Rockstar Games has one of the best reputations in the video games industry, with decades of high-quality releases predominantly coming from its flagship franchise, Grand Theft Auto. The GTA franchise took the gaming industry by storm when it found its groove in the 2000s, and it has gone from strength to strength since, becoming a significant pop culture icon known by those who have never touched a video game controller.
5 Grand Theft Auto Games That Changed The Franchise The Most
The following Grand Theft Auto games deserve recognition and respect for the innovations they brought to the franchise.
However, Rockstar Games is far from being solely about GTA, as the American company wasn't afraid to branch out with new IPs in the 2000s, taking the GTA formula in new directions or delving into entirely different genres. Many of the company's games have stood the test of time and can today be described as masterpieces.
Max Payne
Early-2000s Action at Its Best
Max Payne
- Released
- July 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
The Max Payne trilogy is a great example of Rockstar Games proving that it is not a one-trick pony and can release high-quality games outside of the open-world sandbox genre. All three games in the Max Payne trilogy offer enjoyable action-packed experiences, with well-realised stories complementing the Matrix-inspired gameplay that, like many Rockstar games, favours fun over realism, with players diving in slow motion to avoid bullets while dual-wielding pistols.
It's the first game in the trilogy, 2001's Max Payne, that gets the nod for this list, as it laid the foundations for the neo-noir series and, although the second and third games made various improvements, the original game, developed by Remedy Entertainment, remains remarkably cohesive and confident; a self-contained masterpiece whose impact and atmosphere haven’t dimmed with age.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The First of Many GTA Masterpieces
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Released
- October 29, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto 3 is the game that changed everything for Rockstar by implementing the open world sandbox style of gameplay that the IP is so synonymous with today, but it is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City that can be called a masterpiece as it built upon the foundations that GTA 3 laid with layers of vibrance, personality, and more varied gameplay such as letting players get behind the wheel of far more vehicle types, and earn money via purchasing property or businesses.
8 2000s Open-World Games That Aged Like Fine Wine
The 2000s saw the release of some incredible open-world games. Out of them all, however, these titles have arguably aged the best.
Akin to the other older games on this list, there's no doubt that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City shows its age, but the sign of a masterpiece is a game that is so enjoyable to a player that the quality shines through the cracks like a famous old painting, and that's certainly the case here.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
A Pioneer of Open-World Sandbox Games
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
Rockstar Games caught lightning in a bottle twice when they released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas just two years after the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
San Andreas flipped the script from the vibrant 1980s Miami setting of Vice City, with gritty 1990s gang warfare set in three locations based on Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. Unlike previous games, though, the game wasn't just set in cities, as it let players venture out into small towns, the countryside, and deserts. San Andreas is also notable for having light RPG mechanics, with the playable character, CJ, having stats like Stamina, Fat, and Muscle that can change best on how often players run, eat, and work out.
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix
Street Racing Perfection
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix
- Released
- March 13, 2006
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Mild Language, Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PlayStation 3
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix is the only game on this list that isn't a third-person shooter or third-person action-adventure game. Instead, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix is one of many street racing games of the 2000s - a genre that was huge at the time but has struggled to reach the same heights since. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix stood out among the once crowded genre with its superb driving controls, great visuals for the time, open-world maps based on real cities like the GTA games, and a memorable soundtrack that is a nostalgic listen for millions of gamers.
Dub Edition Remix is an expanded version of Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, featuring numerous new cars, licensed songs, and an improved version of the Tokyo map from Midnight Club 2.
Bully
"GTA in School" Is Still a Unique Experience
Bully
- Released
- October 17, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox
Bully took the GTA formula and took it back to school, with the protagonist, Jimmy Hopkins, being enrolled at Bullworth Academy boarding school. Like the GTA games, Bully takes a sideways, satirical look at society. In Bully's case, this is predominantly done by dividing children into stereotypes like Nerds, Bullies, and Jocks, giving the world great personality and humor.
8 Best Rockstar Games That Get Better As You Play, Ranked
These Rockstar games can initially be slow at times, but soon ramp up to the superb, adrenaline-pumping action the developer is known for.
As for the gameplay, Bully features a GTA-like mission structure, but also lets players attend classes in the form of mini-games; interact, bully, befriend, or get in romantic relationships with fellow students; and explore the small but well-designed open world that is packed with charm and charisma. There may never be another game like Bully again, which has helped preserve it as a one of a kind.
Red Dead Redemption
The GTA Formula Travels Back to 1911 with Tremendous Success
Red Dead Redemption
- Released
- May 18, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Adventure
Bully took the GTA formula back to school, and Red Dead Redemption took it all the way back to the Wild West at the time of its decline. It wasn't the first Red Dead game, as Red Dead Revolver was released six years earlier to a lacklustre reception by Rockstar Games' standards, but whereas Revolver was a linear game without an open-world or many other Rockstar staples, Red Dead Redemption embraced the GTA style and showed that it could work in an entirely different time period and setting.
The grounded narrative, open world map begging to be explored, combat, and side activities like Poker and dueling helped earn Red Dead Redemption a spot in Rockstar's hall of fame.
Grand Theft Auto 4
Rockstar's Aged but Still Glistening Crown Jewel
Grand Theft Auto 4
- Released
- April 29, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto 4 was released four years after the previous main series GTA release, which, believe it or not, was considered a long time back then. As such, there was a significant weight of expectations on its shoulders, and it didn't disappoint.
When GTA 5 was released, though, the perception of GTA 4 sharply declined for a time. GTA 5 was simply seen as a far bigger and better game than its predecessor, and some people even started to question if GTA 4 had been overrated. However, the game would have a renaissance in the years that followed, thanks to how different it is from the rest of the series, with its gritty, grounded story of an Eastern European war veteran trying to find his way in the US, only to be dragged into the criminal underworld. It may lack in the visual, world design, and side activity departments compared to other GTA games, but when treated as a single-player story-driven experience, it is among the best in the entire series.
L.A. Noire
An Imperfect but Masterful Detective Adventure
L.A. Noire
- Released
- May 17, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
L.A. Noire is a great example of how a game can be rough around the edges but still a masterpiece, like some golden artifact uncovered from beneath the earth.
7 Best Mobile Games Published By Rockstar, Ranked
While best known for their Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series, Rockstar Games has also published a number of titles for mobile platforms.
L.A. Noire has some of the Rockstar staples from games like GTA and Red Dead Redemption, but at its core, it's a detective game where players must find clues, question suspects, and read their facial expressions to determine if they're lying or telling the truth. These facial expressions sum up L.A. Noire in some ways, as they're not perfect and borderline bizarre at times, but they generally work well and offer such a unique gameplay dynamic that L.A. Noire has the one-of-a-kind feel of Bully that earns it a spot on this list.
Grand Theft Auto 5
The Game that Changed the Industry Forever
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Gamers knew that something special was coming when they saw the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 5. Golf, jet skiing, heists, mountain climbing, and a stunning world that looked alive even in a one and a half minute trailer.
The game promised the unbelievable and over-delivered, earning Rockstar Games eye-watering sums of money that proved once and for all, if there was still any doubt, that the gaming industry was an entertainment juggernaut comparable to the film and music industries. There's not much left to be said about GTA 5 that hasn't been spoken about already, and although the game may age ten years in ten days when GTA 6 releases, it has already secured its legacy as a masterpiece that forever changed the industry and raised the standards of AAA gaming.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar's Standards Show No Signs of Falling
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Red Dead Redemption 2 was the first full game released by Rockstar Games after the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto 5. As such, expectations were high before the first trailer had even been released. Like with GTA 5, though, Rockstar didn't crumble under the pressure or settle for a safe sequel; instead, Red Dead Redemption 2 went above and beyond with its bounty system, immersive shootouts, a gorgeous world that is a joy to explore leisurely and feels truly alive, and story that is today recognised as one of AAA gaming's best of all time thanks to the stellar writing and acting.
Red Dead Redemption 2 proved once again that Rockstar is best in class when it comes to taking players and pulling them into a tremendously well-realised world that surpasses anything that came before it.
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The PS2 is one of the best consoles ever made and many of the games published on it by Rockstar are as fun to play now as they ever were.