From the beginning, people started to see similarities between the latest CD Projekt game, Cyberpunk 2077, with other famous titles like Elder Scrolls and Grand Theft Auto. While the first one was compared due to its progression system and some combat mechanics, the "comparison game" ended up being more with GTA, which became its main competitor.

But how much has Cyberpunk 2077 drawn from the main Rockstar Games title? That's what we are going to look for. Let's see the similarities and differences between the two games and who has done it better: Cyberpunk 2077 or the GTA franchise.

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• Cyberpunk 2077 GOG CD Key

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• GTA V Premium Edition CD Key (Rockstar Launcher)

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• GTA IV Complete Edition Steam CD Key

So, the first main difference everyone will see is the timeline (it's already in the title). The Cyberpunk entire game is set in a technologically advanced future. Even when you play Johnny Silverhand's flashback, set in 2023, cybernetic augments are already taking over, and traces of futuristic technology are beginning to appear. 

Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto always set their stories in a specific decade or some years ago to the present day. The GTA Vice City story happened in 1986; GTA San Andreas in 1992; GTA III Liberty City in 1998; GTA IV in 2008; and GTA V in 2013. These last three were done with a more "present day" setting, while in San Andreas and Vice City, you will notice how their decades heavily influence their setting. In other words, Vice City is "too 80s" and San Andreas "too 90s".

GTA does an excellent job of depicting reality, while Cyberpunk takes some elements from the real world and injects it with a lot of Sci-Fi.

Rockstar Games made their biggest map ever in GTA V and GTA Online. But Night City surpasses it in that regard, being one of the largest maps regarding landmass, only below The Witcher 3. 

Night City is also much denser, as there are few empty spots if we compare it to The Witcher 3, which is heavily populated by nature and water. GTA is also quite dense but just behind the Cyberpunk 2077 world.

Diversity

Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are populated by people from many parts of the world. And being the main inspiration for Night City, it quite hit the mark on its diversity. People from the US, Latinos, Asians (mostly Chinese and Japanese), and Centre-Americans have designated places with their own stories and cultures that have evolved with the city.

But Grand Theft Auto doesn't fall back in this regard. They go hard with it whenever they establish a certain setting for their cities. For example, you will see Vice City as it should be in Miami in the 80s, with many Latin American groups from Mexico, Cuba, and Haiti, together with the Italian mafia and the US citizens. 

It adds even more immersion, making their "invented cities" feel much more like their real-life counterparts.

Tone

Grand Theft Auto dialogues are excellent. It is like watching a Tarantino movie with an even more sarcastic tone. But it knows when to be funny and when to sink into the drama of its characters. It also pays a lot of attention to bringing that tone to the city and criminal life.

Night City is more serious, always wanting to show the contrast between the "super-techno advanced" city, the inequality between social classes, and how low-class people have to sink into wild consumerism. It ends up being quite gross, although whenever the story wants to explore its characters, the slow-paced moments have more impact.

But, we could argue that no one could live up to the S-Tier writing of Rockstar games. They never missed the point in this department.

Main Characters

While both games have protagonists dealing with criminal life, they are all quite different.

V starts as a low-life criminal trying to make their way up to the top of the "food chain." The main character wants to be a legend as the greatest criminal that ever lived in Night City. But their personality will be ours to determine due to their choice-based dialogues. Most of them will vary between being more friendly or more aggressive.

The main difference lies in being a fully customizable character. We will always be "V," but their look, personality, and gender will be up to us to decide.

GTA Protagonists

Perhaps Claude (Grand Theft Auto III) is quite forgettable among GTA's main characters. But the rest are memorable. Tommy Vercetti, Carl "CJ" Johnson, Niko Bellic, and the legendary trio Michael De Santa, Trevor Phillips, and Franklin Clinton are placed among the best characters in video games.

All of them have well-defined personalities, and all of them have their memorable moments in the main story. Tommy is an Italian-American aspiring to be on top of the local mafia, "CJ" has to relive the gangster life in San Andreas, and Niko is a tough Balkan guy trying to achieve the "American dream" only to relive the same world of violence. On the other hand, The trio from GTA V has to deal with their private life and criminal activities (with Trevor stealing the show whenever he can).

While GTA protagonists are excellent, Cyberpunk 2077 would cut their share with their supporting cast, as they complement V story incredibly well and are very relatable.

You can have a massive and good-looking world for your game. But if there isn't substance or things to do, the game will feel odd and become another failure in the gaming industry. 

This is where most open-world games will define their success. The Lands Between from Elden Ring has plenty of stuff to do. The Witcher 3 has many towns, villages, and cities well located, with plenty of merchants and people to talk to, surrounded by forests and swamps where you will encounter many monsters. And both Cyberpunk 2077 and Grand Theft Auto know how to establish entertaining open worlds.

But this is where Grand Theft Auto excels, even more in GTA V and GTA Online. GTA Online not only has the multiplayer component that makes it more special, but there are plenty of activities to do, mini-games to play, and stuff to buy, from vehicles and buildings to weapons.

Night City feels more like a HUB to do different missions. There is stuff to buy, like weapons, clothes, and cybernetics, and you can have night outs in particular places…and that's it. There isn't much to do besides completing missions. So as a sandbox, it falls even behind The Witcher 3 (being a much older game).

While Cyberpunk 2077 missions could be quite creative, most of them resume in shootings, stealing, or killing/knocking out someone. The Delamain questline is just an exception.

Most games in the GTA series have many ways to expand your criminal empire. Doing bank robberies, hijacking drug businesses, assaulting mansions, killing rival gang members, etc. There is plenty of stuff during the whole game, which is further expanded in GTA Online. That's what makes each GTA title a great game. You can always deviate from the main storyline and do stuff. You are free to choose your way of playing, and that's the main ingredient of the GTA formula.

Although there is something that Cyberpunk 2077 improves, it is the NPC's activities. You will often find yourself near a crime scene, and you can decide to intervene (and gather some loot) or keep moving. You might also find a gang and policemen shooting each other. 

But doing a crime by yourself is not quite punishing in Cyberpunk 2077. People don't defend themselves, and you can easily outrun law enforcers with a vehicle. In GTA, people are wild whenever you threaten them. And you know whenever you are past the 2-stars wanted level, you will have a hard time getting away.

Your Grand Theft Auto character progression is determined by how big your criminal businesses are. In San Andreas, you can go to the gym to boost your character stats, but that's it. Your character is capable of everything from the beginning.

On the other hand, Cyberpunk 2077 has more traditional RPG elements. There are plenty of stats (but not too overwhelming), your character will level up, and you will be able to unlock new skills, traits, and new ways to use weapons. 

Here radicates the comparison with Skyrim. Your character also will gain experience points by sneaking, running, fighting with melee, fighting with ranged weapons, etc. Luckily, it doesn't have the traditional RPG game detriment of grinding levels and gears to be able to do more advanced missions. There are plenty of side missions at any level. Or you can stick to the main questline.

GTA combat mechanics always seemed kind of basic. Some melee weapons may vary their animations. There are plenty of weapons…and that's it. There isn't much depth in it, and it doesn't take much advantage of its third-person view in that regard. 

It was a standard back in Vice City and San Andreas times, but GTA V still has the same combat system and starts to feel very dated.

Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 can go insane. On the surface, it seems like another arcade shooter with some melee weapons choices. But if you include the crazy movement and parkour you can perform, switching between different weapons to kill, you will be playing in pure adrenaline. 

There are weapons with different firing modes, on-hit effects, and plenty of options. And you can go even crazier with the cybernetics implants, as there are traits that will enhance the gameplay for these special weapons. Suffice it to say that Cyberpunk 2077 has the upper hand here.

Both Claude and Tommy Vercetti have the same motivation as they embark on a quest for revenge against the mobsters trying to ruin their lives. Although Claude is forgettable, Tommy is more snarky and cool, completely focused on climbing up on the criminal empire to get rid of those who ambushed him in the past. It also gets a "plus" being voiced by Ray Liotta.

In San Andreas and GTA IV, the city and the context take more relevance, as they form a big part of CJ and Bellic's quests. They both try to leave behind their past criminal lives and gain some money doing good, but their past and injustice drive them into a more personal quest.

Meanwhile, GTA V centers more around Michael De Santa. Still, the three become constantly involved in illegal activities and situations that get out of control around Los Santos. All of this while they try to fix their personal lives.

The story-telling of these stories and the dialogues keeps you playing, as Rockstar knows how to deliver plenty of memorable moments.

V vs Arasaka Industries

Cyberpunk 2077 brought us a character exploration story with V. Like the GTA main characters, he/she is very close to the criminal life. But after the prologue, the main focus of the story shifts completely. V now needs to survive, and the people that are trying to capture him/her are the same ones that could save their life: Arasaka Industries.

Now the decision to become a legend in Night City or keep living with your loved ones is what drives V into a deep and personal quest, where you, as the player, will decide their ultimate fate.