There are few companies in the industry as beloved as Rockstar Games. From its dominance with Grand Theft Auto during the PS2/Xbox era, to its commitment to excellence with titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, the studio has found a spot atop the mountain of popularity, and has kept it going.

In recent years, Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption have carried the weight of the Rockstar name. While Grand Theft Auto 5's draw in 2022 is its online multiplayer, Red Dead Redemption 2's story is still fresh on players' minds, and both titles are enticing players to this day. However, their success has come at the expense of other franchises under the Rockstar Games banner. A developer that was once known for diversity is now reduced to just two major series, and as time moves forward its other games are at risk of being forgotten.

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L.A. Noire

A Marriage Made In Heaven From LA Noire

L.A. Noire kicked off the 2010s for Rockstar Games, and though it brought an intriguing detective story, revolutionary MotionScan technology, and a well-realized 1940s setting, L.A. Noire stands alone despite talk of a sequel. The game's expansive, open-world landscape was far from its main focus. This was a tonal, and gameplay shift for the company that found fame utilizing strong social commentary and over-the-top action.

There are few games like L.A. Noire, though titles like Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, Disco Elysium, and Return of the Obra Dinn carry the load of detective titles. Yet L.A. Noire was unique, bringing the style and substance of Rockstar Games to the often-overlooked detective genre. Far from the tried-and-tested formula of recent releases, L.A. Noire, was seemingly always doomed to fall in line behind Grand Theft Auto's shadow.

Max Payne

Max Payne from all three games

Max Payne began its somewhat slow roll-out on PC in 2001 and found a small, yet dedicated fanbase. The titular character is one of Rockstar's most complex, and as such Max Payne is perhaps the most character-focused project that Rockstar Games has released. Each of the three installments center Max handling his family's murder, resolving a mafia conspiracy, and navigating the dangers of security work in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The series is a far more linear affair than the expansive, open-ended Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, and as such was a significant deviation from what would become the norm.

Max Payne 3 entered the firing line of some of the industry's giants. Uncharted was still fresh on players' minds, and the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider was hotly anticipated. Though Rockstar's offering was decidedly darker than the former titles in tone, the nine-year hiatus was a significant hurdle for the series' popularity to overcome. In 2022, the disparity of linear, single-player-focused experiences means Max Payne would be a breath of fresh air, especially as Rockstar remains focused on open-world level design.

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Agent

agent

Agent was set to be a new, stealth-focused adventure that rivaled the likes of Meta Gear Solid and even the James Bond film franchise. Announced in July 2007, with a trademark renewed by Take-Two Interactive in 2017, players were holding out hope that Agent would see the light of day. Eventually, the trademark was abandoned in late 2018, and all prior chatter around the game has been dampened.

The promising narrative of Agent was set to be a significant acquisition for Sony and the PlayStation 3, but just one year later Grand Theft Auto 4 released on multiple platforms. A victim of Rockstar's popularity, Agent never stood a chance, and has since become nothing more than untapped potential.

Midnight Club

Midnight-Club-Los-Angeles-CGI-Screenshot

As the racing genre switches gears to a more simulation-focused affair, the thirst for glitzy street racing was largely nonexistent through the 2010s. Midnight Club was a product of its time, releasing in the late 2000s alongside a plethora of similar series. Need For Speed, Split Second, Burnout, and Juiced occupied the crowded market of high-octane street racing, and despite reviewing well throughout its nine-year run, Midnight Club struggled to break the mold.

Whispers about a new Midnight Club game are making the rounds, potentially at the helm of a new developer under the Take-Two banner. Much like a fresh Max Payne experience would fill a now-abandoned niche, Midnight Club has more to offer today, especially as the Need For Speed series struggles to find its footing. Despite its consistent quality, Midnight Club is perhaps the most at risk of being forgotten, as the bulk of the series was always swarmed with more beloved series in the genre.

Rockstar Games Should Focus on Diversity Again

Split image showing Michael from Grand Theft Auto on the left and John Marston from Red Dead Redemption on the right.

Rockstar Games' commitment to excellence is almost always evident. Its releases are huge, industry-wide events in the gaming space, and the predictable announcement of Grand Theft Auto 6's development has reaffirmed the company's philosophy for the next generation of consoles. Support for Red Dead Online is being upheld, and though the development cycle for GTA 6 is sure to be lengthy, player anticipation will build over time.

Remembering what was lost in these pursuits is worth doing, however, as the franchises that were largely abandoned had huge potential. From carving through the City of Angles in Midnight Club: Los Angeles, to untangling conspiracies with Max Payne, the quality of modern Rockstar Games' releases has come at the cost of uniformity.

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