Rockstar Games might be most famously known for its work on the Grand Theft Auto and the Red Dead Redemption series, but that doesn't mean the developer's other franchises are bad by any means. While Rockstar Games might not have the most diverse portfolio of games and franchises, it more than makes up for it with a consistently high level of quality in everything it produces.

However, the developer's insistence to double down on just a couple of its franchises seems like a major missed opportunity. Many of Rockstar's established IPs are bursting with potential, and keeping them on hold means that Rockstar is missing out on a lot of money.

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Bully

One of the most influential and inventive games of its time, Bully sees players take control of a mischievous brat Jimmy Hopkins as he goes through his school life in Bullworth Academy as well as the surrounding neighborhood in the town of Bullworth. Genuinely interesting open-world activities and charming characters are two main reasons why Bully has so many fond memories amongst its fans.

Bully was due a sequel sometime after the first game's release, and there is a whole history of rumors regarding Bully 2's development and when the game was ultimately canned in favor of more lucrative projects. However, this doesn't imply that a potential Bully 2 would lack any potential today, and Rockstar seems to know this very well. Rockstar's R* Warehouse recently released a set of Bullworth caps, which does indicate the developer putting the effort to keep its franchise relevant. While nothing can be definitively said as of now, it's clear that a potential Bully 2 would still be a blockbuster hit.

Max Payne

Max Payne 3 key art

Not a Rockstar original IP, parent company Take-Two acquired the rights to the Max Payne franchise back in 2002. The last entry in the franchise came in the form of Max Payne 3 back in 2011, which had great reviews but did not sell according to Take-Two's expectations, which caused the franchise to be put on a hold for some time. Reviving a "failed" franchise would make little sense, but there are a couple of reasons as to why this might be the perfect time for such a revival.

Max Payne 3 released in 2011, a time where Call of Duty reigned supreme and developers/gamers were fixated on big open worlds. However, as time passed on, players have gained a reinvigorated interest in linear experiences after being burned out by countless open-world releases and annualized franchises. Games like Remedy's (Max Payne's original developers) own Quantum Break and Control are proof as to how such titles can still be a huge success, which is a great nudge to bring back the hot-headed, bullet-dodging Max Payne.

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L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire is another one of Rockstar's great but underappreciated titles of its time. The game follows detective Cole Phelps as he works to untangle the various mystery given to him by the Los Angeles Police Department. The game featured excellent performances by the actors, and players would need to study such details very carefully to come to suitable conclusions.

L.A. Noire one of the more different games in Rockstar's portfolio, as it seemingly is a much more methodical and slow-paced experience than the developer's other offerings. This might be part of the reason why L.A. Noire might not have resonated with many fans, but such a thing doesn't deny the possibilities for a sequel. It did have and still does have its own following. Rockstar has acknowledged the success of the game time and time again, and the re-release of the game for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch is a great testament to such a fact.

Manhunt

While not the most lucrative game to revitalize at face value, Manhunt is another in a line of long-forgotten video game franchises. The first Manhunt launched in 2003 and was a brutally violent stealth game, featuring an over-the-top and extremely graphic portrayal of violence. Manhunt might have received great review scores for the time, but the over-reliance on violence did hurt the game's sales reception and public image. Despite that, Rockstar did release a sequel in 2007, titled Manhunt 2, which had an ambition of upping the ante for an even more gruesome depiction of violent kills.

However, Rockstar needed to cut quite a few corners pre-release to secure an M-rating for the game, which did leave a somewhat negative impact on the game itself, as it reviewed poorly as compared to the predecessor on account of its cut content. This did spell disaster for a potential Manhunt 3, but it seems that it could be a great time for the series to make a return. Many rumors have surfaced over time regarding a potential Manhunt 3, but nothing substantial as of the time of writing. However, games like Wolfenstein and Doom have proved that there is still a market for video games and the current reputation and fandom behind the developer would definitely drive humongous sales if a Manhunt game was to happen.

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