The mighty one Grand Theft Auto 5 quickly cemented its place as one of the most successful games in history. I remember all the excitement of its release, and then the absurd popularity of Grand Theft Auto Online it meant players couldn't even load into the opening sequence. Over a decade later, it's still the biggest thing Rockstar has ever done Grand Theft Auto 6 looms on the horizon and is sure to break sales records itself. However, these games are so big that we can lose focus on the Rockstar games which are perhaps, in their own way, just as good.
10 PS2 Games Published by Rockstar That Hold Up 2026, Ranked
Which Rockstar classics are actually playable today? From San Andreas to Oni, here are the Rockstar PS2 games that will last 2026.
From Arthur Morgan and John Marston's Western adventures to an earlier jaunt through Los Santos, here are some other Rockstar releases that have been praised for their action, storytelling and the company's renowned attention to detail.
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5
Red Dead Redemption 2
An absurdly popular prequel
Really, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 is the ultimate duo of Rockstar titles, the company working at the peak of their powers to deliver something extraordinary. At the time of writing, we've yet to see what impact GTA 6's launch and series of reviews will have on the landscape, so while it's sure to be seismic, there's no peaking at the moment for these two.
Red Dead Redemption 2 currently ranks fourth on OpenCritic's best games of all time list, its 95 score being topped only by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Baldur's Gate 3both at 96, and Super Mario Odyssey at the top of the heap at 97. It's also a little surprising, because this is still the open world experience that impresses me the most. Its legendary attention to detail means that little touches like barrels emptying when hit by a shot are still noticed today. Zooming out to the whole, the story strikes extremely emotional chords. It's not just a backdrop for the gunplay, but a raw, emotional story of loyalty, trust and finding your place in a world that's changing dramatically.
While not perfect (the controls are a little awkward and the game is notorious for pushing realism a little too far in places), this second ride with the Van Der Linde gang is an absolute masterpiece. There is no doubt that this title changed gaming.
4
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
“Ah… Here We Go Again”
If there's one thing fans of a series like, it's debating the best entries. So far, it's hard to argue against that Grand Theft Auto 5 isn't the most fully-fledged and ambitious contribution available, but what about outside of that? The 2004s GTA San Andreas and the 2008s GTA 4 are both excellent entries with their own unique strengths. First of all, we have San Andreas.
It may be over two decades old, but even then Rockstar's penchant for the little details shined through. The iconic Carl Johnson's physique can change depending on the activities you participate in and the food you eat, and the gangs central to the game's story have different identifying factors and behaviors that set them apart. These are the little things that a player might not even notice if they weren't present, but make for a richer and more vibrant world to live in.
I marathoned all the Mainline Grand Theft Auto games before GTA 6, and here are my official rankings
After finishing the main Grand Theft Auto series for the first time, here are my official rankings for the series before GTA 6.
There is an awful lot to do too. According to How Long To Beat, the main story is about 30 hours long, but you need about 71 hours to do everything. The game's expansive open world covers three different cities, so it's no surprise that it's full of side quests. My favorite thing about them though is that not only are they busy and you also get unique bonuses for sticking with them. For example, if you complete all twelve firefighting side missions, you'll earn both a healthy amount of money and an immunity to fire. Your relationship with different girlfriends even leads into separate game bonuses.
A wide, varied open world and wealth of rewarding side content wouldn't make up for a missing main story, in my eyes, and San Andreas doesn't disappoint there either. Johnson's attempt to revive his and GSF's fortunes after his mother's tragic death kept me very invested throughout. More than I expected to be, actually, but Young Maylay's performance really sold me on the character.
3
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Maybe Payne's Finest Hour
The original Max Payne was a hugely influential shooter that mixes great comic book styles with the iconic bullet time action. When the sequel arrived two years later, it was about keeping the things that made the original so unique, but bumping them up even further. A tall order, but Remedy Entertainment (and producer Rockstar) understood this critical mission.
This second outing revolves around the Cleaners, and even more personal tragedy for Payne as he discovers who sent these assassins after him and the true nature of Mona's mission. It's a more engaging story than the one from the first game, I think, but I liked the fact that it picked up so soon after the events of the original. That title ended with Payne's capture by the NYPD, and I was eager to see how that unfolded without it all becoming a bit of a cliché. Fortunately, the multifaceted story of The Fall of Max Payne had some surprising twists on it.
Equally important, this sequel had to further refine the first game's beloved bullet time action. The mechanic was expanded in a way, rewarding players for successful use by steadily increasing them as they battled through encounters. This reminds me of the concentration mechanic in Ghost of Yoteialbeit less flashy. During Atsu's Adventures, I loved creating builds based around concentrating, expanding, and preserving it, and the Bullet Time changes for this game had a similar feel. The Fall of Max Paynefor me, is the best of the series, and a great example of how to get a sequel right. There were some great moments in it Max Payne 3 also, like the iconic airport shootout, but nothing tops this one as far as I'm concerned.
2
Red Dead Redemption
John Marston's Last Ride
Red Dead Redemption 2 was the culmination of more than two decades of work, beginning with Red Dead Revolver back in 2004. It's hard to see how the team will build on the former, and for many fans, it's even harder to separate Red Dead Redemption and its prequel. With their interconnected stories, they are often played back to back, and both are absolute treats for action fans.
I'm a player who is sometimes guilty of skipping dialogue and hidden lore notes, but in RDRI absolutely drank in every detail I could. I was there for the story as well as the action, and that's mainly because I played the prequel first and was desperate to know what happened next. After becoming familiar with the Van Der Linde gang in 2, I found that there was something deeply affecting about the central idea of allying with the government against them in this game. The authorities who put Marston's family at their mercy kept the stakes of each game plan extremely high, both for the protagonist and his former allies.
The 10 Greatest Open World Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked
Let's take a walk in the hall of fame of open world games and appreciate the greatest masterpieces of the genre of all time.
The two games certainly have a different feel, with RDR 2 slowing down somewhat and feeling far less arcadey than the first, but Rockstar pulled off both gameplay styles with conviction. John Marston's Adventure may not be as committed to realism as the title that followed, but there's still a lot of depth to it. To me, the sheer expanse of West Elizabeth, New Austin, and Nuevo Paraiso was absolutely stunning back in 2010, and I hold the game accountable to my very high standards when it comes to open world titles. This was probably the first time I really lost myself in a world and its wide variety of side quests. A true open world masterpiece.
1
Grand Theft Auto 4
The Great Expanse of Liberty City
Due to rather confusing naming conventions, Grand Theft Auto 4 wasn't the next series entry after Grand Theft Auto 3. However, it was the next main issue number after the game that took the first bold step into 3D. Vice city and San Andreas was among the contributions launched in between, but did GTA 4 manage to even surpass the latter? It depends on who you ask.
Personally, I would choose San Andreasfor Carl Johnson's story and the varied and rewarding side quests that exist outside of it. GTA 4 was a little less “over the top” in some respects, offering a more realistic take on key features like vehicle controls and a dark, cinematic tone to the story. It's not exactly the difference between one Crazy taxi and a Gran Turismobut Rockstar really tried something different here. I feel like I'm playing through a movie in this title, experiencing Niko's plight as he works for various criminal enterprises, crossing others while doing so, escaping their wrath, and the cycle continues.
I think many of those who know the series best for the multiplayer carnage GTA online may not appreciate the nuances that a GTA plot can offer. This title has one of the series' deepest, with less focus on parody and silly jokes. There are always tragic twists for the protagonists, but this title is all the more impactful for the crucial choices it forces upon the player. The game really emphasizes the consequences and effects of the violent action that players embrace in these titles, while the Euphoria engine made the combat perhaps the best it had ever been.
7 Hardest Rockstar Games, Ranked
Many of Rockstar's games are easy to pick up and play, but not all of them are a walk in the park when it comes to overall challenge.
