Rockstar Gameshas become, in recent years, arguably the biggest and baddest game developer of all time. Their games, save for a fewdefinitive editionshere and there, are almost guaranteed to be a massive, industry-changing hit, and rake in money like an excavator in a bank vault.
8 Best Grand Theft Auto Games of All Time
Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular video game franchises, and these games are the best in the series.
With the release of GTA 6 on the horizon, there’s no better time to take a look at the best Rockstar games that are basically all steps in the ladder to success for this behemoth of a developer to climb.
10Manhunt 2
The Banned, the Brutal, and the Infamous
Few games have sparked as much controversy as Manhunt 2. A sequel that doubled down on its predecessor’s shock factor, it was so violent that Rockstar had to edit it just to avoid an outright ban in several countries. But beneath the media outrage was a game that pushed stealth horror to its limits. Players take control of Daniel Lamb, a psychiatric patient suffering from amnesia, as he unravels a government conspiracy tied to secret experiments.
The game’s execution mechanics were its most infamous feature, requiring players to use their surroundings to finish off enemies in disturbingly creative ways. The longer players held their attacks, the more gruesome the kills became. Manhunt 2 was a rare Rockstar title that leaned into psychological horror, making it one of Rockstar’s most polarizing games and ensuring its place among Rockstar’s most infamous titles.
9Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Speeding Through Sunset
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Before Rockstar’s best video games were dominated by open-world crime sagas, the studio had its foot firmly on the gas with Midnight Club: Los Angeles. The last entry in the Midnight Club series delivered a sprawling recreation of Los Angeles, blending fast-paced street racing with an open-world city that never slept. As one of the true competitors to theNeed for Speed franchise, Midnight Club will be a series that will sorely be missed by fans of arcade racers.
Unlike many arcade racers of the time, Midnight Club: Los Angeles demanded precise handling and split-second decision-making, punishing mistakes with brutal crashes and aggressive AI. It was a love letter to illegal street racing, packed with hidden shortcuts and a dynamic day-night cycle that gave the city a life of its own. Though Rockstar has left the series in the rearview mirror, this game remains one of Rockstar’s most underrated classics.
8L.A Noire
Truth, Lies, and Doubt
A crime thriller unlike anything else on Rockstar’s best games list, L.A. Noire stood out with its detective gameplay, requiring players to analyze facial expressions to determine if suspects were lying. As Cole Phelps, a World War II veteran turned LAPD detective, players worked through various departments, uncovering a web of corruption in post-war Los Angeles.
The game’s innovative MotionScan technology created eerily realistic (and sometimes straight out of the uncanny valley) character animations, making interrogations feel tense and unpredictable. It wasn’t just about solving crimes, but also about unraveling Cole’s own past and dealing with the moral dilemmas of justice. Though its development was troubled, and its action elements were sometimes overshadowed by investigation mechanics, L.A. Noire remains a one-of-a-kind experience in Rockstar’s catalog of greatest games.
7Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
A Tragedy Told in Bullet Time
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2 was a full-blown noir masterpiece that refined every element of the original. The bullet-time gunplay was smoother, the game physics were enhanced thanks to the Havok engine, and the story was a haunting dive into love and loss. Max, now a broken NYPD detective, finds himself entangled in a conspiracy involving the femme fatale Mona Sax.
Every shootout felt like an action movie set piece, with slow-motion dives and dual-wielded pistols painting the grimy streets of New York. The game’s melancholic narrative, narrated through Max’s poetic inner monologues, made it a rare blend of emotional storytelling and adrenaline-pumping action. Though Rockstar took over the franchise after Remedy’s original, Max Payne 2 remains a high point in Rockstar’s ranked titles.
6Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Ah Sh*t, Here We Go Again
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Few games in history have left a mark as deep as GTA: San Andreas. It wasn’t just one of the best Grand Theft Auto games, but one of the best games ever. Set in the early ’90s, the game followed Carl “CJ” Johnson as he returned to his home in Los Santos, only to get caught up in gang wars, corrupt cops, and government conspiracies.
What made San Andreas revolutionary was its sheer scale. Players could drive across three massive cities, work out to change CJ’s physique, buy properties, and even take flying lessons, all on the measly hardware of a PS2. The RPG elements, combined with the game’s deep narrative, made it one of Rockstar’s greatest open-world games.
Outlaws to the End
Red Dead Redemption
Before Rockstar’s bestRed Dead Redemptiongame arrived in 2018, there was the original Red Dead Redemption, a Western epic that proved Rockstar could craft more than just crime sagas. Playing as John Marston, a former outlaw forced to hunt down his old gang, the game captured the final days of the Wild West with stunning authenticity.
Theopen worldwas alive with dynamic encounters, from bounty hunters tracking players down to strangers with hidden agendas. The game’s morality system allowed players to shape Marston’s legend, whether as a noble gunslinger or a ruthless outlaw. And then there was the ending, which was one of the most gut-wrenching finales in gaming history. This was the moment Rockstar proved it could create a story-driven masterpiece without relying on urban chaos.
4Grand Theft Auto 5
A Criminal Playground like No Other
Grand Theft Auto 5
No list of Rockstar’s top games would be complete without Grand Theft Auto 5, a game that not only broke sales records but redefined open-world gaming. Swapping a single protagonist for three, the story followed Michael, Franklin, and Trevor as they navigated the criminal underworld of Los Santos.
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The seamless character-switching mechanic was a technical marvel, allowing players to jump between missions and personalities on the fly. And then there was GTA Online, which transformed the game into an ongoing multiplayer juggernaut. Even years after its release, Los Santos remains one of the most populated and chaotic sandboxes in gaming history.
The Schoolyard Saga That Never Got a Sequel
One of Rockstar’s most unique games, Bully took the open-world formula and dropped it into a boarding school. Playing as Jimmy Hopkins, players navigated cliques, pulled pranks, and engaged in class-based mini-games that ranged from chemistry to English.
While Bully retained Rockstar’s signature satire and humor, it had a surprisingly heartfelt story about a troubled kid trying to find his place. The game’s unique setting and mechanics, from bicycle chases to schoolyard fistfights, made it a cult classic. To this day, fans still ask for a sequel, one that Rockstar has yet to deliver.
2Grand Theft Auto 4
The Tale Of Liberty City’s Fallen King
Grand Theft Auto 4
Dark, gritty, and deeply immersive, Grand Theft Auto 4 traded the bombastic chaos of its predecessor for a story steeped in realism. Niko Bellic’s journey from war-torn Eastern Europe to the American dream gone wrong was a stark departure from Rockstar’s usual protagonists. Liberty City felt alive, with pedestrians reacting dynamically and the physics engine making every car chase and shootout feel weighty.
While some fans missed the over-the-top antics of past entries, GTA 4 was one of Rockstar’s most critically acclaimed games, praised for its storytelling, world-building, and unforgettable characters like Roman, Brucie, and the ruthless Dimitri Rascalov.
The Definitive Western Masterpiece
Red Dead Redemption 2
There’s no doubt that Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar’s most ambitious game to date. A prequel to Red Dead Redemption, the game follows Arthur Morgan, a senior member of the Van der Linde gang, as he struggles with loyalty, survival, and his own morality.
The world was more detailed than any before it, with NPCs who remembered past encounters, a dynamic weather system, and wildlife that reacted realistically to player actions. Arthur’s story was both epic and deeply personal, showing the slow unraveling of an outlaw’s life as civilization closed in. It wasn’t just one of Rockstar’s top games, but a testament to how far video games had come as a storytelling medium.
7 Tips We Wish We Knew Before Playing Red Dead Redemption 2
By doing these 7 things, you can make things more streamlined and easier for you in your playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2.
