While it may not have as many releases as other third-party publishers on the market, Rockstar Games has clearly defined quality over quantity with its releases. Over the years, they’ve become beloved favorites by its fans, whether they venture into the open world of Grand Theft Auto V, or take on the old West in Red Dead Redemption, or even play something a little more obscure, like Max Payne 3 or Oni on the PlayStation 2. (How many folks remember that gem?)
But what truly stands out as Rockstar Games’ finest release thus far? True, Red Dead Redemption 2 will take up a good chunk of time later this year, and a lot of people are saying Grand Theft Auto V right off the bat just because it sold like hotcakes. What about its other games, though?
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Let’s take a look at some prime examples of Rockstar’s best work, and then decide what was truly the publisher’s greatest game changer.
Red Dead Redemption
First off, Red Dead Redemption is as far as you can get from the Grand Theft Auto games. Sure, it’s similar in concept, with an open world where you can get into all sorts of trouble (like, for instance, tying someone to the train tracks and watching them get clobbered, just because). But its Western world is stunning, built from the ground up with authenticity in mind, and there’s tons to do, whether you’re following the main storyline (which is outstanding), taking part in multiplayer or even doing smaller things like playing cards or hunting. Not to mention that it has one of the best zombie expansions out there with Undead Nightmare.
People still enjoy Red Dead today, thanks to Xbox One backward compatibility and inclusion on the PlayStation Now service. That’s saying something – when a game that came out years ago still has what it takes to be a driving force, as well as more than enough reason to be excited for the sequel.
Also, can I just say this game has one of the best endings of all time? I won’t spoil it, but…damn.
Bully
“A school simulator?” some of you might be saying. “Why in the world would you nominate that?” Probably because Bully goes a lot deeper than you may realize. Sure, you could be a pain in the ass student if you choose to be – and who wouldn’t dream of that? But Bully presents other great opportunities as well, such as turning the tables on the principal with little actions, finding your first true love, and even engaging in smaller things like participating in classroom stuff.
We remember when Jack Thompson went after this game, calling it a bad influence on the gaming industry. But that was far from the case, as Bully went much, much deeper than “oh, let’s cause trouble with a kid from school.” And anyone who played it knows that – and wishes for the sequel just as much as us.
Max Payne 3
Some argument could be made here that the earlier Max Payne games produced by Remedy Entertainment are the superior ones in the series. But I’ll give Max Payne 3 the nod because it kind of leads to his redemption, in a way – and it does it in the most satisfying, action-packed game possible.
The story picks up with Max still drinking and trying to get over his losses, while trying to stay in one piece while working for an international group. What follows is some of the best shoot-em-up action we’ve seen from Rockstar to date, along with a conclusion that truly wraps up the Max Payne saga in style.
It may not have been Rockstar’s best-selling game, but it put a nice finishing touch on a series that helped define it in the first place.
Grand Theft Auto III
While we’re going to get to Grand Theft Auto V at some point on this list, we might as well first talk about the game that put Rockstar on the map in the first place – a 3D rendering of its Grand Theft Auto series that truly shook up the landscape. Introducing characters to the first time that we could actually care about, along with tons of shenanigans to execute in an open world, Grand Theft Auto III delivered a terrific amount of fun in its time.
Controversial? Sure, especially when you’ve got people going, “Why would you run over hookers?” But the game truly brought us an experience that couldn’t be matched, and Rockstar has since built upon it with superb sequels, including Vice City, San Andreas and, of course, V. And we’d like to think that L.A. Noire was kind of inspired by it, too, despite being developed by an entirely different team.
Smuggler’s Run 2
Now you’re probably wondering why a game like this gets a nod and not, for example, Midnight Club. While those underground racing games were great (and pretty wide open with the Los Angeles expansion), they didn’t have quite the pay-off that Smuggler’s Run 2 had in its day.
Developed by the now-defunct Angel Studios, Smuggler’s had plenty of exciting racing fun packed into it, all into beautiful open-world levels where you could explore in-between your cargo deliveries. Not only that, but it created some great chase scenarios, where you could pretty much have the entire Mexican patrol on your tail if you really wanted, only to get away time and time again.
And the game also had great local multiplayer, so you could take on a friend and see who could truly rule the road.
While Smuggler’s Run 2 may not be Rockstar’s biggest seller, it’s an underrated gem that still, ahem, comes through with delivery to this day.
Grand Theft Auto V
Yes, let’s get to the big one. Grand Theft Auto V has sold 90 million copies since its release, and there are several good reasons why.
First off, its single player campaign is easily one of the best around. Telling the story of three troubled men in their time was really something, especially Trevor, who’s the kind of balls-out insane that we just don’t see in games anymore. Not to mention the fact that the story can end several ways, depending on what choices you make.
Secondly, the upgraded Xbox One/PS4/Steam versions actually mean something, instead of just being straight-up ports. The inclusion of a first-person perspective really changes things up – and makes certain scenarios worth going through again.
Finally, Grand Theft Auto Online. C’mon, it’s really something when you can jump into an online mode and try something different each time, from Transform Races to heists to just hanging out in your apartment and getting drunk. Now that’s a tour-de-force.
So What Wins?
Well, first off, as terrific as Smuggler’s Run 2 and Max Payne 3 are, they’re cult favorites at best, so they probably don’t make the list for Rockstar’s best. That said, you should definitely check them out when you can.
Bully speaks volume on the social side of things, though its activities are somewhat limited compared to what you can do in other games. But, again, worth checking out, and it is backwards compatible on Xbox One – and you can get it online for a pretty good price.
Grand Theft Auto III is a solid choice, and was truly a game-changer for Rockstar in its time. But it’s since been eclipsed by even better games, particularly San Andreas, which is a fan favorite. So it’s out, even though we still truly love it.
So that leaves two key choices – Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption. GTA V should win in its own right just because it’s packed with so much to do, especially when you hop into the Online portion of the game. But that would be discounting all the tremendous stuff you can do within Red Dead, particularly when it comes to reaching the Undead Nightmare portion of the game. It’s good stuff.
But, at the end of the day, it’s all about looking at the value of the package as a whole. We wouldn’t dare discount Red Dead by any means in this regard – you could still play it and find plenty of awesome stuff to do.
You just can’t beat GTA though. It’s easily Rockstar’s most triumphant effort at this point. Just look at the sales charts. Four years after its release, and it’s still a top ten favorite. And GTA Online continues to see massive updates week after week, between the Smuggler’s Run inspired mode and little things like vehicles and new modes to enjoy. And the company remains just as dedicated as ever to keeping it fresh, even in the face of Red Dead‘s eventual release.
So the overall winner is…GTA V. But don’t feel bad, Red Dead Redemption and the other games on this list. You’ve all created a reputation for Rockstar Games that continues to remain unmatched, and will drive the company to strong releases to come in the future. And that includes unmentioned games like Manhunt, Oni and, yes, Table Tennis – they’re awesome in their own right.
Robert’s Take: This list took a good amount of time to put together – and even so, some might argue that I mentioned Max Payne 3 instead of San Andreas. But I didn’t want to dominate the list with all things GTA – although that would make a good list in the future at some point.
I figured between mentioning obscure favorites that stand out for a lot of fans, as well as popular favorites that continue to sell well today, I’d find that balance that really shows what Rockstar is all about. And I believe I succeeded there.
