Now revered for creating a number of the most detailed, huge and chaotic open-world motion video games ever made, Rockstar has walked a very distinctive path to changing into a family title. While loads of gamers are used to hijacking automobiles and robbing banks on the streets of their famed Grand Theft Auto video games, what many don’t know is that Rockstar has made every part from licensed Austin Power tie-ins to an intricate desk tennis simulator.
It’s a big writer that’s explored plenty of completely different avenues through the years, so let’s take a deep dive into Rockstar’s historical past and take a look at all of the video games its varied groups have launched to date.
How Many Rockstar Games Are There?
In whole, there have been 47 video games launched by Rockstar. While the label wasn’t shaped till December 1998, technically its first recreation launched in 1997, and its most up-to-date hit cabinets in 2018. The checklist under runs by means of all of those video games. It’s price noting that the checklist received’t embrace any DLCs or remasters, though standalone expansions will make the lower.
All Rockstar Games by Release Date
Grand Theft Auto – 1997
Although technically releasing earlier than the studio was acquired by Take-Two Interactive in 1998 and slotted beneath the Rockstar Games banner, DMA Design Limited (which might go on to turn out to be Rockstar’s core studio, Rockstar North) dropped arguably one of the vital video games of all time: Grand Theft Auto.
A top-down motion recreation the place gamers try to make a reputation as a legal on the streets of assorted fictional cities, Grand Theft Auto planted the seeds for one of many trade’s most vital franchises. Rockstar Games finally re-released this crime simulator a number of occasions, cementing it inside their portfolio and definitively making it Rockstar’s flagship franchise.
Wild Metal Country – 1999
A stop-gap for DMA Design Limited between Grand Theft Auto and its inevitable successor, Wild Metal Country sees gamers hop into tanks and battle their mates on hostile alien planets. The recreation wasn’t initially launched below the Rockstar banner, with Gremlin Interactive seeing to publishing duties. However, it was re-released for the Dreamcast in 2004 as an official Rockstar-published title.
Monster Truck Madness 64 – 1999
Published by Rockstar and developed by Edge of Reality Games, Monster Truck Madness 64 is precisely what you’d count on from a recreation that guarantees each monster vans and insanity. You race massive monster vans round varied tracks, making an attempt to beat your pals in multiplayer or finesse every of its 10 programs in single-player.
Grand Theft Auto 2 – 1999
The first Grand Theft Auto recreation to formally launch below the Rockstar banner, Grand Theft Auto 2 expanded on the unique recreation’s premise. Shifting the story to the extra futuristic setting of Anywhere City, gamers have been tasked with as soon as once more making a reputation for themselves whereas working for crime syndicates, avoiding the police and making chilly onerous money.
Earthworm Jim 3D – 1999
Developed by VIS Interactive and printed in North America by Rockstar Games, Earthworm Jim 3D was the third entry within the fashionable Earthworm Jim franchise. It noticed the titular anthropomorphic insect hero get trapped inside his fracturing consciousness, needing to defeat enemies from his previous to wake again up. As its title suggests, it took the sequence to the 3D realm for the primary time, following within the footsteps of N64 video games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time.
Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy – 1999
Pitted as a rival to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy was developed by Z-Axis and printed by Rockstar. The thought was to skate by means of 12 phases, working your approach up by means of the skater world and finally starring in Thrasher journal. Skate and Destroy centered totally on physics and a sim-like gameplay type, with the participant capable of ragdoll and take injury in the event that they fell from their board.
Evel Knievel – 1999
A Gameboy Colour title that casts gamers because the well-known stunt performer of the identical title, Evel Knievel was developed by Tarantula Studios (later rebranded as Rockstar Lincoln) and printed by Rockstar. The recreation duties the participant with finishing a handful of death-defying stunts atop a motorcycle, with 20 stunts to play by means of.
Surfing H30 – 2000
A browsing recreation developed by Opus Corp and printed internationally by Rockstar, Surfing H30 sees gamers participate in browsing tournaments the place they attempt to amass excessive scores by performing methods and different trendy browsing maneuvers.
Austin Powers: Oh, Behave! – 2000
Fresh off Evil Knievel, Tarantula Studios took on two Gameboy Colour tie-ins for the revered British spy spoof franchise, Austin Powers. The first of those video games was Austin Powers: Oh, Behave, which was a group of mini-games primarily based on each Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. In the sport, gamers tackle the position of Austin Powers, reliving sure scenes from the movies.
Austin Powers: Welcome to my Underground Lair! – 2000
The second Austin Powers tie-in, Austin Powers: Welcome to My Underground Lair launched on the identical day and was a mirrored launch of Austin Powers: Oh, Behave. Instead of enjoying mini-games from the angle of Austin Powers, you performed as his nemesis, Dr Evil. The video games have been functionally the identical, nonetheless.
Midnight Club: Street Racing – 2000
One of the primary collaborations between Angel Games (later renamed Rockstar San Diego) and Rockstar, Midnight Club: Street Racing transported gamers to the streets of London and New York, tasking them with successful high-stakes road races to bolster their popularity. Boasting open-world maps that gamers may drive round freely, it spawned a franchise that followers are nonetheless clamoring to see return right now.
Smuggler’s Run – 2000
Developed in tandem with Midnight Club: Street Racing, Angel Games’ Smuggler’s Run sees gamers take management of a smuggler throughout a number of open-world ranges. Using dune buggies, vans and different automobiles, it’s a must to evade the legislation and make your deliveries. It was successful for Rockstar, with the writer spinning it off right into a sequel a yr later.
Oni – 2001
Coming from Bungie West and printed by Rockstar, Oni is a futuristic sci-fi motion recreation with an anime artwork type. It facilities round Konoko: a particular agent who goes rogue after studying her superiors are brewing a sinister plot. Oni focuses totally on hand-to-hand melee fight, with the participant finally capable of interact in gunfights after unlocking ranged weapons all through the sport.
Max Payne – 2001
Although technically printed by Gathering of Developers, developer Remedy Entertainment later teamed with Rockstar to port its trendy noir shooter, Max Payne, to different consoles. Taking on the position of the eponymous hero as he seeks solutions for his household’s demise, Max Payne noticed gamers run by means of the gritty streets of New York whereas utilizing the now-iconic bullet time mechanic to kill enemies in slow-motion. Max Payne later turned a fixture of Rockstar’s portfolio, with the crew taking up full publishing duties for its two sequels.
The Italian Job – 2001
A online game adaptation of the long-lasting 1969 heist film of the identical title, Pixelogic’s tackle The Italian Job was initially printed by Sales Curve Interactive in 2001. Rockstar later took on publishing duties in North America, re-releasing the sport to US audiences a yr later. It was an open-world driving recreation that noticed gamers arrange and full the film’s signature heist.
Grand Theft Auto 3 – 2001
Arguably the start of Rockstar as we all know it right now, Grand Theft Auto 3 took the top-down sandbox motion of its predecessors and switched it out for a 3D, third-person, open-world shooter, consequently launching the sequence’ reputation into the stratosphere. Although the sport seemed completely different and provided a way more detailed metropolis to discover, it didn’t change the basics of the sport.
Playing as revenge-driven legal Claude as he makes an attempt to trace down his former girlfriend and partner-in-crime, Catalina, the sport noticed gamers hijack automobiles, escape the legislation and customarily turn out to be a legendary profession legal on the streets of Liberty City. It shaped the inspiration of the sequence to return, paving the best way for a number of main sequels and creating an explosion in curiosity for the open-world sandbox style.
Smuggler’s Run 2: Hostile Territory – 2001
The sequel to Angel Studios’ Smuggler’s Run, Smuggler’s Run 2: Hostile Territory provided gamers extra of what they favored concerning the unique. Much like earlier than, you play as a smuggler, sneaking cargo throughout three maps, with quite a lot of new and returning automobiles to make use of.
State of Emergency – 2002
A beat-em-up brawler with third-person shooter parts, VIS Entertainment’s State of Emergency noticed gamers be part of violent riots in a cartoon world. Playing as one among 5 characters, they needed to defeat enemies and full missions, utilizing melee weapons, weapons and explosives to trigger chaos.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – 2002
The first of many follow-ups to Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City takes the 3D, open-world chaos of Rockstar North’s final recreation and lets it free on the streets of Vice City (GTA’s fictional tackle Miami). Set within the 80s, gamers step into the position of Tommy Verceti, a gangster tasked with infiltrating the underworld crime scene of Vice City after a drug deal gone awry.
Midnight Club 2 – 2003
A sequel to Rockstar San Diego’s road racing hit, Midnight Club 2 gave gamers new races to beat on the streets of LA, Paris and Tokyo. Featuring bikes for the primary time, the sport was a significant growth on its predecessor.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne – 2003
The sequel to Remedy Entertainment’s first Max Payne journey, this time round, Rockstar bought full publishing rights. Picking the story again up as Max Payne returns to his job as a member of the New York Police Department, the sport gives one other gritty string of marketing campaign missions and quite a lot of trendy, slow-motion shootouts. Max Payne 2 additionally launched a second playable protagonist, with gamers taking up the position of Mona Sax in sure missions.
Manhunt – 2003
Arguably essentially the most controversial franchise Rockstar has ever produced, Rockstar North’s Manhunt solid gamers as James Earl Cash: a demise row inmate compelled to take part in disturbing snuff movies to win his freedom. Focusing largely on stealth segments and grisly takedowns utilizing makeshift weapons, the sport was met with a sequence of protests towards violence in video video games, as a number of British and American politicians referred to as for it to be banned.
Red Dead Revolver – 2004
The starting of Rockstar’s now-beloved Red Dead sequence, Rockstar San Diego launched its first tackle the Western style in 2004. Titled Red Dead Revolver, it casts gamers as a bounty hunter named Red within the American Frontier, seeing them defeat enemies throughout a sequence of ranges. Although Revolver would go on to spawn two infinitely extra profitable sequels, it was largely fairly completely different to its successors, with no open world to discover and a heavier give attention to arcade motion over a practical world and emotional story.
Grand Theft Auto Advance – 2004
Digital Advance’s tackle the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Grand Theft Auto Advance took Rockstar’s seminal open-world crime sandbox and reimagined it for the GameBoy Advance. Returning to the top-down motion of outdated, Advance noticed gamers tackle the position of Mike: a Liberty City legal looking for revenge for the demise of his former companion.
See our picks for the greatest GBA video games for extra like this.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 2004
Releasing in tandem with GTA: Advance, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was Rockstar North’s subsequent mainline entry within the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Telling the story of former gangster CJ as he returns residence to the town of Los Santos, gamers are handled to the most important GTA recreation but, spanning three cities full of missions to finish, crime households to battle and chaos to stitch. San Andreas went on to turn out to be an immediate basic, nonetheless standing as many followers’ favorite entry to this present day.
Midnight Club 3 – 2005
The third entry in Rockstar San Diego’s racing franchise, Midnight Club 3 took gamers to Atlanta, Detroit and the studio’s residence of San Diego. Featuring extra road races to finish, it was the most important Midnight Club expertise thus far, together with the choice to customise automobiles and add new components.
The Warriors – 2005
Acting as each a prequel to and retelling of the 1979 basic motion movie of the identical title, Rockstar Toronto’s The Warriors was a melee-based beat-em-up following a bunch of road thugs fleeing to Coney Island whereas pursued by the police and New York’s most violent gangs. Players can get pleasure from a number of story missions the place they brawl with different gangs in The Warriors universe, whereas additionally attending to study extra concerning the characters and their lives previous to the occasions of the film.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories – 2005
The sequence’ second foray into handheld spin-offs, Rockstar North and Rockstar Leeds took the Grand Theft Auto franchise to Sony’s PSP with Liberty City Stories. Following Tony Cipriani earlier than he turned concerned with Claude in Grand Theft Auto 3, it was an open-world journey that noticed gamers full jobs for Don Salvatore Leone.
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis – 2006
A radical departure for a writer that largely dealt in violent motion video games and sprawling open worlds, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis is precisely what it seems like: a recreation about ping pong. The firm’s first recreation for the Xbox 360, Rockstar San Diego endeavored to make a practical simulation of desk tennis that acted as one thing of a tech demo for its new RAGE engine, full with state-of-the-art graphics for the time.
Bully – 2006
Also generally known as Canis Canem Edit in Europe, Rockstar Vancouver’s open-world beat-em-up Bully took all of the chaotic motion of Grand Theft Auto and shifted it to a highschool setting. Taking on the position of latest child Jimmy Hopkins as he’s despatched to Bullsworth Academy, gamers discover themselves exploring a rundown boarding college with courses to attend, cliques to infiltrate and a prolonged story to play by means of.
Bully has shortly turn out to be one among Rockstar’s most revered video games and a legendary cult basic, despite the very fact its college setting drew heavy controversy upon launch. It was later ported to the Xbox 360, Wii and PC below the title Bully: Scholarship Edition.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories – 2006
The second of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto PSP spin-offs, Rockstar North and Rockstar Leeds got here collectively as soon as once more to launch Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Acting as a prequel to Vice City, the sport adopted ex-soldier Vic Vance as he made his title on the streets of the titular metropolis, providing extra open-world mayhem on Sony’s signature handheld machine.
Manhunt 2 – 2007
With Rockstar North handing the reins over to Rockstar London, Rockstar commissioned a sequel to its extremely controversial stealth-focused motion recreation, Manhunt. Manhunt 2 adopted new protagonists Daniel Lamb and Leo Kaspar, permitting gamers to tackle the roles of each characters as they as soon as once more fought to outlive a hyper-violent string of disturbing snuff movies.
Grand Theft Auto 4 – 2008
The first iteration of Grand Theft Auto launched for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era of consoles, Rockstar North’s Grand Theft Auto 4 returned to the setting of Liberty City, casting gamers as Niko Bellic. Tasked with discovering fortune and revenge on the sprawling metropolis’ streets, the story noticed gamers rise by means of the ranks of the legal underworld, providing an exponentially extra detailed and expansive open world. It would later spin off into two standalone expansions.
Midnight Club: Los Angeles – 2008
With Rockstar North totally embracing the ability of a brand new era of consoles in Grand Theft Auto 4, Rockstar San Diego additionally developed a sequel to one among its hottest franchises utilizing the improve in tech. Midnight Club: Los Angeles was the fourth (and presently ultimate) entry within the Midnight Club sequence. Like the final recreation, it noticed gamers work their approach as much as changing into a racing legend, this time cruising by means of the sunny streets of LA.
Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned – 2009
The first of two main expansions for Grand Theft Auto 4, Rockstar North returned to inform the story of Johnny Klebitz: a frontrunner for The Lost MC bike gang that first appeared within the recreation’s foremost marketing campaign. Taking place alongside Niko Bellic’s story, The Lost and Damned launched a complete new story and facet actions, seeing gamers handle the Lost MC and its members.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – 2009
In one other handheld collaboration between Rockstar North and Rockstar Leeds, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars introduced the world of Grand Theft Auto to the Nintendo DS. Returning to the top-down type of the primary Grand Theft Auto video games, gamers have been slotted into the footwear of Huang Lee, serving to the Triads cement themselves as a significant power in Liberty City.
Beaterator – 2009
A slight change in tempo for the corporate, Rockstar Leeds moved away from Grand Theft Auto ports to create a music mixer for the PSP. Beaterator gave gamers the flexibility to create tracks and share them with mates by way of a number of completely different modes. It was later launched for iOS units.
Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony – 2009
The ultimate growth for Grand Theft Auto 4, Rockstar North returned to the streets of Liberty City one ultimate time for The Ballad of Gay Tony. Telling the story of Luis Lopez, the growth noticed gamers get caught into the world of LC’s membership scene, serving to the titular Gay Tony battle off debt collectors, gangs and rivals. It was as soon as once more set alongside the story of the primary marketing campaign, tying off a number of free ends and formally wrapping up the story.
See our information to the greatest GTA characters within the sequence.
Red Dead Redemption – 2010
Years after the crew’s work on Red Dead Revolver, Rockstar San Diego determined to return to the franchise and ship a sequel, Red Dead Redemption. Arguably one among Rockstar’s most acclaimed video games thus far, Red Dead Redemption informed the story of John Marston: a former outlaw tasked with looking down his outdated gang after they left him for lifeless. Set within the ultimate years of the Wild West, gamers trek throughout the American Frontier and Mexico, partaking in intense shootouts, killing outlaws and dwelling the cowboy fantasy.
Red Dead Redemption was an unprecedented hit, changing into an immediate basic and reworking Red Dead right into a core a part of Rockstar’s portfolio attributable to its emotional storytelling, unflinching and satirical illustration of the American West and hard-hitting motion setpieces.
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare – 2010
Returning to the sport lower than a yr later, Rockstar San Diego opted to ring in Halloween by bringing one thing a little bit spookier to its newest launch. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare reimagined the American West as a zombie-filled wasteland, telling an alternate universe story the place John Marston returned from his mission proper as an undead plague descended upon the land. Revisiting a number of characters from the primary marketing campaign, Marston has to place iconic enemies again within the grave in addition to slaying zombie hordes and legendary creatures.
The growth is usually heralded as probably the greatest DLCs of all time, providing a enjoyable and surprisingly meaty facet marketing campaign to dive into.
L.A Noire – 2011
Collaborating with Team Bondi in 2011, Rockstar printed L.A Noire: an in depth detective recreation the place gamers must uncover mysteries, interrogate witnesses and take down criminals. L.A Noire places gamers within the position of LAPD officer Detective Cole Phelps, who rises by means of the ranks of the police division whereas uncovering a sinister conspiracy. Featuring state-of-the-art movement seize expertise for the time, it was a technical marvel upon launch, even when it has turn out to be a fixture of meme tradition within the years since.
Max Payne 3 – 2012
With Remedy Entertainment handing the keys of the franchise over to Rockstar Games for the third installment, Max Payne 3 launched in 2012. Taking the story from the grungey streets of New York to the sunny vistas of Brazil, Max Payne 3 was a very new tackle the Max Payne sequence, seeing the titular revenge-driven protagonist shave his head and dive into a way more critical story.
Gone have been the comedian strips, changed by a story of cash, homicide and shady underhand offers, as Max tracks down two lacking ladies by means of a haze of hyper-violent gunfights and dramatic monologues. Max Payne 3 might have been a really completely different imaginative and prescient of the sequence, however it’s gone on to turn out to be a cult basic.
Grand Theft Auto 5 – 2013
Not solely Rockstar’s most profitable video games however one of the profitable media merchandise of all time, Grand Theft Auto 5 was the end result of Rockstar North’s work and an immediate basic. Launching on the finish of the Xbox 360 and PS3 lifecycle (after which re-released on the subsequent two console generations), the fifth mainline installment within the franchise noticed gamers tackle the roles of Franklin, Michael and Trevor: three profession criminals that come collectively to stage elaborate heists throughout the town of Los Santos.
Allowing gamers to leap between all three characters on the push of a button, Grand Theft Auto 5 provided open-world chaos on an unprecedented scale, making a hyper-detailed metropolis full of crimes to commit, missions to finish and cash to make. In the years since, it’s remained immensely fashionable, with hundreds of gamers tuning in day by day.
Grand Theft Auto Online – 2013
Initially appearing as a part of Grand Theft Auto 5 earlier than changing into a standalone expertise in 2022, Grand Theft Auto Online gives gamers a live-service tackle the world of GTA. Given free rein to trigger chaos with mates round Los Santos, gamers can discover missions, PvP matches, races and countless different actions to participate in as they stage up their avatar and try to turn out to be a fixture of the town’s legal underworld.
L.A Noire: The VR Case Files – 2017
L.A Noire: The VR Case Files is precisely what its title suggests: a rendition of a few of L.A Noire’s most memorable circumstances however playable with a VR headset. Remaking seven mysteries for the participant to unravel, they’ll have the ability to work together with clues, interrogate witnesses and make arrests whereas totally immersed in digital actuality.
Red Dead Redemption 2 – 2018
A sequel to Rockstar San Diego’s smash-hit Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 acted as a prequel to the unique recreation, telling the story of Dutch Van Der Linde’s gang shortly earlier than it was disbanded. Playing as outlaw Arthur Morgan, Red Dead Redemption 2 acted as one among Rockstar’s most concerned storytelling experiences thus far, spinning a story about greed, brotherhood and betrayal set towards the backdrop of the American Frontier.
Red Dead Redemption 2 went on to turn out to be one other hit for Rockstar, with gamers praising the wonderful consideration to element in its huge open-world and excellent writing.
Red Dead Online – 2018
Much like with Grand Theft Auto Online, Red Dead Redemption 2’s multiplayer part, Red Dead Online, finally turned a standalone expertise after launch. Allowing gamers to create their very own outlaw, they’re free to discover the American Frontier, be part of gangs and full missions, levelling up their cowboy and kitting them out with new gear as they conquer the west.
Upcoming Rockstar Games
As for what’s coming subsequent from Rockstar, the corporate has confirmed two initiatives within the pipeline: Grand Theft Auto 6 and remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2. After years of ready, Grand Theft Auto 6 was formally confirmed by Rockstar final yr, with the writer revealing in a press launch that “energetic growth for the subsequent entry within the Grand Theft Auto sequence is properly underway.”
As for Max Payne, Remedy Entertainment confirmed it was teaming with Rockstar to rebuild the video games final yr. In an announcement on its official web site, the corporate acknowledged: “Remedy Entertainment, the creators of Max Payne, are happy to announce that they may remake the long-lasting Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne video video games in a brand new growth settlement with Rockstar Games.”
- Grand Theft Auto 6 – Date TBD
- Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Remakes – Date TBD
Callum Williams is a freelance media author with years of expertise as a recreation critic, information reporter, guides author and options author.
