold by ancient elven legends. Struggle against ferocious rulers, spirits of the wilds, and even a threat from beyond the veil – all hell-bent on controlling this world. Define your destiny in a world that may not be worth saving.
What to expect
- Expect swordplay rather than firearms.
- Expect stealth to sit alongside direct combat.
- Expect a historical Japanese setting with a reflective tone rather than a fantasy world.
Ghost of Yōtei
A standalone PS5 option
Ghost of Yōtei is the newer PlayStation option in this historical-action line. PlayStation describes it as a standalone story set in rural Japan in the 1600s, 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, and following the mercenary Atsu.
“Standalone” is the important buying and playing detail. You do not need to treat it as a required sequel before starting, and its new protagonist gives it a separate narrative entry point. Its period setting and mercenary lead may appeal to Red Dead Redemption players who want another character-led journey through a historical landscape without returning to the same story.
Who should choose it
- Choose it when you have a PS5 and want the newer historical-action setting.
- Choose it when a standalone story is preferable to continuing an existing protagonist’s arc.
- Choose it when samurai-era atmosphere, stealth and swordplay are more important than role-playing depth.
Horizon Forbidden West
For science-fiction exploration and machine hunting
Horizon Forbidden West is the best alternative if the part you want to preserve is discovery. It replaces the western and historical frameworks with science fiction and centers exploration around machine hunting. The result is an open world built around finding unfamiliar environments and understanding how its technological creatures fit into the setting.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThis is not the choice for historical realism, but it does answer the desire for a world that rewards curiosity. The contrast is deliberate: instead of riding through a recognizable period landscape, you investigate a speculative one; instead of conventional wildlife and gunplay, machines shape both exploration and combat.
Who should choose it
- Choose it for science-fiction world-building and exploration.
- Choose it if tracking and hunting machines sounds more appealing than swordplay or firearms.
- Choose it when discovery is the main reason you want an open world.
Grand Theft Auto V
For a contemporary crime sandbox
Grand Theft Auto V is the most modern and sandbox-oriented choice in this group. PlayStation’s current open-world recommendations include it as a contemporary crime experience. Its appeal is the freedom to move through a modern setting and pursue activities with less emphasis on historical immersion.
Pick it when you want the open world itself to be the main playground. The contrast with Red Dead Redemption is substantial: the environment is contemporary, urban crime replaces frontier survival, and the experience leans toward self-directed activity rather than a single historical journey.
Who should choose it
- Choose it for a modern crime setting.
- Choose it when sandbox freedom matters more than period authenticity.
- Choose it if you want the largest tonal break from a Western while keeping an open-world structure.
How the games compare by the things players usually value
| Priority | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Long authored story with exploration | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition | Geralt’s search for Ciri provides a central narrative while the Northern Kingdoms support extensive exploration and quest chains. |
| Historical realism | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Henry of Skalitz is placed in 15th-century Bohemia, with real-time combat, period equipment and consequential choices. |
| Dense urban role-playing | Cyberpunk 2077 | Night City and V’s mercenary story provide a futuristic city-focused alternative. |
| Historical cinematic action | Ghost of Tsushima or Ghost of Yōtei | Both emphasize samurai-era atmosphere, swordplay and stealth; Yōtei is a standalone 1600s story on PS5. |
| Science-fiction discovery | Horizon Forbidden West | Exploration and machine hunting define its science-fiction open world. |
| Modern sandbox freedom | Grand Theft Auto V | A contemporary crime setting provides a more self-directed alternative. |
A practical decision path
- Decide whether fantasy is acceptable. If yes, begin with The Witcher 3. If no, move to the historical choices.
- Choose between realism and cinematic action. Select Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for grounded history, or a Ghost game for samurai combat and stealth.
- Choose the shape of the world. Select Cyberpunk 2077 for a dense city, Horizon Forbidden West for science-fiction exploration, or Grand Theft Auto V for contemporary crime-sandbox freedom.
- Check the edition. Confirm whether expansions are included, especially the two expansions in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition and Phantom Liberty for Cyberpunk 2077.
- Confirm the platform and region. Store listings, supported platforms and expansion availability can change by region. This is particularly important for Ghost of Yōtei, which is described as a PS5 title.
What to check before buying
- Edition name: A complete or remastered package may include content that is absent from a base-game listing.
- Expansion status: Read the included-content section rather than relying on a product image or a short title.
- Platform support: Verify that the version is for your console or PC storefront and that the listing applies to your region.
- Desired tone: Fantasy, historical realism, cyberpunk, samurai action, science fiction and modern crime are materially different experiences even though all use open worlds.
- Preferred control of the story: Authored protagonists and quest chains feel different from a more self-directed sandbox. Choose based on whether you want a guided personal journey or freedom to create your own activities.
Final recommendation
Buy The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition first if you want the most complete combination of authored storytelling and open-world exploration after Red Dead Redemption. Buy Kingdom Come: Deliverance II if realism outweighs genre, Cyberpunk 2077 if you want a city, and Ghost of Tsushima or Ghost of Yōtei if historical action is the priority. Horizon Forbidden West and Grand Theft Auto V are better when science-fiction discovery or modern sandbox freedom is the feature you want to keep.
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