Rockstar Games was officially established in 1998, and they officially hit it big when Grand Theft Auto 3 was released on the PS2 in 2001. Since then, they have been enveloped in controversy after controversy with their games. They’re freethinkers over there and don’t really care about the general public's opinion, so long as they serve their fans.
Every Rockstar Studio, Ranked
Rockstar Games is known to be among the most influential studios in modern gaming. Here's every studio under the company's umbrella, ranked.
Rockstar Games is a company known for taking chances with titles from Bully to Manhunt. Not many of their games feature multiplayer modes, but the ones that do stand out. Whether they are still fun now is debatable, but these online multiplayer options were groundbreaking at the time. These multiplayer Rockstar games can still be played online or locally.
Bully: Scholarship Edition
School Daze
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
- Multiplayer Options: Two-Player Local VS
When Bully was first released, it lacked a multiplayer mode, but Bully: Scholarship Edition added a local versus mode to the Wii and Xbox 360 versions, the latter of which can still be accessed via backwards compatibility on current Xbox consoles.
Players can challenge their friends to compete in class mini-games to see who is the better student. It’s an okay offering for a great game about living in a problematic British school system, but there is fun to be had on the couch with a friend. For the PC crowd, fans have created a multiplayer mod that is worth checking out, too.
Grand Theft Auto Online
The Money Maker
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Released
- October 1, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- Multiplayer Options: Eight-Player Online Co-Op
Grand Theft Auto 5 had a significant impact and only grew in popularity thanks to ports and enhancements between versions, like adding a first-person mode. Grand Theft Auto Online changed everything, though, offering the same open-world environment as the main game but opening it up to players globally.
Rockstar has featured multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto games before, but GTA Online was a game-changer thanks to the freedom it gave players. The introduction to the game’s online store is how Rockstar racked up a ton of money, and it's possibly one reason why they have taken their time making the sequel. Anyone can jump into Grand Theft Auto Online and have a good time, even if they skip the single-player campaign of GTA 5.
Max Payne 3
Hanging By A Thread
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
- Multiplayer Options: Two-Player Online Co-Op
Max Payne 3 is the first and only game in the series so far to launch with multiplayer. The console versions have inactive servers, but the PC version, like on Steam, still works, with one caveat. Players either have to host a session themselves or have their friend host.
It’s a bit of a workaround that requires real friends and not looking for random people online, but it’s a great way to experience Max Payne 3's multiplayer offerings. There’s a separate co-op mode that dives into Max’s past, along with a suite of typical multiplayer modes like Team Deathmatch.
Midnight Club: Street Racing
Going Back To The PS2
Midnight Club: Street Racing
- Released
- October 26, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3
- Multiplayer Options: Two-Player Split-Screen
Rockstar had a great racing series that they abandoned during the first HD era of consoles. The first game, Midnight Club: Street Racing, was a console exclusive for the PS2, although there was also a Game Boy Advance version.
The PS2 version is the only game to include a decent local multiplayer mode for consoles, whereas the other games in the series went the online route. They were fun at launch, but sadly, most of those servers are now offline. That’s why the original is still the place to go if players have a PS2 lying around. They can compete in races with a friend or do something wilder, like a Capture the Flag mode.
Red Dead Online
Through The Plains
Red Dead Online
- Released
- May 14, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Multiplayer Options: Four-Player Online Co-Op
Red Dead Online is not as influential or as big as Grand Theft Auto Online. It’s not even as big as Red Dead Redemption 2, the attached game that came with it. It had a rocky launch, plagued by limited content and connection issues, but it has gotten better over time.
Players can create their character and roam the Old West alone or in a posse, running into other players and causing mayhem along the way. It was certainly a better attempt at multiplayer than what Rockstar offered with the first Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Online is now fun from the start.
Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis
Beyond Expectations
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis
- Released
- May 23, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Sports
- Multiplayer Options: Two-Player Local Vs
Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis requires less work to set up, thanks to local multiplayer options and the game being readily available for Xbox enthusiasts. As the name suggests, this is a table tennis game and an absurdly good one at that, maybe even better than most true tennis games.
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Fans have been eagerly hoping that Rockstar will return to this idea for ages. Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis puts the Wii’s version of table tennis in Wii Sports to shame, as it managed to keep things simple while offering a robust set of moves and features. There’s nothing like a good match of table tennis with a friend now and then.
The Warriors
Come Out To Play
The Warriors
- Released
- October 17, 2005
- ESRB
- M // Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
- Multiplayer Options: Two-Player Local Co-Op
The Warriors was a game based on the 1979 film of the same name, which featured a series of gang wars taking place in New York. That seemed like a great idea for a game, and Rockstar jumped on the chance, albeit decades later.
The game had a local co-op mode for the campaign, where players could bash enemy gangs to smithereens with bats, kicks, fists, and so on. It was re-released on the PS4 digitally as a marginally enhanced version with HD graphics, which makes it easy to play on the PS5 today. It’s a nice homage to the film and expands some story bits, and it's a good brawler to boot, either alone or with a friend.
Things That Could Ruin GTA 6 (But Rockstar Can Avoid)
Rockstar can let GTA 6 bake in the sun as long as they want, so long as they use enough suntan lotion and avoid these sunburn-like mistakes.