Top 20 Best Rockstar Games
Top 20 Rockstar Games
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Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Rockstar Games. For this list, we’ll be looking at the legendary video game company’s entire library, including titles it developed and/or published. Got a favorite Rockstar game that didn’t make the cut? Think we ranked a certain “GTA” game too high (or too low)? Let us know in the comments below.
#20: “Red Dead Revolver” (2004)
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Compared to the outright masterpieces that would follow it, the debut “Red Dead” game is something of the black sheep of the franchise. In other words, this isn’t a gorgeously-detailed open-world epic. But that doesn’t mean it’s without merit. Originally a Capcom-funded title developed by Angel Studios, Revolver came under the Rockstar umbrella after Take-Two acquired the studio in 2002. Unlike its more realistic sequels, this game was an arcadey take on the Old West complete with a linear mission structure and boss battles. Fans who jumped into the series at “Red Dead Redemption” probably don’t need to bother going back to check this one out, but it’s still a decent cowboy shooter in its own right.
#19: “Max Payne” (2001)
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While it only published the console ports, we’re still considering the original “Max Payne” a Rockstar title given the company’s close involvement with the rest of the franchise. This was a groundbreaking action game for its time, featuring innovative matrix-style gunplay and a story rooted in the noir detective tropes. Unfortunately, a number of issues held it back from true greatness. As intriguing as the story was, it was presented poorly with bad audio and ugly graphic novel style cutscenes. The pacing is also broken up by annoying nightmare sequences that force you into bad platforming challenges. Despite these problems, “Max Payne” established Remedy Entertainment as a leading developer in the third-person action genre and is a game well worth revisiting.
#18: “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories” (2006)
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A prequel to the original “Vice City,” this portable trip to the fictional “Miami” expanded on its predecessor without breaking the mold. Like “Liberty City Stories” before it, this game took the “GTA” experience and brought it over mostly intact to the PlayStation Portable. In many ways, it’s a better game too, as “Vice City Stories” made some technical improvements and introduced an overhauled (though still flawed) combat system. That said, it came out at a time when the “GTA” series was due for a much-needed refresh and it was hard to get excited for a title that mostly delivered more of the same. While it’s still one of the better games in the PSP library, Rockstar has put out far more memorable games since.
#17: “Midnight Club II” (2003)
Despite releasing two years after the first “Fast and Furious” movie, good street racing games like “Midnight Club II” were few and far between in 2003. Developed by Rockstar San Diego, this arcade racer was blisteringly fast and hard to master. In order to succeed, players had to become intimately familiar with the game’s detailed recreations of Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo. It’s also one of the few games of its kind to offer RPG-like progression, as you unlocked new tricks and additional nitrous boosts as you progressed. While future titles in the series would tighten up the core mechanics and introduce cars from real manufacturers, “Midnight Club II” proved that the series could compete with the best arcade racers on the market.
#16: “Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories” (2005)
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By fall 2005, Sony’s PSP was going strong but still lacked a killer app. While one could debate whether “Liberty City Stories” qualified as one, Rockstar’s portable “GTA” title was an impressive technical showcase for Sony’s first handheld. This was a full-fledged “Grand Theft Auto” experience on-the-go, with surprisingly few compromises. Sure, the controls were a bit awkward thanks to the PSP lacking a second analog stick but it was a small price to pay for what was otherwise a AAA handheld game. That said, time hasn’t been kind to “Liberty City Stories” and there’s little reason to go back to its dull missions and lackluster story now when there are so many better “GTA” games out there.
#15: “Midnight Club: Los Angeles” (2008)
Arguably one of the best arcade racers of the seventh generation, “Midnight Club: LA” is a cult classic in some ways. Part of that has to do with the fact Rockstar has yet to release a follow-up, but even in 2008, it felt like this game was overshadowed by more popular racing games like “Burnout Paradise” and “Need for Speed” (take your pick). That’s a shame because like previous entries in the series, “Midnight Club: LA” offers thrilling street races and excellent online multiplayer. The choice to limit players to one city was disappointing at first, but the game’s version of LA is stunningly realized. While the excessive difficulty level does hurt its appeal a bit, this is still one of Rockstar’s finest racing games.
#14: “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars” (2009)
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Rockstar has largely avoided Nintendo consoles over the years, but the company made a major exception in 2009. Set in the same Liberty City as “GTA IV,” “Chinatown Wars” is an impressive hybrid of “GTA’s” 2D era titles and the modern 3D ones. Although its top-down style recalls the oldest titles in the series, it plays more like “GTA III” or “IV.” The familiar mission format is complemented by activities that take advantage of the DS’s unique hardware, such as touch screen minigames and local multiplayer support. There’s even a dealing system that’s so good, it’s hard to believe it hasn’t been carried over into other games in the series. All-in-all, “Chinatown Wars” isn’t just a great handheld game; it’s a great “GTA” game, period
#13: “Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne” (2003)
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Expanding on the neo-noir action of the first game, this sequel brought some much-needed tweaks to the core gameplay while tightening up the overall presentation. Developer Remedy Entertainment doubled down on the “bullet time” shooting mechanics that made the first game such a hit while also implementing a new physics engine to enhance the overall action. While the presentation is dated by modern standards, “Max Payne 2” still weaves an engaging narrative featuring romance and a compelling mystery. The biggest knocks against it are arguably its linear structure and short length, as the game can be completed in under a dozen hours. Regardless, there’s still a lot to enjoy here, especially if you’re a fan of Remedy’s later games like “Alan Wake” and “Quantum Break.”
#12: “Grand Theft Auto III” (2001)
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It’s not an exaggeration to say this is one of the most important games of all time. While open-world sandbox games had been done before “Grand Theft Auto III,” none offered the level of immersion and freedom of Rockstar’s crime opus. The ability to go wherever you wanted in a sprawling city was a novel enough gameplay hook on its own, but Rockstar also gave players the tools to let their inner id take over. Carjackings and wanton violence were the name of the game and these mature elements established Rockstar as a company that courted controversy in its software. While later “GTA” titles and the open-world genre as a whole have evolved well beyond “GTA III’s” outdated systems and tech, its legacy is bulletproof.
#11: “Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition” (2005)
The best installment in an underrated series, “Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition” is one of the undisputed kings of street racing video games. Partnering with DUB magazine, Rockstar San Diego introduced real-world vehicles for the first time in the franchise and gave players a variety of ways to tune and customize them. The studio also wisely broke away from the sometimes hokey tone of “MCII,” delivering a more serious and respectful take on import-tuner culture. The difficulty spikes were also addressed, making this arguably the most balanced game in the series. If Rockstar ever decides to resurrect the “Midnight Club” brand, this is the game to beat.
#10: “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” (2002)
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Exchanging the rain-soaked streets of Liberty City for the sunny beaches of South Florida, Rockstar’s follow-up to “GTA III” is arguably one of the company’s most beloved games. “Vice City” is a love letter to the glitz and glam of the 1980s, with everything from the clothing to the stellar soundtrack evoking nostalgia for the bygone decade. While fundamentally the same game as its predecessor, “Vice City” introduced enough new elements to keep things fresh. The addition of motorcycles and helicopters ensured that players could approach any situation by land, sea, or air. Like most of Rockstar’s PS2-era titles, this one is quite rough, but it will always be worth returning to a game that lets you play as a character voiced by Ray Liotta.
#9: “The Warriors” (2005)
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Since most movie tie-in games are rush jobs, it came as a bit of a shock when Rockstar tackled the 1979 cult film “The Warriors” -- and even more of a surprise when it turned out to be good. Featuring a well-tuned combat system, this beat-em-up perfectly captured the mood and style of its source material while finding ways to expand upon the film’s story. One could argue the game is a worthy accompanying text, as it details how the titular gang came together. There’s even an excellent two-player co-op mode thrown into the mix! Really, the only bad thing you could say about “The Warriors” is that there aren’t enough games like it in Rockstar’s catalog, as the company hasn’t made a licensed game since.
#8: “Grand Theft Auto IV” (2008)
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Upon release, Niko Bellic’s dark pursuit of the American Dream was hailed by many as a generational masterpiece. The general consensus these days seems to be that it’s overhyped and simply not as much fun as other games in the series. While there is truth to this, there’s also quite a bit to like about this dreary crime epic. The aforementioned Niko is a complex protagonist who -- let’s face it -- is a better leading man than “GTA V’s” main trio. Liberty City is also an incredibly rendered recreation of New York City and arguably set a new benchmark for open-world environments. Factor in the game’s two sizable expansions (particularly “The Ballad of Gay Tony”) and “GTA IV” remains a flawed yet misunderstood classic.
#7: “Max Payne 3” (2012)
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Nearly a decade after the fall of “Max Payne,” Rockstar returned with a sequel few could have foreseen. Original developers Remedy were out, with Rockstar fully taking over the reins. Ditching the noir detective framework of its predecessors, “Max Payne 3” finds its titular antihero working as private security for a wealthy South American family. What follows can best be described as an interactive Tony Scott film. While a bit overlong, it has some of the best shootout setpieces of any Rockstar game and even finds a way to carry over the bullet-time gameplay to a surprisingly good online multiplayer. With its top-notch presentation and slick action, Max Payne 3 is one heck of a way to close out the series.
#6: “L.A. Noire” (2011)
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In a nutshell, “L.A. Noire” is greater than the sum of its parts. The one and only game released by the now-defunct Team Bondi, this 1940s detective drama could well be described as boring, slow, and more than a little shallow. The shooting and driving are a step back from what you’ll find in a “GTA” title and the central interrogation mechanics are fundamentally flawed. And yet, “L.A. Noire” remains a singular experience thanks to its unique presentation and atmosphere. The MotionScan facial animation is still impressive even a decade later. Sure, it regularly dips into uncanny valley territory, but being able to accurately read emotions on a video game character’s face is an intriguing gameplay mechanic that too few games have replicated.
#5: “Red Dead Redemption” (2010)
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Rockstar didn’t have to try hard to make the best Western game ever, as the genre was sorely lacking back in 2010. But few could have predicted that “Grand Theft Horse” would set a new standard for open-worlds and narrative-driven games. As former outlaw John Marston, players are taken on a journey through the Old West filled with expansive plains, border towns, and a whole lotta gunslingin’. Rockstar wisely took its storytelling cues from the great Western canon, as “Red Dead Redemption” is at once an homage to classic films and an original work with new things to say. Sure, the Mexico arc is a bit of a drag, but it’s all made up for with a quietly devastating finale that ranks among gaming’s finest.
#4: “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004)
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While it’s no longer true from a technical standpoint, “San Andreas” still feels like the “biggest” “GTA” game. The game was such a massive step up from both “III” and “Vice City,” with an entire state for players to cause mayhem in. On a small scale, the game is an homage to 90s gang movies like “Boyz n the Hood.” But it’s also a genre-bending epic filled with backcountry treks, government conspiracies, and even RPG mechanics. The sheer variety of things to do and see remains staggering to this day, as you won’t find many games that mix street-level gang warfare with jetpack joyrides and casino heists. The mechanics and visuals may scream 2004, but San Andreas’ scope and sheer audacity remain timeless.
#3: “Bully” (2006)
Many people didn’t know what to make of “Bully” in 2006. Was it as a game that glorified youth violence or “Grand Theft Auto” for kids? As it turns out, both of these conclusions were far off the mark. At its core, “Bully” is a game about adolescence and all the fun and frustration that comes with it. Despite what the title would have you believe, Jimmy Hopkins isn’t really a bully; he’s just a misunderstood kid trying to navigate the social circles and oppressive authority figures in his orbit. Thanks in part to the “Scholarship Edition” release on PS3 and Xbox 360, “Bully” arguably holds up better than any of Rockstar’s PS2 era titles and worth picking up if you haven’t had the chance.
#2: “Red Dead Redemption 2” (2018)
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It’s a sequel, it’s a prequel … it’s yet another Rockstar masterwork. Much like its protagonist Arthur Morgan and his adopted family of outlaws, “Red Dead Redemption II” is a game stuck between the past and future. While it’s a technical marvel that set new benchmarks for long-form narratives in gaming, its mechanics are creaky and unintuitive to a fault. It’s a game that deserves accolades for its slavish attention to detail and criticism for the reported “crunch time” that went into its construction. But what can’t be denied is that “Red Dead Redemption II” is one of the most impressive achievements in modern game design and emblematic of everything Rockstar does to set itself apart from other companies in the space.
#1: “Grand Theft Auto V” (2013)
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“GTA V” has evolved beyond what it initially was. Back in 2013, it was yet another impressive Rockstar open-world game, although its story felt a bit lacking compared to prior entries in the series. However, no one, not even Rockstar, could have predicted the seismic impact of “GTA Online.” For the better part of a decade, this has been one of the best-selling and most played games of all time, with millions upon millions of players around the world devoting countless hours to Rockstar’s digital playground. Even if the servers were shut down tomorrow, you’d still have a massive open-world single-player campaign that ranks among Rockstar’s finest. That is a remarkable achievement and it’s why this remains the best overall game Rockstar has ever made.
