Summary
- GTA 6 anticipation is high, but Rockstar's catalog offers diverse, unique gaming experiences.
- Manhunt is a gritty, controversial game exploring stealth and brutal violence in a psychological manner.
- Bully stands out for offering a mischievous, heartfelt take on adolescence in a high school setting.
There’s a strange kind of tension in the air right now, the kind that only happens when Rockstar teases a new Grand Theft Auto after more than a decade of silence, and then goes silent again. However, GTA 6 is coming in May 2026, but for many players, “coming” isn’t soon enough.
7 Most Ambitious Games By Rockstar, Ranked
From Red Dead Redemption to Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar has developed many incredible games.
Thankfully, Rockstar’s catalog is stacked with some of the most brilliant, brutal, and bizarre experiences in gaming history. Each one offers a different flavor of the chaos, storytelling, and detail-driven design that make their games such a cultural event, and they make for a great way to pass the time while waiting for the release of GTA 6.
7 Manhunt
A Rusty Nail In The Brain Never Looked This Good
Manhunt
- Released
- November 18, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
There’s no easing into Manhunt. It starts with a snuff film and only gets darker from there. Released in 2003, this is Rockstar at its most feral, long before the polish of Red Dead Redemption 2 or the blockbuster scale of GTA 5. Here, players step into the role of James Earl Cash, a death row inmate given one last chance at life by starring in a series of real-time executions orchestrated by a voyeuristic director named Starkweather. It’s grim, violent, and unflinchingly psychological.
What makes Manhunt more than just shock value is how effectively it turns its stealth mechanics into a suffocating cat-and-mouse game. Sneaking through the shadows, players are encouraged to eliminate enemies with increasing brutality, and the kills are ranked by viciousness—plastic bags, shards of glass, baseball bats, all rendered in grainy VHS-style filters that make it feel like a banned film reel. The entire game is a commentary on media consumption, long before most games were willing to poke at such topics.
Critics and governments alike had a meltdown when it launched, with several countries banning or censoring it. Rockstar North even had to tone down the sequel due to the backlash. However, those who revisit it today will find a raw and mean-spirited piece of game design that makes stealth feel claustrophobic and murder disturbingly intimate. It's not pretty, and it’s certainly not easy, but Manhunt remains one of the boldest risks Rockstar ever took.
6 Bully
Textbooks And Tackles
Bully
- Released
- October 17, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox
It’s not often that a game lets players go from throwing marbles under a jock’s feet to dissecting frogs in Biology, all in the same afternoon. Bully is Rockstar at its most playful, swapping guns for slingshots and drug cartels for cafeteria food fights. Set in the fictional Bullworth Academy, players control Jimmy Hopkins, a tough-but-sweet 15-year-old trying to rise through the ranks of high school cliques while surviving both students and faculty.
The Scholarship Edition adds more classes, missions, and minigames, including new subjects like math and music. And yes, players are graded on their performance. What makes Bully so enduring isn’t just its mischievous tone—it’s how Rockstar captured adolescence's mundanity and madness. Missions range from defending nerds against bullies to sabotaging school plays, with a school bell constantly forcing players to juggle their extracurricular chaos with mandatory attendance.
Combat is hand-to-hand for the most part, with Jimmy occasionally using firecrackers, stink bombs, and potato guns instead of firearms. There’s also a surprisingly deep social system, where players can build or break reputations with various cliques like the Greasers, Preppies, and Nerds. Players looking for a bite-sized version of GTA that doesn’t involve mowing down pedestrians will find Bully a wildly entertaining, weirdly heartfelt alternative.
5 Red Dead Redemption
The Final Ride That Set the Stage For Everything That Came After (And Before)
Red Dead Redemption
- Released
- May 18, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Adventure
Before GTA 5 rewrote the rules on sandbox storytelling, Red Dead Redemption already proved Rockstar could do more than just modern-day mayhem. Set in 1911 during the slow death of the American frontier, it follows John Marston—a former outlaw forced to hunt down his old gang members to secure his family’s safety. From the first gunshot to the final, gut-wrenching moment, it rarely misses a beat.
What makes Red Dead Redemption so compelling even today is how well it blends its melancholic narrative with moment-to-moment open-world freedom. Players can spend an hour herding cattle or hunting cougars in the Tall Trees, then casually walk into a poker game or a duel with a stranger. The random events sprinkled throughout the map gave a sense of spontaneity that felt ahead of its time. Its Mexico segment, while divisive in pacing, delivers one of gaming’s most iconic moments when Jose Gonzalez’s “Far Away” starts playing as Marston rides into an unfamiliar land. The map feels massive and desolate, yet always alive with bandits, bounty hunters, and people who just need a horse ride to the next town.
Technically, the 2023 re-release added better resolution for modern platforms, making it slightly easier to revisit. However, even without a remaster, it’s a landmark title that laid the emotional and mechanical groundwork for what came next.
4 L.A. Noire
Press X To Doubt… Or To Obsess Over Every Facial Twitch
L.A. Noire
- Released
- May 17, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
A homicide detective game where the main gameplay mechanic is reading people’s faces? That’s L.A. Noire in a nutshell. Developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar, this 1940s-set thriller follows Cole Phelps as he rises through the LAPD ranks in post-war Los Angeles. Unlike anything Rockstar had published before—or since—it’s more investigative than explosive, focusing on crime scenes, interrogations, and spotting lies hidden behind well-acted faces.
Using then-revolutionary MotionScan tech, every suspect was filmed with over 30 HD cameras to capture even the slightest micro-expression. This was 2011, and nothing else looked like it at the time. Players had to judge whether someone was lying based on eye movements, twitches, or awkward smiles. It sounds gimmicky, but in practice, it created real tension during interviews, especially when players weren’t entirely sure if they were reading their suspect right.
The open world isn't filled with the same kind of freedom as GTA, but it absolutely nails the era. Classic jazz pours from radios, cigarette ads decorate every corner, and even the cars drive with a sense of weight and personality. It’s a slower burn than most Rockstar titles, but it’s also one of their most unique, and one that still sparks debate over whether its storytelling risks were worth it.
3 Max Payne 3
Every Bullet Tells A Story, And That Story Is Pain
Max Payne 3
- Released
- May 15, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
By the time Max Payne 3 rolls around, Max is washed up, strung out, and half-ready to die in a pool of whiskey and regret. Yet Rockstar didn’t just dust off the series for a nostalgia trip. They rebuilt it from scratch, swapping the noir-soaked streets of New York for the sun-bleached chaos of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The tone is darker, the story more cynical, and the gunplay is absolutely relentless.
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There are plenty of games out there that offer a similar experience to Max Payne. Here are the best titles that gamers should check out.
This is Rockstar’s tightest third-person shooter, full stop. Every bullet fired feels like it counts. The game introduced the Euphoria physics engine into gunfights, giving enemy reactions a visceral, unscripted quality. Dive in slow motion, take out three goons from mid-air, crash into a table, then scramble to reload before the next guy emerges on Max's flank—Max Payne 3 made it all look like ballet with a body count.
The narrative leans heavily on Max’s inner monologue, with James McCaffrey delivering a performance soaked in bitterness and dry wit. Flashbacks break up the main timeline, letting players see Max’s slow descent into self-destruction. The soundtrack, especially HEALTH’s pulsing score during the final airport level, deserves a special mention for being just as emotionally exhausting as the combat.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
There’s A Campfire Waiting For Every Kind Of Player
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Few games have been dissected as obsessively as Red Dead Redemption 2, and for good reason. It’s Rockstar’s most ambitious project yet, a Red Dead Redemption prequel telling the slow-burn story of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang. This isn't just another outlaw simulator; it’s a living, breathing world that seems to exist whether players interact with it or not.
Every mechanic, from the weight of Arthur’s boots to the decay of his weapons, is built to immerse players in the late 1800s. The Honor system, camp conversations, weather dynamics, wildlife routines—there’s a deliberate rhythm to it all. Players who rush through will miss how Arthur starts coughing subtly before the story reveals his condition, or how the gang’s morale dips based on food and money supplies.
And the world? Absolutely massive. From the misty swamps of Lemoyne to the snowy peaks of Ambarino, each biome has its own fauna, citizens, and secrets. It’s also a game where players can go 20 hours without advancing the main story and still feel like every moment mattered. Hunting legendary animals, robbing stagecoaches, fishing in isolated creeks—none of it feels like filler. The writing might be Rockstar’s best, filled with quiet tragedy, sharp dialogue, and a deep reflection on what loyalty actually costs.
1 Grand Theft Auto 5
Still Kicking, Still Printing Money, Still Worth Replaying
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Over a decade later, Grand Theft Auto 5 still refuses to die. Released in 2013, it’s survived three console generations, multiple updates, and an entire pandemic. More impressively, it still plays incredibly well. The three-protagonist structure—Michael, Franklin, and Trevor—allowed Rockstar to explore wildly different tones within the same story: suburban burnout, street-level hustle, and complete sociopathy.
Switching between characters in real time added new tactical options and a cinematic flair, especially during Heist missions. Those heists still stand as some of the most well-designed set pieces in any open-world game, letting players plan their approach, choose their crew, and deal with the consequences.
However, the real staying power lies in GTA Online. What started as a chaotic sandbox has grown into a full-blown digital empire simulator, complete with nightclubs, casinos, submarine heists, and even UFOs. Players still log in every day to grind out cash, roleplay as cops, or wreak havoc in custom game modes. With weekly updates and community events, it’s become a strange kind of social hub.
It might not be the newest Rockstar title, but it’s still the one with the most life in it, and until GTA 6 shows up to take the crown, there’s no better place to relive the chaos.
Open-World Games To Play If You Loved Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V was a masterpiece but there are still many games out there to enjoy if you're finished with the open-world experience.