Free Guy is a 2021 delve into the world of video games being represented in a movie format. It has the luxury of being its own entity rather than being an adaptation of an already-existing game. As it pays homage to various interactive properties rather than adapting one single franchise, the unique game world in the movie is given the freedom to be whatever it wants to be.

However, the Free Guy game that the film focuses on, Free City, still draws inspiration from several pre-existing games — from the locale and characters to the weapons and general activities on show. Some of these influences are more prominent and obvious than others, but every single one is a fun nod to different areas of the gaming industry.

Updated February 29, 2024 by Noelle Warner: Free Guy pulled heavily from existing titles to inspire its video game world, including classics like Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite, which delighted fans as they watched the movie. This list has been updated to include even more information about these games, as well as to adhere to CBR's most current editorial standards.

16 Mafia Brings Story To An Open-World

The Mafia franchise has introduced a few games that explore different eras of organized crime. Each entry in the series resonates differently with fans, although the 2020 release of Mafia's definitive edition rebuilt the original using lessons learned from the sequels. For the first two games, players rise through the ranks of the mafia in dense story-driven games.

Mafia III introduced a new gameplay element, as players bring down the mafia on a revenge-fueled mission. While more story-oriented than some other open-world games, the Mafia franchise might still appeal to fans of Free Guy who are looking for an escape. Whether it has been Lost Heaven, Empire Bay, or Mafia III's New Bordeaux, each of the Mafia games introduced cities that resemble Free City, just in a different time.

15 The Simpsons: Hit And Run Is A Bright Slice Of Carnage

The Simpsons: Hit and Run, released in 2003, had more in common with Grand Theft Auto and the world of Free City than other games based on The Simpsons. The title quickly proved one of the more unique games based on the hit animated series. Its chaos, open-world gameplay, and pop culture references all gave it a lot in common with the fictional Free City video game.

Players were able to control their favorite Simpsons characters as they drove and moved around the open world of Springfield while beating up NPCs if they wished to do so. Even after accomplishing their goals, fans still enjoy creating chaos on the streets. Hit and Run is still seen as one of the greatest PS2 games of all time.

14 Cyberpunk 2077 Takes Place In A Reactive Open-World City

The players of Free City could completely customize their character's looks, which is why Guy stood out with his simple blue shirt style. There were a few open-world games like Fortnite and Saints Row that also allowed fans to fully design their own outlandish characters.

However, it was the recent and long-awaited release of Cyberpunk 2077 that introduced an incredibly detailed character creator. Players could adjust settings for everything, which even included the size of certain body parts. The futuristic world of Cyberpunk 2077 may have been first-person, but players could still express themselves just like in Free City, all while constantly being surrounded by destructive chaos. Cyberpunk 2077's Night City and Free City really are cut from the same cloth.

13 L.A. Noire Lets The Player Explore Realistic Urban Environments

Much like the Mafia series, L.A. Noire explored the '40s but set the game in Hollywood during the Golden Age of films. Players stepped into the shoes of a detective who worked his way up the force to handle different crimes.

One of the most interesting facets of L.A. Noire, separating it from other open-world crime-based games, is the interrogation mechanics. Players must make a series of decisions based on facial expressions and evidence to uncover the truth about the crimes they encounter. While it doesn't hold up like some other classic open-world games, L.A. Noire is unique enough to stand out.

12 Marvel's Spider-Man Is One Of The Most Open Games

Ryan Reynolds played "Blue Shirt Guy," an NPC in Free City who becomes a hero in order to raise his level enough to meet the love of his life. Players can become their own heroes in other open-world games like Marvel's Spider-Man.

The popular web-slinger swings through New York City and stops crimes while increasing his level and playing through a captivating story. While it doesn't offer players the same amount of customization as Free City, players can utilize quite a few different costumes as they protect their video game world.

11 Fortnite Has Dances And Violence With Strangers From All Over The World

Fortnite can't be directly compared to Free City regarding the game's purpose or location, but it's actively referenced on several occasions. From in-game characters re-enacting Fortnite emotes and dances to Millie and Guy escaping on a Fortnite-style glider, it's obvious Fortnite plays a part in inspiring and forming Free City.

While Fortnite is a free-to-play Battle Royale, it uses both player versus player and player versus AI, which is a concept Free City explores. Both titles also have extensive skin libraries for both players and NPC. Fortnite and Free City would likely share a similar fan base, given the creativity on display in both cases.

10 Sunset Overdrive Has A Similar Feeling Of Brightly-Colored Carnage

Sunset City, the setting for Sunset Overdrive, is a dystopian version of Free City. The fast-paced gameplay is supported by a lack of cover-taking mechanics, pushing the player to use momentum and embrace the game's frenetic, chaotic pace.

Hordes of mutant enemies aside, the general aesthetic has an essence of Free City to it, even if the art style can't be directly compared to that of Free Guy. Shots of the player racing or ziplining through explosions perfectly encapsulate an unstable world, and Free City can certainly relate to that.

9 Red Dead Redemption Is A Realistic Open World

A focused Western in a different time setting, Red Dead Redemption falls into a different genre than Free City. Free City features a mashup of varying genres in the modern age. However, since Red Dead Redemption is a Rockstar creation like Grand Theft Auto, some aspects feel similar.

Like the Free City video game, Red Dead Redemption features customizable characters and the more obvious criminal activities like heists. Additionally, the series has always looked at adding more complex NPCs and AI to create an immersive experience for the player. There may not be any nice guys like Guy in the harsh world of Red Dead Redemption, but it certainly captures the essence of Free City.

8 Yakuza Has A Vast Heap Of Player Activities

The concept behind games like Free City, Grand Theft Auto, and Saints Row is for the player to role-play and partake in a life full of crime with no real consequences. The Yakuza game franchise falls into this category, but it has its restrictions.

Unlike the chaotic destruction that goes on in Free City, Yakuza looks into organized crime, driven by intriguing stories more so than missions and side-quests in the name of getting rewards. Free City may have direction in the form of quests, but the general stakes of the game never appear as important or complex as its NPCs.

7 Sleeping Dogs Pits Players Against Tough Urban Challenges

When Guy learns to get better at the game of Free City and levels up, he continues to grasp combat and is quickly called into action when he re-joins Millie, also known as Molotov Girl. The martial arts-inspired combat feels similar to several video games, but Sleeping Dogs is more martial arts-oriented than most.

The combat in Sleeping Dogs is fast-paced and brutal, requiring the player to use the environment in order to gain any sort of advantage. The video game in Free Guy can be similarly unforgiving, but when Millie and Guy face the more accomplished fighters, they are high-leveled enough to cope with it.

6 Just Cause Allows For High-Octane Physics-Based Gameplay

When talking about the movie Free Guy, chaos is a word that will be thrown about many times. Guy's normal daily routine not only comprises bank robberies, but he's often being hit by people, cars, trains, and explosives, to name a few hazards.

The Just Cause games have always been best described using the same word: chaotic. They're packed full of chaos, which hits players at a relentless pace. While the stories can be compelling, the main takeaway from each game is generally gameplay-related. As frequent as explosions are in Free Guy's Free City video game, they're arguably more prevalent in Just Cause.

5 Watch Dogs Emphasizes Tech And Urban Violence

The concept of hacking in a sandbox game was introduced with Watch Dogs. While most games in the genre are already fast-paced and unpredictable, the hacking in Watch Dogs took it to a whole new level. Hacking in the Watch Dogs series isn't exclusively about chaos and head-on combat, as it also accommodates new ways to be stealthy when approaching a mission.

While Free City attracts players who enjoy going on loud rampages throughout the city, the game has elements of stealth — like when Millie attempts to break into a compound. Likewise, Watch Dogs offers players both different approaches.

4 Payday Allows For Open Armed Robbery

The repetition of Guy's life until he fights back against the game leads him to work at a bank, frequently dealing and cooperating with players robbing it. Naturally, this bears comparison to any games that involve heists.

Although GTA is undoubtedly the most well-known, Payday 2 focuses solely on the heist aspect of being a criminal. The player isn't limited to robbing banks in Payday with the likes of shops and armored cars also being possibilities. Heisting is the main focus in Payday rather than one of many options, but it still creates the feel of a video game like Free City.

3 Grand Theft Auto Online Clearly Inspires Free City

Grand Theft Auto isn't named after a club, character, or story-related concept, it's literally named after a crime. Over the various iterations of the game within the franchise, players have been able to steal cars, cause explosions, plan heists, and several other criminal activities. There are hopes that any future versions of the game will improve and feature even more in the same vein.

With more popular editions than not, GTA has reached a level where it's become the benchmark for any free roam game, movie, or series that bears any resemblance to crimes taking place in a bustling city. Those who watch Free Guy will instantly think of GTA, particularly during the first half of the movie thanks to the constant destruction and disregard for the game's NPCs.

2 Sea Of Thieves Is Open-World Multiplayer Chaos

Sea of Thieves has an obvious genre shift from Free Guy's Free City game. It's a historical pirate title, taking place on the high seas rather than in a bustling modern-day city. Other than that, however, the two games have a lot in common. Players control criminals traveling a game world under their initiative with their own goals.

Furthermore, Sea of Thieves resembles the Free City video game in how players interact. Most Sea of Thieves games take place in a multiplayer world, where anyone can drop in on anyone else's game. This can lead to funny moments of interaction, chat, and music, but most often leads to instant and brutal violence.

1 Saints Row Puts An Even Wackier Spin On Crime

The Saints Row franchise hasn't necessarily been as popular as Grand Theft Auto over the years, but it can't be accused of being a carbon copy. Saints Row has always been a wackier and more outlandish take on GTA, at times almost parodying itself.

Whether it is in Stilwater from the first two games, Steelport from The Third and IV, or New Hades from Gat out of Hell, Saints Row has always brought chaos to gamers worldwide. Such chaos is on full display in Free Guy, and Saints Row goes that extra level beyond, suggesting it could easily be the next game from Taika Waititi's Antwan in Free Guy. This is the best video game franchise to recapture the essence of Free City.