The release of Grand Theft Auto VI has become a major cultural phenomenon. Companies are reportedly experiencing an unusual increase in vacation requests around November 19. Even PlayStation, which has never altered its logo to promote one of its own games, gave its app logo a GTA VI makeover when pre-orders launched. The second GTA VI trailer, released in May 2025, garnered over 475 million views across platforms in just one day, surpassing the trailer for <em>Avengers: Endgame</em>. This illustrates the immense impact of Rockstar!
And it’s easy to see why. Rockstar has spent the last 15 years establishing an impressive track record of games that have defined their generations. Before we embark on a journey with Jason and Lucia in Leonida, it’s worth revisiting the games that brought Rockstar to this point. Here are the essential Rockstar titles, ranked from great to greatest.
8
‘Bully’ (2006)
Image via Rockstar Games
Remember when your biggest concerns were cafeteria food fights, troublesome prefects, and figuring out how to evade the principal? Bully transports you back to those days. In Bully, Rockstar removed the guns and cars that made Grand Theft Auto exciting and replaced them with a boarding school kid navigating school life. Despite this shift, it surprisingly worked and became one of the most immersive games on the PS2.
Bullworth Academy and its surrounding town were small compared to the vast cities of GTA, yet the world was filled with enough detail and interactivity to make every corner unforgettable. The school was divided into social groups like bullies, nerds, and jocks, each controlling their own territory. Students adhered to real schedules, and life continued whether you were observing or not. Every significant student in the story existed somewhere on the map, behaving exactly as they did in their missions. By the time the credits rolled, it felt like a place where you had spent an entire school year.
7
‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ (2008)
Image via Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto IV is characterized by the gritty, desaturated color palette of Liberty City, which perfectly complements its dark narrative that is still regarded as the franchise’s best. This installment follows Niko Bellic, an Eastern European war veteran who moves to Liberty City in pursuit of the American Dream but is quickly drawn back into violence he sought to escape. GTA IV introduced the innovative Euphoria physics engine that made every interaction feel more realistic. Gunfights became more tactical, and driving was such a leap forward that returning to San Andreas or even <em>GTA V</em> afterward feels challenging.
The objective for Rockstar with IV seemed to be creating the most grounded and realistic GTA experience possible. Niko couldn’t simply yank open an empty car door and drive away—he had to smash the window and hotwire it first. The AI reacted to their surroundings in ways that were groundbreaking for 2008. The game also introduced an in-game smartphone for the first time along with moral choices that forced players to make critical decisions about who lived or died at pivotal moments.
6
‘Max Payne 3’ (2012)
Image via Rockstar Games
You won’t find both<em> Max Payne</em> or Max Payne 2 on this list because both titles were developed by Remedy while Rockstar only handled publishing duties. However, Max Payne 3 is the first entry developed entirely by Rockstar in-house and features a completely different tone. The melodramatic monologues and rainy neo-noir streets of New York are replaced by a bright, colorful, sun-scorched São Paulo. Transitioning from Max Payne 2 to Max Payne 3 feels akin to moving from GTA IV to GTA V, representing a total shift in mood while retaining what made the series successful.
The narrative picks up nine years after the second game, with a burnt-out Max Payne addicted to pills and alcohol taking a private security job in Brazil only to get entangled in a gang war that escalates into something much larger. Building on the iconic bullet-time mechanics inspired by The Matrix, Max Payne 3‘s shooting mechanics are among the best-feeling in any video game. The advanced Euphoria physics engine significantly enhanced the game’s signature Shootdodge mechanic, allowing Max’s mid-air stunts to dynamically interact with his environment—he could brace against walls or crash into tables upon landing. Watching ragdolls crumple like sacks of bricks after a clean headshot remains satisfying.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes’
Which IconicFandomShould You Join?’
Harry Potter · Lord of the Rings · Star Wars · Star Trek’
Eight honest questions about how you actually are: what you put on when you need cheering up, how deep you go into the things you love, what you argue about, what you keep on your shelf. Answer them and we will tell you where you belong. Four of the biggest fandoms on earth are taking new members, and they could not be more different from one another.’
‘Harry Potter’‘ (Wizarding World)‘
‘
‘Lord of the Rings’‘ (Middle-earth)‘
‘
‘Star Wars’‘ (A Galaxy Far Away)‘
‘
‘Star Trek’‘ (The Final Frontier)‘
‘
‘
labelFIND YOUR PEOPLE →’
‘
‘
‘
‘
01′
‘What do you put on when you need cheering up?’
‘Nobody is brave about this one.’
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
02′
‘How deep do you go into something you love?’
‘There is no shallow end here, only different deep ends.’
‘
‘
‘< labelA”I know every character and all the gossip.’
‘< labelB”I have read the appendices and studied the maps.’
‘< labelC”I have a ranked opinion on every instalment.’
‘< labelD”I want to know how the world actually works.’
‘
‘
‘
‘
03′
‘What do you and your friends actually argue about?’
‘Every fandom has one argument it has been having for years.’
‘
“< section " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
"< div "
“Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”(2002)
