It's hard to argue that Rockstar isn't currently one of, if not the biggest, game developers within the industry today. Though they've been putting out games since the late 90s, it was with the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 in 2001 that the developers really started to reach mainstream popularity. Ever since, they've been putting out plenty of smash-hit titles, some of which are considered to be among the best games of all time by many fans and critics.
10 Rockstar Games That Can Be Called Masterpieces
Whether it's Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, or Max Payne, Rockstar Games seems to create bar-raising brilliance wherever it goes.
Though the majority of Rockstar's games are easy to pick up and play, this isn't to suggest they're all easy. Because they often dabble in the open-world genre, it means the developers always need to go above and beyond with their missions and scenarios to help the game stand out. On some occasions, though, this has also ended up making the game difficult to fully complete, which is especially the case with the titles listed below.
We are only including games published by Rockstar-branded studios. So, the first two GTAs do not qualify, as they were developed by DMA Design (who would later become Rockstar North). Also, only games that had Rockstar as the main developer – no ports like Oni's PS2 version.
7 Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.19 (PS3)
Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack
- Released
- July 26, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Android, iOS, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox 360
For the most part, Rockstar's biggest releases – think GTA and Red Dead Redemption – are also among their easiest. Due to their sandbox design, they tend to have pretty accessible gameplay, with very few difficulty spikes throughout their campaigns. While some GTA games are harder than others, RDR and RDR2 offer similar levels of challenge, and neither of them will likely trouble players.
Undead Nightmare is slightly harder than the base game, although not by much. The expansion goes wild by turning this (relatively) grounded Western into a zombie hellscape, a twist that shifts the genre into weird west territory. Honestly, Undead Expansion works way better than it has any right to be, and it is arguably among Rockstar's most enjoyable games of all time. The combat is mostly OK, but it does suffer from clunky controls, which were typical of the developer's output during this era.
6 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.19 (PS2)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
GTA: San Andreas is often touted as being one of the best video games ever made, and a true pioneer when it comes to setting out the blueprint for the open-world genre. While the game is very accessible and easy to jump into, there are still a few sections that can provide quite a challenge for players to overcome, primarily because of the rather clunky mission designs.
For example, one moment, the player will be tasked with destroying multiple high-speed vehicles while piloting a red baron, and the next, they'll be tasked with lobbing molotov cocktails through a set of specific windows to burn down a building. The unforgiving checkpoint system means a simple mistake in these missions can prove to be fatal, and though not all the objectives are like this, there are definitely a few brutal ones thrown in there for good measure.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and GTA 3 are roughly the same difficulty level as San Andreas. We are just going to mention them here rather than including separate entries.
5 Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.32 (Xbox 360)
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
- Released
- October 20, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
Midnight Club: Los Angeles is the last and latest release in Rockstar's Midnight Club racing series, coming out before they began to direct their attention more towards Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption in the early 2010s. As a result, the game feels like the culmination of everything the previous titles had been leading up to, offering players a highly polished, fast-paced racing simulator that feels incredibly immersive thanks to its visuals and its challenge.
When traveling across the vast open world of LA, players will be able to take part in a plethora of different races, most of which offer a ton of Rep points, but are also incredibly challenging due to the merciless AI racers. Additionally, players will be given a choice of difficulty at the start of each race, but considering that more rewards can be earned on the higher ones, the game essentially encourages players to push themselves to the limit as much as possible.
4 Red Dead Revolver
Metacritic User Score: 3.53 (PS2)
Red Dead Revolver
- Released
- May 4, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Platform(s)
- PS2, Xbox (Original)
Although Red Dead Revolver was skipped over by a lot of people when it was first released in 2004, a lot of fans have gone back to this hidden gem after enjoying the two Red Dead Redemption games that came after it. Of course, the visuals aren't quite as spectacular as future entries, but another stark difference is just how much harder Red Dead Revolver is in comparison, nailing the feeling of being an outlaw on the run in the dangerous Wild West.
8 Best Rockstar Games That Get Better As You Play, Ranked
These Rockstar games can initially be slow at times, but soon ramp up to the superb, adrenaline-pumping action the developer is known for.
The bosses in this game can be particularly difficult to take down, especially the likes of Pig Josh, who has been the cause of more than a few Game Over screens. Then there are the duels, which are always a risk to take part in because of how quick and lethal the enemies are with their guns, and this goes for the open-world combat too, where it's incredibly easy to get shot down due to the AI's pinpoint accuracy.
3 Manhunt 2
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.57 (Nintendo Wii)
Manhunt 2
- Released
- October 29, 2007
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar London
Although Manhunt 2 became embroiled in controversy upon its release, it was still received fairly well among gaming critics for its unnerving atmosphere, which makes players feel on edge the whole way through. With that being said, though, it's clear the game wasn't nearly as polished as most of Rockstar's games, and as a result, it ended up being quite difficult, perhaps unintentionally, because of these issues. The core gameplay revolves around players sneaking through different environments and taking out enemies from behind with an execution, but if players accidentally get caught, it can be a real challenge trying to control Daniel, let alone attack his pursuers.
Speaking of being caught, Hunters are now able to spot players in the shadows in certain scenarios, which makes sneaking around a lot harder and far more intense than it was before. The lackluster level design also means there aren't always good spots to hide, and while this does push players to get creative, it also makes things much harder in the process.
2 Max Payne 3
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.60 (PS3)
Max Payne 3
- Released
- May 15, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
After Remedy felt that they had achieved everything that they could with the Max Payne series, they handed the IP over to Rockstar, who would go on to create the third and seemingly final installment in the series: Max Payne 3. Just like with previous games, players can use a bullet time mechanic when in combat, which allows them to leap and slide their way around enemies to get the drop on them. However, to make sure things don't become too easy, Rockstar ensured that every room is packed full of enemies coming from all different angles, so even with this ability, it's never easy to clear out an area.
10 PS2 Games Published By Rockstar That Have Aged The Best, Ranked
The PS2 is one of the best consoles ever made and many of the games published on it by Rockstar are as fun to play now as they ever were.
Rockstar seemed to have acknowledged the difficulty of the game because they also introduced a Last Stand mechanic, where players are given a final chance to use a recovery item to avoid dying when on their last legs. The new cover feature encourages players to be more strategic and patient when in combat, but as has been mentioned before, Rockstar isn't exactly known for having the best cover system in the world, which also adds to the difficulty.
1 Manhunt
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.87 (PS4)
Manhunt
- Released
- November 18, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
Along with being one of Rockstar's most controversial releases, a statement that speaks volumes considering GTA exists, Manhunt is also the developer's hardest game. Age has also further heightened its base challenge, as the dated controls make revisiting this 2003 cult classic more frustrating than it should be. Although featuring some melee action, Manhunt is first and foremost a stealth game, and not an especially fantastic one at that. Don't get me wrong, it was solid for its era, and it is still worth playing to an extent, but it was not Metal Gear Solid 2.
Manhunt is mainly known for its gruesome death animations that incorporate over-the-top gore, which are still visceral all these years later. Like most Rockstar games, Manhunt's difficulty spikes in a few missions, and the campaign surprisingly becomes harder when it shifts towards gun-based action. The AI is ruthless and can kill you nearly immediately, but this really only happens in a handful of levels, like the infamous "Wrong Side of the Tracks."
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