Summary
- Manhunt pushed boundaries with dark, violent content, setting it apart from Rockstar's typical projects.
- Red Dead Redemption's emotional narrative and innovative Dead Eye mechanic made it a standout hit for the company.
- Grand Theft Auto 5 introduced a massive, detailed open world with three playable characters and engaging storytelling.
Few video game companies out there are as ambitious as Rockstar Games. In the last three decades, it has released many amazing video games (usually in the open world genre) that have consistently pushed the envelope, showcased impressive new technology and redefined what a digital world can truly be.
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While this company is far from perfect, the massive impact it had on the entire gaming industry can’t be denied, not to mention that its developers somehow manage to surpass themselves with each subsequent release. Nevertheless, this has left fans with one burning question: What was Rockstar’s most ambitious video game so far? Of course, this list will only take into account titles that were actually developed by the studio, and not just published by it (like L.A. Noire or Max Payne).
7 Manhunt
Pushed The Limits On How Dark And Violent Video Games Could Be
Manhunt
- Released
- November 18, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
Back in the early 2000s, Rockstar was being publicly scrutinized because of how violent and raunchy the 3D Grand Theft Auto games were, so it was definitely a bold move for the studio to make and release something as violent as Manhunt around that same time. After all, this stealth/horror title is still considered one of the most gruesome and controversial video games ever made.
For its time, Manhunt really pushed the limits of how dark and graphically violent a 3D video game could be. Some people think it was groundbreaking, while others think it was trying way too hard to be edgy, but it was definitely a unique stealth experience influenced by classic slasher films that proved video games could be marketed to a more mature audience.
6 Red Dead Redemption
An Excellent Western Adventure With A Personal & Emotional Narrative
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
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
When Red Dead Redemption came out in 2010, many people initially dismissed it as a “Cowboy GTA” (which was not even a bad thing nor entirely wrong), but Rockstar fans quickly found out that this project was much more than that. Red Dead Redemption was a major change of pace for the company, as it left behind its usual contemporary settings in favor of a huge open-world inspired by classic western films that was filled to the brim with flora, fauna and cowboys.
Rockstar also introduced an innovative and satisfying new gameplay mechanic called Dead Eye, which allowed the player to slow down time in order to target multiple enemies during intense gunfights. But what made Red Dead Redemption special was its ambitious narrative, as the story of John Marston is fascinating, intense and emotional, and it was way more interesting than anything the studio had previously written for the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Improved On The Studio’s Iconic 3D Open-World Formula
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
In 2001, Rockstar redefined the open-world genre when it released Grand Theft Auto 3, so it is no surprise that it only took it only three more years to switch up the formula it had just introduced. 2002’s GTA: Vice City is obviously a great title, but most fans still consider Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to have been the next real step in the series’ natural evolution.
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As impressive as it was for its time, GTA 3’s Liberty City feels dull and lifeless in retrospect, whereas San Andreas’ titular fictional setting is full of interesting locations, memorable characters and a multitude of different things for the player to do and/or discover. Curiously enough, this was all possible thanks to the same sixth-generation console technology that had spawned GTA 3 just a few years prior and yet, San Andreas felt like the first next-generation open-world game on the market.
4 Grand Theft Auto Online
This Ambitious Multiplayer Project Was A Long Time Coming
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
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, PS3, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
For many years, the Grand Theft Auto series consisted entirely of single-player games (with a few minor exceptions, like San Andreas’ hidden co-op mode), but everything changed in 2013, when Rockstar finally released a game that its fans had been asking for several years: Grand Theft Auto Online. Truth be told, this was originally an optional mode for Grand Theft Auto 5, but it eventually became a beast of its own, not to mention that now it can be purchased on its own, separately from that game.
GTA Online just made way too much sense for Rockstar to not make, as the premise of an always-online open GTA world where players from all around the world can meet each other and engage in criminal activity together (or against one another) just works extremely well, even if it was completely outside the company’s usual area of expertise. Needless to say, this was a huge success for Rockstar, which has spent the last decade working on new additional content that have kept this game alive, not to mention that it also inspired the creation of Red Dead Online in 2019.
3 Grand Theft Auto 3
The Original 3D Open World Game That Redefined The Genre
Grand Theft Auto 3
- Released
- October 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Platform(s)
- PS2, Xbox (Original), PC, macOS, Android, iOS
The studio known as DMA Design broke new ground when it released a 2D open-world action-adventure game simply titled Grand Theft Auto in 1997. Just five years later, this team expanded, became Rockstar Games and did the exact same thing for the 3D open-world genre when it released Grand Theft Auto 3. Of course, this video game may not have aged all that well, but it was incredibly impressive and revolutionary for its time.
GTA 3 marked one of the first instances of a massive, open-ended 3D world that the player could explore at their own pace and do pretty much whatever they wanted in it, even though it also featured an interesting narrative that rewarded players who decided to follow it. For a PlayStation 2 game from 2001, this was an incredibly ambitious experience, and the GTA franchise would never have become so massive if it wasn’t for this particular project.
2 Grand Theft Auto 5
A Massive Open World With 3 Playable Characters And An Engaging Story
Grand Theft Auto 5
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
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Grand Theft Auto 4 was a really solid game that showcased the impressive HD technology of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but Rockstar released that game at the beginning of the seventh-generation, so it definitely needed to take some time to get used to this technology. The final result of its efforts was Grand Theft Auto 5, a video game so groundbreaking and impressive that it took the studio over a decade to even announce its follow-up.
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GTA 5 takes place in a modern version of San Andreas that's even bigger, better, more populated and more beautiful than its original PS2 iteration. This enormous, open-ended open world feels extremely alive, since it’s brimming with things to do and even small details that have taken players literal years to find. But GTA 5’s highlight was the fact it featured three playable characters - Michael, Trevor and Franklin - whom the player can switch to at any moment, with the press of a button. Their writing and performances were on a whole new level, and the way their stories were seamlessly interconnected was a breath of fresh air for the franchise. It was evident that Rockstar’s storytelling abilities had gotten a lot better after Red Dead Redemption.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
One Of The Most Detailed And Technically Impressive Video Games Ever Made
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Rockstar fans spent eight years waiting for a Red Dead Redemption sequel and that long wait was definitely worth it, because Red Dead Redemption 2 came out in 2018, and it immediately became one of the most groundbreaking and impressive modern games in the entire industry. Once again, this is an open-world western with an incredible storyline that takes place before the events of the original game, and it’s filled to the brim with flawless writing, emotional moments and amazing performances. Roger Clark did such an excellent job as Arthur Morgan, so it's no surprise he won Best Performance in the 2018 edition of The Game Awards.
But that’s not all, because the open world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the biggest, most complex and most fascinating video game settings, and it definitely surpassed anything the studio had previously made. This map has so much stuff to do, so many brilliant Easter eggs and such an impressive attention to detail, that fans are still discovering new things about it, even seven years after the game's release. The most surprising part is that Rockstar was able to pull all of this off without ever comprising the game’s impressive graphics and beautiful presentation.
Honorable Mention: Grand Theft Auto 6
Grand Theft Auto 6
- Released
- November 19, 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Of course, Grand Theft Auto 6 is not even out yet, but there’s a reason this is the most anticipated video game launch of all time. Based off of just one trailer, it’s evident that Rockstar is already bringing its a-game in order to develop what seems like its most ambitious project so far.
Fans are eager to find out more about this new version of Vice City, which already looks incredible and has the potential to be the biggest and most detailed open world any video game company has ever made. Furthermore, GTA 6 is going to come out on modern consoles, like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, which is especially exciting, considering that the GTA series skipped an entire console generation.
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