Rockstar is arguably one of the greatest video game development companies in the world. They single-handedly changed gaming forever with Grand Theft Auto 3, redefined what was possible with gaming storytelling, and consistently kept creating great open-world titles. While they have suffered some controversy as of late for their online business practices, they remain a top-tier development company.

Related

10 Rockstar Games Protagonists With The Most Tragic Lives, Ranked

Rockstar Games is a top-shelf company, releasing franchises with gripping stories and complex protagonists. Which "hero" got the rawest deal of all?

Rockstar Games has been around since 1998, and since that time, they've created some of the greatest video games out there. It's hard to pick the best Rockstar Games from the bunch, given that pretty much every game they've touched has turned into gold in the eyes of many. Still, there are some games that are better than others, with players adoring the sheer amount of love and effort put into making these titles come to life in the best way possible.

Updated on June 6, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Rockstar Games is a studio that most people are quite familiar with, with their work on series like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption being celebrated by the masses as some of the finest open-world games ever made. Of course, given the immense history of this company in the gaming industry, it's easy to see why there are many other amazing games developed by this studio throughout the years that deserve their time in the spotlight. Fans of this developer who want to check out their body of work would ideally want to check out the best of the bunch, of which there are many. Even their titles that may not hold up to the studio's standards of excellence are worth checking out for the unique ideas they bring to the table.

17 Grand Theft Auto 2

Metascore: 70

Rockstar is known for its technical excellence and innovation, so fans may surprised to know that there was a time when this company decided to rest on its laurels instead of innovating on what made them such a huge figure in the industry. Despite Grand Theft Auto 2's fun writing and gameplay, the title was simply too similar to its predecessor for most people to consider it to be a great evolution of the formula.

However, fans who want to enjoy the classic roots of the GTA franchise will love Grand Theft Auto 2 for being a fitting entry in the series, with its focus on arcade-y gameplay and chaotic action being pretty fun. To make things better, Rockstar took the criticisms of this game to heart and developed a sequel that set the foundation for modern open-world gaming that is still being followed to this day.

16 Manhunt

Metascore: 76

Most people know Manhunt for its controversial gameplay that was lambasted by mainstream media outlets for fetishizing violence. This outcry was part of the usual negative rhetoric surrounding video games at the time, and players are finally glad to see that this unnecessary hatred has died down since the game's release.

The stealth gameplay of Manhunt was truly riveting, and fans loved controlling James Earl Cash as he took out the many enemies trying to hunt him down. The story is easily one of Rockstar's finest narrative offerings and serves as one of the many reasons to check out this cult classic.

3:23

Related

GTA 5 Locations That Are Based On Real-Life

Like previous Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto 5 contains locations that are based on actual real-world places.

15 Midnight Club 3

Metascore: 85

Midnight Club 3 is a street racing game that puts players in the driver's seat of some of the world's most exotic cars and bikes. Featuring a massive open-world environment, customizable vehicles, and fast-paced action, Midnight Club 3 was praised for its exhilarating racing mechanics and stunning graphics.

The game's focus on arcade racing paid off in dividends, with the soundtrack being pretty brilliant in its own right. It's a shame that Rockstar hasn't decided to build up on this series despite the games being amazing to play through. While these hopes will never become a reality, most fans would be elated if Rockstar would announce a new Midnight Club game.

14 Max Payne 3

Metascore: 86

The third installment in the Max Payne series, Max Payne 3, sees the titular character battling his way through a gritty and violent underworld and shooting up bad guys across a host of locations. With cinematic storytelling, intense gunplay, and the signature bullet-time mechanic, Max Payne 3 was praised for its mature storytelling and innovative gameplay mechanics.

While some people found this title to be weaker than the other games in the series, the gameplay had definitely taken a turn for the better in every way. It was rather odd that the aiming for a game tailored towards consoles required immense precision, but fans could easily work around this issue by either perfecting their aim on controllers or using a mouse for pinpoint headshots.

13 Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Metascore: 87

An expansion pack to the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption, Undead Nightmare takes the game's Western setting and adds a supernatural twist, with players battling hordes of zombies across the frontier. The game features a new storyline, new weapons, and a variety of supernatural enemies to battle.

It also allows players to play as Zombie Marston after completing the game, which makes for a great reason to revisit the open world and see the hilarity of this undead character dealing with the many threats in this game. The title's unique spin on Red Dead Redemption's gameplay makes Undead Nightmare one of the best DLCs ever made.

12 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Metascore: 88

Set in the same universe as Grand Theft Auto 3, Liberty City Stories is a prequel to the classic game that takes place three years prior. Players take on the role of mobster Toni Cipriani as he navigates the seedy criminal underworld of Liberty City.

Related

Grand Theft Auto: 5 Most Lawful Good Characters

GTA is home to an array of questionable individuals, but not all of them are purely evil. Here are the most lawful good characters in the series.

The game features a vast open world with a wide variety of missions, vehicles, and weapons to explore. The fact that all of this was packed into the PSP and all its limitations was pretty impressive too. It helps that rising through the ranks of the Leone crime family is pretty satisfying as well.

11 Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad Of Gay Tony

Metascore: 89

• Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
• Released: October 29, 2009
• Genre: Action, Adventure

Grand Theft Auto 4 contained what are arguably the two greatest pieces of DLC ever released. One of these pieces was The Ballad of Gay Tony, an expansion pack that saw people playing as Gay Tony's bodyguard, Luis Fernando Lopez. The game was an enormous critical success, and many critics saw it as better than most full-price AAA video games.

The story was intriguing and wrapped up the events of GTA 4, it was filled with memorable characters, and the gameplay and lighthearted tone hearkened back to the sillier GTA days of old. When it comes to DLC, it doesn't get much better than this.

10 L.A. Noire

Metascore: 89

Developed in collaboration with Team Bondi, L.A. Noire is a detective-themed open-world game where players take on the role of detective Cole Phelps as he investigates a series of interconnected crimes. A huge part of the gameplay is utilizing the game's unique facial recognition technology to read the emotions and reactions of suspects and witnesses, which was truly groundbreaking at the time.

The game features a meticulously recreated 1940s Los Angeles, complete with historically accurate cars, fashion, and music. Fans of detective games will have a great time with this title, even if some people feel like the open world is a lot more barren compared to the offerings of Rockstar's first-party offerings.

9 Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost And Damned

Metascore: 90

• Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
• Released: February 17, 2009
• Genres: Action, Adventure

The Lost and Damned was Grand Theft Auto 4's first expansion pack and saw players taking on the role of a biker named Johnny Klebitz. Like the main game, this was a morose story that took itself far more seriously than prior GTA games, and it contained the glorious open-world gameplay everyone had all come to love.

Related

7 Game Sequels Rockstar Should Consider Making After Grand Theft Auto 6

There are plenty of titles in Rockstar's library that would make perfect sequel material...after GTA 6, of course!

It was just more of GTA 4, but that certainly wasn't a bad thing. However, it's interesting to note that the user score sits at just 8.0, as some people didn't care for the story or characters, while others thought that it was too short to justify its price.

8 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Metascore: 93

Chinatown Wars was originally released for the Nintendo DS. This game forgoes the traditional ground camera and instead employs a rotatable camera angled down at the action, reminiscent of the earlier GTA games.

The game was instantly praised as a worthy addition to the GTA canon, and it remains the highest-rated Nintendo DS game on Metacritic. When it comes to portable GTA, it really doesn't get much better than Chinatown Wars.

7 Red Dead Redemption

Metascore: 95

Rockstar was on an unbelievable high after finishing GTA 4, and everyone was praising them as the Gods of gaming. Their follow-up game was Manhunt 2, but that was a smaller project in comparison. So, what did the studio do for its next open-world opus? Go way back in time to the early 20th century and do a Western.

Most players are glad they did because Red Dead Redemption quickly became the quintessential Western video game. The characters, story, and open world were all praised, and it was called a more-than-worthy follow-up to GTA 4. John Marston was a great video game protagonist till the very end, and witnessing the roots of this character and what led him down this path in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a joy to witness with the context provided by this sublime open-world game.

6 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Metascore: 95

Even to this day, Vice City remains many fans' favorite Grand Theft Auto title. Tommy Vercetti made for a fantastic protagonist (and was wonderfully played by Ray Liotta), Vice City made for a colorful, exuberant, and exciting setting, the '80s aesthetic was both nostalgic and fun, and the soundtrack remains one the greatest soundtracks in the history of gaming.

Related

The Best Radio Stations in GTA 5

Grand Theft Auto 5's radio stations are a major asset for the game, with the best stations offering some of the soundtrack's finest.

It's a masterpiece of gaming, and it will make older gamers nostalgic as few other games can. There's just nothing like driving down Ocean Drive at night while listening to "Billie Jean." There's a reason why fans can't wait for Grand Theft Auto 6, with this title going back to the Miami setting and letting players experience the immaculate vibes of this classic title with a fresh coat of paint.

5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Metascore: 95

The Grand Theft Auto series deals with a truly great debate - Vice City or San Andreas? This game took a more serious approach to the story, portraying a hood gang in turmoil and a man looking to find and redeem himself after returning home following his mother's death.

While some people prefer Vice City, San Andreas was arguably the better map, as it was enormous, filled with interesting things to do, and served as a brilliant copy of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. It's also interesting to note that the user score sits at 9.2, 0.4 better than Vice City's 8.8, indicating that many people have given a slight edge to San Andreas. The fact that this game featured some surprisingly in-depth simulation and role-playing mechanics that added a lot of depth to the actions players took in-game is one of the many reasons people can't get enough of San Andreas to this day.

4 Grand Theft Auto 3

Metascore: 97

The game that started it all, Grand Theft Auto 3 is a historic title and is rightfully considered one of the GOATs. There was simply nothing like this game at the time. Not only was the open-world spectacular and unimaginably intricate, but the gameplay was so complex, responsive, and imaginative that it gave critics conniptions, with many calling it the greatest game ever made.

GTA 3 served as a major influence on gaming as a whole, and most people would be hard-pressed to find a critic who doesn't place it in their top five. It's an all-timer and possibly the most influential video game of all time. The fact that major AAA open-world games still don't hold a candle to this masterful title is a testament to how ahead of its time Grand Theft Auto 3 really was.

3 Grand Theft Auto 5

Metascore: 97

Speaking of all-timers, Grand Theft Auto 5 is a prime example of one. Not only did it receive nearly unanimous perfect scores, but it became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, broke numerous industry records, and has since become one of the highest-selling video games ever. It's a bonafide cultural phenomenon, and it remains just as relevant today as it was back in the autumn of 2013.

Related

Grand Theft Auto: 14 Best Female Characters, Ranked

Not all of the best Grand Theft Auto characters are men. Here are some of the best women who play a part in the series.

Sure, a huge reason why this game is still relevant stems from its online component, but that should take nothing away from the brilliant writing and gameplay of this title. Switching between protagonists on the fly is an engrossing gameplay mechanic that players can't get enough of, making it clear to many why so many people hold this game in high regard to this day.

2 Red Dead Redemption 2

Metascore: 97

It had been five years since Rockstar's last game, as they were busy swimming in their pools of cash. But they were actually busy creating one of the most immersive video games of all time - Red Dead Redemption 2. This game was considered even better than the first, with many critics drawing attention to its lifelike animations and physics, incredible sense of realism, and engrossing story that is often considered one of the best in gaming history.

While some people took umbrage with the slow pace of the game, problematic bounty system, and outdated mission mechanics, it's a small oversight in what is otherwise one of the most technically proficient games Rockstar has ever developed. A major complaint about Rockstar Games that was echoed time and time again was their disjointed narratives, and Red Dead Redemption 2 put all this criticism to rest with one of the finest video game narratives to death that focuses on Arthur Morgan's journey of redemption.

1 Grand Theft Auto 4

Metascore: 98

A game many people consider to be Rockstar's magnum opus is Grand Theft Auto 4. This game did for the seventh generation what GTA 3 did for the sixth, as it wonderfully updated the open-world mechanics and presented a gorgeous, lifelike, and absolutely massive world unlike anything seen in gaming at the time.

Add in the surprisingly deep, rich, and complex story, and here's a recipe for what is arguably the greatest video game ever made. That being said, many people didn't like the slow pace (again) and more serious and downbeat tone. When it comes to the general audience, the series and Rockstar as a whole seemed to peak with San Andreas.

More

8 Subtle Details You May Have Missed in the Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer

The Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer has already been viewed by tens of millions of people, but not everybody will have noticed these subtle details.