What else could push adrenaline levels to the limits more than a well-planned heist?
Bonus points if things go downhill, forcing you to improvise as you go – shootings, pursuits, hostages, the action goes on.
In this article, you’ll learn more about some of the best heist and bank-robbing video games.
Introduction
Heists can be fun for a variety of reasons. For starters, they allow people to enjoy new types of scenarios without the need to commit the actual crime in real life. You can become a vital part of the big scores you previously only knew from the movies. Heists require strategy and good planning skills, but they’re also a perfect opportunity to test your teamwork capabilities.
There’s also the thrill of the unknown and the constant action – even if you have the option to choose a stealth approach, you must maintain maximum focus throughout the entire mission.
Considering all the reasons that make heist games so good and sought-after, it’s quite surprising to see not a really great number of heist-oriented games available on the market.
But fear not, as there’s still some cool stuff to try. Remember to check our marketplace for the best prices on heist video games – save money while you’re filling your digital library of titles to play.
Without further ado, let’s jump to the games.
Payday: The Heist
| Release date: | 2011-10-20 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | OVERKILL Software |
The first game on the list is a classic and rare example of a game that focuses entirely on heists.
Some video games include heists as part of gameplay, but that’s probably not enough for heist enjoyers who want to immerse in that particular kind of experience. The creators of Payday knew that all too well and so they decided to create a new game to fill that niche. The game turned out to be pretty good – not a masterpiece, but good enough to guarantee a positive reception, allowing the development team to start working on a sequel.
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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
| Release date: | 2002-10-29 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Rockstar North |
Although Vice City is not technically a heisting game, it has something for the fans of the matter.
GTA: Vice City is an action-adventure game that’s easily considered one of the best games ever made, and that’s for a number of reasons – the old-school Miami atmosphere is undoubtedly one of them, but we’re here for a different reason. Once you buy the Malibu Club, you’ll get access to a special heist mission, where you’ll be tasked with robbing a bank. It’s not particularly hard or complex, but it’s certainly a nice touch with a possibly unexpected turn of events.
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Payday 2 & 3
| Release date: | 2013-08-13 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | OVERKILL Software |
Following the success of the first Payday, the later games from the series try to improve the experience in the areas that felt lackluster in the original title.
Payday 2 and 3 are building on the strong foundations created by the first game. They’re mixing things up a bit to make them more interesting in various aspects, from gameplay to visuals. Payday 2 decided to take a more action-packed approach with a more arcade-y feeling, while Payday 3 takes a step back towards the direction of a more strategic and immersive game – so, basically, towards the roots of the franchise. What makes heisting in Payday games so interesting is the element of randomness that makes each run unique and full of surprises. Both games are a must-try, but since Payday 3 is much more recent, it’s also more relevant and that’s the one we’d recommend to try first.
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Grand Theft Auto V
| Release date: | 2015-04-14 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Rockstar North |
GTA V is, without a doubt, a strong contender when talking about heisting video games.
GTA V is an open-world action-adventure game that gives players a lot of freedom when it comes to gameplay. Whatever you do, however, sooner or later you’ll want to tackle the main story missions and there are quite a few heists there to complete with your NPC companions. The heists themselves are not particularly complicated, but they usually require doing some fun preparation missions before the real score begins, giving you a more in-depth look at what heists could look like in real life. The ever-expanding, persistent online mode also has some fun heists to do together with your friends, so give it a go if you haven’t already.
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Hitman 2
| Release date: | 2018-11-13 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | IO Interactive |
Agent 47 is back and it will be your job to help him navigate through increasingly difficult tasks.
Although Hitman games are focused on assassinations, sometimes you get things like The Heist mission from Hitman 2, where your objective is slightly different than usual. Instead of trying to kill the designated target, you’ll have an option to silently steal some documents from the vault. This approach will require sneaking, silent takedowns, and using disguise to remain unnoticed. One part of the mission will even have you navigating through a laser net, as seen in some popular classic action movies.
If you’re having trouble finding a copy of Hitman 2, it’s because it was delisted, but you may still be able to find a key from resellers. Otherwise, get Hitman 3 which includes missions from previous games for an extra charge.
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Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
| Release date: | 2013-04-24 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Pocketwatch Games |
If you’re looking for a silly party game to play with friends, this could be it.
Monaco is a simple top-down game that can get surprisingly fun, especially if you have someone to play with. Your task is usually to navigate through the rooms, solve puzzles, and get through obstacles. There are different character classes to choose from and part of the success is to make a team that would consist of characters that would benefit the team the most. What makes Monaco interesting is the fact that your vision is blocked by obstacles, so some general awareness will be required to achieve success. Although the game is not necessarily about heists, it feels like it is, as all missions are played inside highly secured buildings where breaching security systems and outsmarting the guards plays a major role.
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The Getaway
| Release date: | 2002-12-11 |
| Genre: | Racing, shooter |
| Developer: | Team Soho |
High adrenaline action, fast cars, and mass shootings with the police – that’s The Getaway.
Heists consist of a number of elements and you may like some of them more than others. If you’re particularly interested in pursuits and escape, for example, The Getaway is a game for you. Although there are some breaking-ins and security breaches involved, most of the gameplay focuses on driving cars in order to lose the tailing police. The game may be quite old but it’s still a solid choice if you’re after heisting games, as it provides a unique, cinematic experience. Most notably, there’s no HUD, so if your character’s hurt, you can’t rely on any HP bars to tell you how close to death you are. Instead, after being shot, your character will start limping to indicate their critical condition.
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Red Dead Redemption 2
| Release date: | 2019-11-05 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Rockstar Games |
For heists in the Wild West setting, look no further than Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead Redemption 2 gives players unparalleled freedom when it comes to gameplay. You get a huge open world to explore at your own pace and there’s always something to do. A list of possible crimes to commit in RDR 2 is not a short one, and heists can be found on it, too. To earn extra money on the side, you can rob houses, shops, and trains, and after progressing further in the story, you’ll be able to rob some banks as well. After getting the Ultimate or Special Edition of the game, you’ll get access to one extra bank heist.
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The Swindle
| Release date: | 2015-07-28 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Size Five Games |
From the more minimalistic games, one should not forget about The Swindle.
Heisting doesn’t necessarily have to be realistic. If you prefer fun gameplay over realism, this might be just the game. The Swindle combines fast-paced action with stealth and puts emphasis on replayability and the element of surprise, as the places you will be robbing are randomly generated. Usually, there’s no plan to follow and you must improvise as you go, which requires not only quick reflexes but also flexibility in terms of strategy.
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Thief
| Release date: | 2014-02-27 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Eidos Montréal |
The cult classic returns, marking a reboot of the Thief franchise.
In Thief, stealing is your primary job. To become efficient at altering the ownership of valuable items, you will have to master stealth tactics and puzzle-solving, but a bit of combat experience to get out of sticky situations wouldn’t hurt, too. The rich enjoy a pompous life, while the poor struggle and try to mount the resistance against the aristocrats; jump into the Victorian era city ruled by a tyrant and take advantage of the situation to your benefit.
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Saints Row
| Release date: | 2022-08-23 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Volition |
For the final game on the list, check out the soft reboot of the Saints Row franchise.
The Saints Row series was always known for its more casual and humorous approach to the genre, but we’re here for the heists and there are indeed some to be found here. For example, in Saints Row from 2022 you’ll not only be able to participate in some heists during the main storyline, but you’ll also get access to a series of heists much later in the game after purchasing the Let’s Pretend venture. These missions consist of the scouting and the heist sections, but you won’t participate in the actual robbery – instead, you will be responsible for photographing the place and for the getaway.
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Conclusion
High risk, high rewards. Heists in video games can be a great source of adrenaline, especially if you’re playing at high stakes. Some video games are entirely focused on heists, while in some other games, they’re just a fun addition and a side job.
Depending on your personal preferences and the level of realism you’re looking for, you’ll be interested in checking out different kinds of games. But no matter what your preferences are, you will most likely find some of the best heist games on our marketplace. Save money as you grab your favorite titles from trusted resellers and participate in the most exciting scores available up to date.