The 25 Best Rockstar Games, Ranked

• Metacritic Metascore: 68

As the GTA series ushered in a bold new 3D era on consoles in 2001, the aged Game Boy Advance surprisingly received its own Grand Theft Auto attempt in 2004's overlooked prequel Grand Theft Auto Advance. GTA Advance ambitiously aims to recreate the look and feel of Grand Theft Auto III using the classic top-down perspective of earlier franchise entries to mixed results. Though technically impressive for the handheld platform, GTA Advance suffers from dated design and frustrating controls that fail to capture the open-ended, seamless gameplay experience that defines its console counterparts. Unable to leverage the strengths of either old or contemporary GTA titles into something worthwhile, the unremarkable GTA Advance has become more of a historical curiosity rather than an essential chapter of this blockbuster series.

• Metacritic Metascore: 69

Hoping to court controversy once more, Rockstar returned to the Manhunt franchise in 2007 with the punishingly hard Manhunt 2, but the magic of the original failed to carry over into the disappointing sequel set years later in a different continuity. While the first game devastated expectations, the second lacked the immersion of the original, and mobility limitations and dated shooting felt at odds with the game's genuinely disturbing stealth kills. Shoddy mechanics alongside superficial graphic violence couldn’t capture the potent psychological horror that the original managed, all while managing to say much less about the nature of violence. With unfocused design decisions, Manhunt 2 feels more like the work of imitators rather than innovators.

• Metacritic Metascore: 74

Though it kickstarted Rockstar’s foray into the Western genre, the more linear 2004 release Red Dead Revolver hasn’t quite held up to the ambition and scope of its iconic sequels in retrospect, lacking the immersive open-world design and multilayered mechanics fans have come to expect today. However, Red Dead Revolver still brought Rockstar’s signature stylish gunplay and gritty spaghetti Western tone to consoles for the first time. With its multiple playable protagonists out for frontier justice filled with twists and colorful characters, Red Dead Revolver established a focused, coherent, and vengeful narrative backbone centered on retribution that informed Rockstar’s strong storytelling in later games. Its tangible themes of loyalty and family drama amidst tragedy stand the test of time even if its missions unfold more straightforwardly by modern comparisons.

• Metacritic Metascore: 77

Although it offers more mission and vehicle variety than the original Smuggler's Run, Smuggler’s Run 2: Hostile Territory also clearly exposed the limitations of the franchise’s core concepts, especially after releasing just a week after genre-redefining trailblazer Grand Theft Auto III. This made Smuggler’s Run 2 feel instantly outdated, lacking the narrative weight, gameplay innovation, and immersive worldbuilding of what modern Rockstar open worlds could achieve. However, the sequel deserves some credit for refining its physics engine to new heights for the time alongside underrated multiplayer modes, even if hopping dunes now feels decidedly mundane. While a technical step forward, Smuggler’s Run 2 lacked the breakthrough vision or lasting influence to ever join Rockstar’s upper echelon of games. 

• Metacritic Metascore: 79

As a PS2 launch title, Smuggler's Run offered a taste of the hardware’s potential with an ambitiously wide open world rare for its time centered on underground contraband driving missions from the criminal’s perspective. However, while its sprawling, vacant environments and illegal themes somewhat resemble modern Rockstar titles, Smuggler’s Run is ultimately held back by its technically impressive yet hollow core.

Driving gameplay often feels like little more than a monotonous showcase tour of the graphics engine and the gameplay mechanics feel sparse to downright mundane by today’s standards once the initial sheen of 2000-era nostalgia wears off. Still, Smuggler's Run deserves some credit for being ahead of its time in scope and subject matter even if it failed to make the most of the tools at its disposal for crafting an equally thrilling gameplay experience rather than just a superficially eye-catching one.

• Metacritic Metascore: 78

Midnight Club: Street Racing sped onto PlayStation 2 in 2000 and established an arcade foundation for the eventual genre juggernaut franchise built around illegal street racing culture. Letting players race through New York and London in various unlocked vehicles, its quick pace was a revelation despite barebones tracks and modes that feel repetitive in hindsight. And while the original Midnight Club hasn’t aged as gracefully as its sequels that iterated on physics, customization, and multiplayer over subsequent generations, the inaugural street racer still deserves credit for kicking off the fast-paced franchise.

• Metacritic Metascore: 81

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis was released during the early days of the Xbox 360, and was built mostly to show off the console's technical prowess at the time. The game leveraged the Xbox 360's capabilities to deliver stunningly realistic graphics and fluid animations, showcasing what the then-new console could achieve. Its detailed character models and immersive environments were a significant leap forward, and the game's responsive gameplay mechanics and physics engine also highlighted the advanced processing power of the Xbox 360, resulting in smooth and realistic table tennis simulation. Despite its departure from Rockstar's typical action-packed titles, Table Tennis is a hidden gem, offering both casual and hardcore gamers a surprisingly deep and satisfying sports experience that showcases the technical possibilities of early seventh-generation console gaming.

• Metacritic Metascore: 81

As the final Midnight Club entry from Rockstar, Midnight Club: Los Angeles ambitiously took street racing to an expansively detailed recreation of the city while introducing dynamic time/weather systems to races for the first time in the franchise. But while the sheer scale impresses, and the multiplayer supported 16 players for the first time, Midnight Club: Los Angeles fails to live up to the series highpoint, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix, as overly slippery vehicle handling undercuts the satisfying driving. Still, ambitious additions like customizable vinyl wraps and interior mods capture gearhead dreams. As a fitting finale for the Midnight Club series, Midnight Club: Los Angeles pulls some punches but still retains enough high-octane style befitting the franchise's bombastic signature before it was put on an unfortunate indefinite hiatus by Rockstar.

• Metacritic Metascore: 85

Transporting players to 1970s New York City, Rockstar Games brought the iconic gang film The Warriors to gritty life in 2005 with smart adaptation choices preserving the spirit of the cult classic movie. Battling through locations from Coney Island to Central Park, players engage in the same turf skirmishes and tense standoffs while trying to clear the Warriors’ name when they’re falsely accused of murdering a rival gang lord.

Though dialogue and cutscenes propel the stylish narrative forward, The Warriors shines brightest when it hands players control across missions capturing the film’s most memorable moments with an impressive amount of fan service touches sure to delight fans. Equal parts brawler and stealth thriller during an era when licensed games were often disappointing, Rockstar hit the mark by foregoing a total movie rehash in favor of delivering an immersive, playable episode true to The Warriors' unmistakable attitude and charm.

• Metacritic Metascore: 85

Where later franchise entries raised the bar for realistic licensed vehicles, Midnight Club II doubled down on over-the-top personality through its cast of quirky underground racing characters in cities like Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo. Backdrops and race events encourage creative shortcuts with open-world flexibility, a revelation for arcade racing in 2003. And while cars may skew generic, the franchise's signature electronic and hip hop maintain adrenaline just like its predecessor, but faster, flashier, and with more customization options that push the limits of style. Midnight Club II set the stage for the series' mainstream breakout by preserving raw fun over realism, capturing mainstream attention for illegal street racing right before the franchise shifted gears toward more complex racing simulation.

• Metacritic Metascore: 85

Bringing street racing to new heights of realism and customization, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix is the definitive way to get your illegal driving fix without worrying about the cops. The third entry in Rockstar's arcade racing series lets you tear through fully realized cities like Atlanta and Detroit in licensed tricked-out rides while hip-hop beats blare, with enhanced vehicle physics and damage bringing white knuckle thrills. New team-based online modes back up the solo career mode featuring various race events and challenges to rank up, along with unlockable cosmetic and performance upgrades letting you personalize whips for show and go. Thanks to high-end visuals showcasing aftermarket car culture and high frame rate performance, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix shifts into overdrive as the most comprehensive street racer for fans of imported cars and ear-splitting engines.

• Metacritic Metascore: 86

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories elevates the portable gaming experience, bringing a near-PS2 quality Grand Theft Auto adventure to the PSP. This prequel to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City not only revisits the beloved '80s-themed locale with its captivating sights and sounds but also surpasses the original in several key areas, including enhanced combat mechanics and the ability to swim. While it respectfully nods to its predecessor, Vice City Stories is in many ways a mechanically superior iteration, offering a deep and comprehensive GTA experience that impressively bridges the gap between handheld and console gaming.

• Metacritic Metascore: 86

In Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, the series takes a bold step forward, blending its signature noir aesthetic with a more emotionally resonant story. The game's narrative, delving into the complex dynamics between Max and Mona Sax, is both engrossing and well-crafted, despite being shorter than its predecessor. The absence of anything like the original's iconic nightmare sequences is noticeable, yet this sequel compensates for this with its refined 'bullet time' mechanics, adding a cinematic flair to the action that remains a standout feature. The visual storytelling is top-notch, enhancing the game's dark, atmospheric mood. While it might not reach the heights of the original, Max Payne 2 still stands as a solid entry in the franchise, successfully maintaining the high standard of storytelling and gameplay that fans had come to expect from the franchise.

• Metacritic Metascore: 86

Max Payne 3 marks a distinct departure from its predecessors by setting the action in the vibrant yet dangerous streets of São Paulo, Brazil. trading the grimy New York noir setting for a brighter, yet no less treacherous backdrop. The game retains its core third-person shooter mechanics but introduces a more dynamic and fluid combat system that feels distinctly modern. The narrative, while still steeped in the series' trademark dark themes, unfolds with a new intensity, reflecting Max's descent into a chaotic world far from his comfort zone. This bold shift in setting and tone might surprise long-time fans, but Max Payne 3 still delivers the intense action and deep storytelling that the franchise is celebrated for, giving the character a proper sendoff. 

• Metacritic Metascore: 87

Transporting players back to school, Rockstar Games took a tonal departure from its more famous crime sagas to craft the more lighthearted yet still rebellious open-world adventure Bully. Set within the social hierarchies of Bullworth Academy. Players take on the role of new misfit student Jimmy Hopkins, who is looking to navigate cliques and bullies. As Jimmy, you can forge alliances and rivalries with a memorable cast while pulling pranks and getting in trouble across platforming missions, driving in go-kart races, and more.

Though Bully explores some heavy subject matter around adolescence beneath cartoonish hijinks, Rockstar’s signature wit and stylistic worldbuilding shine through the conflicted coming-of-age tale rooted in power dynamics and social status. Anchored by strong writing and characters, Bully blended humorous antics with empathetic themes for an unprecedented interactive teen experience that likely aged better than your high school experience.

• Metacritic Metascore: 88

Bringing the criminal sandbox gameplay of Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to the small screen, 2005's Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories impressed as one of the PSP's most technically accomplished launch titles. Set in the same rendition of Liberty City as GTA III but a few years earlier, Liberty City Stories lets players assume the role of Toni Cipriani as he rises through the ranks of the Leone crime family. Though understandably stripped down given its portable platform, Liberty City Stories managed to retain the core mayhem and social satire GTA is known for alongside fun new additions like gang wars and multiplayer. More than just a watered-down handheld experience, Liberty City Stories proved Rockstar could shrink the GTA formula for on-the-go bouts of missions and murder without losing the irreverent soul that defines the landmark franchise.

• Metacritic Metascore: 89

L.A. Noire stands out in Rockstar's repertoire as a unique foray into the detective genre, blending meticulous investigation with action-packed sequences. Set in a painstakingly recreated post-war Los Angeles, the game impresses with its attention to historical detail and atmospheric design. Its groundbreaking facial animation technology adds an unprecedented layer of realism, which is crucial for the game's innovative interrogation sequences. While the pacing may differ from Rockstar's typical high-octane titles, L.A. Noire's intriguing narrative and complex characters offer a more cerebral experience. Additionally, the game has found new life in the form of L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, which brings a selection of the original cases into the immersive world of virtual reality.

• Metacritic Metascore: 93

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars stands out within the GTA series, bringing unique gameplay elements to the table, most notably its intricate drug dealing system. Designed initially for the Nintendo DS and later released on PSP and mobile platforms, the game showcases an impressive level of detail and depth for such devices, blending the classic GTA open-world experience with innovations suited to the smaller screen.

The top-down perspective harkens back to the franchise's early days; however, the game feels fresh and modern thanks to its engaging storyline and interactive environments. Chinatown Wars proves that the GTA formula can be successfully adapted and innovated, offering a distinct and memorable experience in the franchise. This handheld take on the winning GTA formula is constantly held up high as another one of the best Rockstar games.

• Metacritic Metascore: 95

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City stands as a seminal entry in the series, notably as the first GTA game to feature a fully realized protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, masterfully voiced by Goodfellas star Ray Liotta. The game transports players to the vibrant, neon-lit streets of "Vice City," an evocative world inspired by 1980s Miami, brimming with the era's aesthetic and cultural essence. This title not only elevated the narrative depth of the franchise but also set a new standard for open-world game design with its richly detailed setting. The announcement that Vice City will once again be the backdrop for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 has reignited excitement among fans, nostalgic for the iconic locale that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City first brought to life. 

• Metacritic Metascore: 95

Expanding on the groundbreaking formula of past Grand Theft Auto titles, 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas took the series from coast to coast with its sprawling, satirical take on early 90s West Coast gang culture. From the mean streets of Los Santos to the sprawling countryside of San Andreas state, the game's California-inspired world was utterly massive and bursting with diversions that matched the scope of its ambition. Combined with a memorable lead character in Carl "CJ" Johnson and the series' signature brand of social commentary and humor, San Andreas set the template for how to properly do an open world right while pushing the envelope of what was possible in gaming, making it one of the defining titles of the PS2 era.

• Metacritic Metascore: 95

Red Dead Redemption took the western themes of its predecessor Red Dead Revolver to bold new heights in 2010. With its massive open world, multilayered characters, and gripping narrative set in the dying days of the Old West, it represented a quantum leap for developer Rockstar Games. Both a critical and commercial smash hit, Red Dead Redemption set a new bar for cinematic storytelling and immersive worldbuilding in video games while bringing the mythology of the American frontier to life like never before. Anchoring it all is the complex antihero John Marston, whose compelling backstory and quest for redemption heighten the game’s themes and storytelling to literature-quality levels. A stunning achievement even a decade later, Red Dead Redemption remains an incredibly interactive Western experience that is only surpassed by its prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2.

• Metacritic Metascore: 97

Grand Theft Auto III is often hailed as the most iconic entry in the franchise, a groundbreaking title that set the blueprint for all future Grand Theft Auto games. Revolutionizing the open-world genre, it introduced players to a sprawling, dynamic cityscape filled with unprecedented freedom and possibilities. The game's leap to 3D was a monumental shift, offering a level of immersion that was unheard of at the time. While it may feel somewhat dated by today's standards, especially in terms of graphics and certain gameplay mechanics, its influence on the gaming industry remains undeniable. Grand Theft Auto III redefined what was possible in video games, paving the way for a generation of open-world titles, and putting Rockstar Games on the map as a top-tier publisher.

• Metacritic Metascore: 98

Grand Theft Auto entered a new era of maturity with the landmark 2008 release of Grand Theft Auto IV, which ditched much of the series’ signature over-the-top zaniness in favor of a grounded, intensely gritty crime story set on the streets of "Liberty City." More somber and character-driven than past games, GTA IV introduced players to Niko Bellic, an Eastern European veteran searching for purpose while reconnecting with his good-for-nothing cousin Roman in America.

Backed by unprecedented visual and technical achievements for its time, GTA IV vastly expanded the scope and immersive qualities of Rockstar’s criminal sandbox formula on its way to massive critical and commercial success. But it was the complex, masterfully written relationship between Niko and Roman that formed the emotional core of GTA IV, demonstrating Rockstar’s growing talents as peerless interactive storytellers and making this one of gaming’s great protagonistic pairings.

• Metacritic Metascore: 97

Though already renowned for cinematic storytelling, Rockstar reached new narrative heights in 2018’s prequel Red Dead Redemption 2, transporting players back to the twilight days of the Wild West through the eyes of the grizzled outlaw Arthur Morgan. On the run from the law with the Van Der Linde gang, Arthur finds himself questioning the methods of his long-time mentor Dutch in an emotionally complex crime saga layered with rich character development and moral choices.

Bolstered by a jaw-dropping open world that set new standards for immersion, Red Dead 2 thrived on the complex, masterfully written relationship between Arthur, Dutch, and Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston. With the latter's origin story fleshed out beautifully, Arthur and Dutch stand out as one of gaming’s all-time great protagonist/antagonist pairings, their clashing ideologies representing a microcosm of the death of the outlaw era.

A sweeping, generation-defining achievement for the PS4/Xbox One era, Red Dead Redemption 2 is interactive storytelling at its absolute finest across its 60+ hour epic. You can't talk about the best Rockstar games without mentioning this heart-tugging classic.

• Metacritic Metascore: 97

When Grand Theft Auto V was first released in 2013 after years of feverish anticipation, it promptly shattered entertainment industry records and cemented Rockstar’s status as blockbuster gaming’s undisputed champion of the open world. Beyond the stellar writing and star-studded voice cast powering GTAV’s winding trio of protagonist storylines, "Los Santos" emerged as Rockstar’s biggest and most fully realized playground to date, one bursting with criminal content and staggering attention to detail.

Though already brimming with things to do, GTAV’s launch also spawned the ongoing, ever-expanding online phenomenon Grand Theft Auto Online, itself one of the most popular multiplayer titles of all time. In many ways, the ultimate realization of Rockstar’s cutting social satire and a signature brand of mayhem-filled sandbox gameplay, GTA V and GTA Online together comprise one of gaming’s most impactful and commercially successful releases ever.

Without a shadow of a doubt, GTA V needs to be at the top of everyone's list of the best Rockstar games.