Few video game companies have been as influential as Rockstar Gameswhereas every single game it has developed and/or released has had some impact on the industry. And it's nothing new either, as Rockstar has released countless quality games (most of which belong to the open-world genre) from the late 90s to the early 2020s.
This company is now back in the limelight with an upcoming release Grand Theft Auto 6 is slowly shaping up to be the biggest and most exciting video game launch of all time. But before that day arrives, it's important to look back at everything that came before it, including the following five games that pretty much defined Rockstar and its eternal legacy.
Grand Theft Auto
The beginning of Rockstar's most famous and iconic franchise
Rockstar is synonymous with huge open world games with 3D graphics and realistic art styles, but it wasn't always like that. Back when the studio was known as DMA Design, it produced many types of weird and colorful titles such as Lemmings or Points Harvest. However, everything changed in 1998 when DMA Design released the first Grand Theft Auto game.
Set in Liberty City, the original GTA was a 2D action-adventure game with a top-down perspective. Despite the primitive graphics and simplistic gameplay, it still laid the groundwork for what the open-world sandbox genre would eventually become, as players could do almost anything they wanted to earn points, including committing crimes.
surprisingly Grand Theft Auto originally started life as a cops and robbers racing game called Race 'n' Chasebut after the developers had more fun committing crimes and running from the police, they decided to redo the whole project. GTA it had a lukewarm reception and was met with mild controversy, but it's safe to say that neither Rockstar nor the open world genre would exist today if it weren't for this ambitious little game.
Grand Theft Auto 3
The game that single-handedly redefined the 3D Sandbox genre
DMA Design created several 3D games with open world elements during the 1990s, such as Points Harvest or Silicon Valley Space Stationso its developers ended up taking everything they learned to bring Grand Theft Auto series into the fascinating world of 3D games at the turn of the millennium.
Needless to say, Grand Theft Auto 3 he was incredibly ambitious and impressive for his time. Similar to the first entry in the series, players can explore Liberty City at will by driving cars, committing crimes, and even completing special story missions. The only difference is that this game was all in 3D and its open world was surprisingly massive, perfectly showing off what the PlayStation 2 was capable of.
GTA 3 was a huge critical and commercial success and to a large extent created the modern “sandbox” genre, as it directly inspired the creation of many other similar titles, e.g. Saints Row or Mafia. As for Rockstar himself, popularity and influence GTA 3 it redefined and reshaped the company's identity and would go on to develop many sequels (most of which were better in every way) in the following years, such as Vice City and San Andreas.
Hunt for people
The most controversial video game Rockstar has ever created
Rockstar's games have always been highly controversial, mainly due to their mature themes, their raunchy sense of humor, and their gameplay that allows players to commit heinous crimes in a free-roaming open world. However, the company's troubled reputation rose to a whole new level in 2003 when it released a stealth-action game called Hunt for people.
At the beginning of the 21st century, video game graphics slowly became more and more realistic, and the public discussion about their graphic violence naturally also heated up. So the timing Hunt for peopleThe release of the game could not have been more unfortunate, as in this game players take control of a death row inmate who is forced to participate in snuff movies by murdering and torturing other criminals. And yes, the violence in it is very gratuitous and gruesome, even for PS2.
Hunt for people was extremely controversial, to the point of being banned in several countries, but its existence also redefined Rockstar's legacy as a whole. At the time, the company was considered bold and fearless, not to mention being one of the few publishers willing to release experimental mainstream games that were designed for adults instead of kids, which contributed greatly to the death of the age-old stereotype that video games were for kids around the mid-2000s.
Grand Theft Auto 5
GTA game so successful that Rockstar didn't have to release another one for another 13 years
The Grand Theft Auto the franchise flourished throughout the 2000s, not just with the release of PS2 classics such as Vice City and San Andreasbut also with the series' first foray into the HD generation, Grand Theft Auto 4. But as fun and impressive as all of those posts were, none of them could even compare to this monster Grand Theft Auto 5.
Originally released in 2013, this open-world game was absolutely massive for its time, boasting a gigantic map full of things to do, three playable characters that can be selected at any time, a deep and complex narrative, and impressive, vivid graphics. GTA 5 was the most expensive video game ever made at the time, and Rockstar's investment definitely paid off as it also became the second best-selling game of all time.
Like its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto 5 redefined what an open world “sandbox” game should and could be, not to mention whenever anyone thinks of Rockstar and GTA IP, this game immediately comes to mind because it has become synonymous with the company's identity. in addition GTA 5 it was so absurdly successful that Rockstar re-released it many times and even used it as a base GTA Onlinewhich allowed its developers to take as much time as they needed to continue it directly.
Red Dead Redemption 2
A wonderful story-driven adventure that showcased what the studio is truly capable of
It's important to remember that Rockstar Games is much more than that Grand Theft Autoand that the company created a number of other iconic open-world franchises such as Tyrant or Red Dead Redemption. This is exactly why the long-awaited release Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 was such a monumental moment for Rockstar because it was the first truly new game they developed since GTA 5. Needless to say, expectations were very high and the final product did not disappoint at all; in fact she surpassed them.
As expected from this company, this legendary western adventure boasts a huge open world full of things to do, but it's also elevated by the game's emotional story and impeccable writing. Some people actively choose to ignore the plot of Rockstar's games, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is a notorious exception because its compelling narrative is a huge part of the experience. In addition, this title also revolutionized the open-world sandbox genre (something that seemed almost impossible at the end of 2010) because it is filled to the brim with so many impressive technical and graphical details that still blow players' minds to this day, highlighting how much time and care was put into its development.
It shouldn't come as a surprise to learn Red Dead Redemption 2 it has won countless awards and is often considered the best thing Rockstar has ever created. All this explains why the expectation for Grand Theft Auto 6 are so high: the players hope it will be bigger than both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined. Based on the company's near-flawless track record, this is highly likely GTA 6 lives up to the hype and ends up being a huge success that will change gaming forever.
