Summary
There’s a strange kind of tension in the air right now, the kind that only happens whenRockstarteases a newGrand Theft Autoafter more than a decade of silence, and then goes silent again. However,GTA 6is coming in May 2026, but for many players, “coming” isn’t soon enough.
Thankfully,Rockstar’s catalogis 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, andthey make for a great way to pass the time while waiting for the release ofGTA 6.
There’s no easing intoManhunt. 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 ofRed Dead Redemption 2or the blockbuster scale ofGTA 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 makesManhuntmore than just shock value is how effectively it turns itsstealth mechanicsinto 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, butManhuntremains one of the boldest risks Rockstar ever took.
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.Bullyis 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.
TheScholarship Editionadds more classes, missions, and minigames, including new subjects like math and music. And yes, players are graded on their performance. What makesBullyso 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-handfor 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 ofGTAthat doesn’t involve mowing down pedestrians will findBullya wildly entertaining, weirdly heartfelt alternative.
BeforeGTA 5rewrote the rules onsandbox storytelling,Red Dead Redemptionalready 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 makesRed Dead Redemptionso 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.
A homicide detective gamewhere the main gameplay mechanic is reading people’s faces? That’sL.A. Noirein 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 asGTA, 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.
By the timeMax Payne 3rolls 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.
This is Rockstar’stightest 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 3made 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.
Few games have been dissected as obsessively asRed Dead Redemption 2, and for good reason. It’sRockstar’s most ambitious projectyet, aRed Dead Redemptionprequel 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.
Over a decade later,Grand Theft Auto 5still 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 inGTA Online. What started asa chaotic sandboxhas 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 untilGTA 6shows up to take the crown, there’s no better place to relive the chaos.
