There’s a lot that one has to say when it comes to video games. Starting from the very beginning, games like Diablo, Half-Life and Roadrash made gamers demand more. Seeing this demand as an opportunity, American video game publisher, Rockstar Games came into the scene with all guns blazing!
Many might not recognise Rockstar as a video game company, but they know them from their hit video game series, Grand Theft Auto! They started experimenting with this series back in 1999. After the success of their first rollout, Rockstar worked religiously to make the subsequent instalments.
With the Grand Theft series reaching its 5th instalment, GTA V and a brand new series of Red Dead Redemption to appease their fanbase, the 22-year-old game company has released as many as 28 games. Out of these 28 games, there is a certain set that aptly highlights the milestones of Rockstar. Here’s a countdown to the best Rockstar game released till date.
10. Midnight Club 3
Though Midnight Club couldn’t garner to a wide audience, the third instalment of this game is surely the best that this series has to offer! This adrenaline-fueled racing game let the gamers speed through the open-world recreations of Detroit, San Diego and Atlanta. This game is the first in this series to feature licensed cars. You can customise both aesthetics and performance of your rides. The graphics and soundtrack surely keep you hooked. The only downside for this game is that it is limited to a very few platforms.
9. Manhunt
Manhunt, known for its grotesque brutality, was originally released for PC in the year 2004. It has been 16 years but still, Manhunt remains one of the finest stealth-action titles to be ever released. However, it is not as well regarded when compared to the same games under this umbrella, such as Metal Gear Solid, Thief and Splinter Cell. As a player, you’re confined to a puzzling maze desperately trying to survive against all kinds of predators who are waiting to kill you around every corner. You won’t find any hi-tech weapon in this game, instead, household items such as bottles, plastic bags and barbed wire are used to murder people. Needless to say, the game offers an unsettling experience but at the same time, it’s a good stressbuster!
8. Max Payne 3
Just like GTA, Max Payne is one of the series that Rockstar religiously worked on. With the success of 1 & 2, people had a lot of hopes for the third instalment. Max Payne 3 took everyone by surprise as Rockstar made a bold move to throw off the ending of the second instalment and start something new altogether. They transitioned the protagonist from being a drunk cop to private security working in Brazil. Nevertheless, the gameplay still remains the best out of the previous 2. The shootouts within this game are perfectly laid out using stunning graphics.
7. GTA IV
Inclusion of this game in this list is to flaunt GTA IV’s innovative gameplay. Though GTA IV couldn’t manage to offer the lively gang settings from SA, this is the first game in the GTA series that had alternate endings. The game offers players with different choices that affect the narrative. The story is based on the attempts of a war veteran to escape his past while under sheer pressure from loan sharks. Going into GTA V, GTA IV laid foundations in terms of gameplay and graphics. In terms of missions, the game is one of the finest written ones in the franchise. Especially the Three Leaf Clover mission, which is believed to be the foundation for GTA V’s heist missions.
6. GTA Vice City
GTA Vice City is arguably the best instalment of the Grand Theft Auto series in terms of storyline. Although the game is short, the missions are challenging and engaging. The game aptly banks in on nurturing the character’s wealth and power slowly than rushing it all together. Slowly undergoing missions and meeting new people, the game ends with thrilling suspense. In addition to the gameplay, Vice City is said to have one of the best soundtracks in gaming history!
5. GTA III
It wasn’t until GTA III was released when Rockstar Games began seeing a serious surge in the likeability of the Grand Theft Auto Franchise. Needless to say, GTA III took the open-world concept to a whole new level. Giving players enough authority over the character as to what to do, the game also has some side missions wherein you could earn some cash driving a taxi or ambulance. In the storyline, you play the character of an escaped inmate, working your ranks up in the crime world by committing all sorts of villainy.
4. Bully
While the concept of basing an entire game upon school does sound a bit of a stretch, Rockstar played the cards right on this game by letting the gamer experience the life of a teenage rebel attending high school. This is an open-world game wherein you can navigate on foot, skateboard, scooter, bicycle or go-kart all through the school campus. Bully sold over 1.5 million copies on its original version and acquired many accolades.
3. GTA San Andreas
The followup to GTA Vice City couldn’t get better as the San Andreas offered the best gameplay along with a great storyline. Released in 2004, this game achieved so much, way ahead of its time. In SA, Rockstar scaled up the Map and added a new storyline by introducing CJ to the world. This pays homage to the 90’s gang movies. The plot shows the return of CJ following the death of his mother, reconnecting with his old gang, The Grove Street Families. As the story moves forward, CJ connects the dots to understand the mystery behind his mother’s demise.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
Even though the Grand Theft put Rockstar Games on the map, the American game makers focussed on building a new series set on the fictionalized representation of the Western, Midwestern and Southern United States. You play the character of outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. You must survive the decline of the Wild West, fighting against government forces, rival gangs, and other adversaries. This is a lengthy game with a lot to do from shootouts, heists, hunting and horseback riding.
1. GTA V
If you already know Rockstar Games, then this should be a no-brainer. The most expensive video game with an estimated budget of $137 Million, GTA V is the culmination of 5 years of hard work. The best thing about this game is the three single storylines, all of which being character unique. The gameplay is dominated by the heist sequences, and the gist of the storyline itself is to commit heists while under pressure from a government agency and powerful crime figures.
