Rockstar Games has had its fair share of controversy over the last few years, from an expose on the company’s crunch culture, to a letter written and published by employee’s wives regarding exploitative working conditions. It makes sense for the game developer to make deliberate moves to rebuild their brand’s reputation. The Rockstar Games controversies did not necessarily impact sales or critical reception of Red Dead Redemption 2, nor did controversies about in-game depictions of sexism and violence affect Grand Theft Auto V. Both of these franchises are powerhouses for Rockstar Games, but the developer has a bigger catalog of games than just those two.
The recently announced decision by Take-Two Interactive to remaster three classic titles has the internet abuzz about what games these may be, with Red Dead or Grand Theft Auto being the most prominent theory. However, while these games may be safe bets in terms of fan following, Rockstar Games has a real opportunity here to not only rehabilitate its reputation but also show what it’s capable of as a developer. Some of Rockstar Games’ lesser-known titles highlight this and deserve to be remade before GTA or Red Dead.
Bully
Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit, was one of Rockstar Games’ more experimental games. It has the spirit of Grand Theft Auto but with a lot less grit and grime. The game follows Jimmy Hopkins, a private boarding school student at Bullworth Academy in the fictitious town of Bullworth, New England. It did attract some mild controversy at launch, mainly from groups already concerned about Rockstar Games’ other properties.
The setting of a private boarding school (rather than a criminal underbelly like Grand Theft Auto) makes this game a lot stranger, and sweeter than some of Rockstar Games’ other titles. Obviously, Rockstar Games is known for its tongue-in-cheek humor, and it’s found aplenty in Bully. However, Bully is more indicative of Rockstar Games' range and the characters are surprisingly well developed. In fact, the main critical complaints about this game were largely technical, such as the controls and camera, which can all be fixed in a remaster. Rumors of a sequel to this game have circulated for years, which proves there’s still interest in the game, and overall Bully is an underrated title that deserves to be revisited.
L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire was an ambitious game from Rockstar Games. Taking thematic and visual inspiration from film noir, this game follows Cole Phelps as he rises through the ranks of the LAPD by solving cases. L.A. Noire was stylish and relied heavily on facial expression and body language visuals to help the player discover if someone is telling the truth. While the character animations weren’t perfect, it is the first game to use MotionScan and again this is something that could easily be updated in a remaster.
While some game mechanics could certainly be smoothed out, L.A. Noire works hard to create an immersive film noir atmosphere, and for this, it was the first game featured at the Tribeca Film Festival. Gamers and film buffs alike could sink their teeth into a remaster of this game that, with modern technology, has the potential for spectacular visuals. L.A. Noire didn’t have the smoothest release and found itself trapped in development hell for a few years, which is a real pity for a game that’s trying to make something unique.
While it may not exactly be Rockstar Games’ forte, a remaster offers an opportunity to include some social commentary, for example regarding police corruption. This was a common theme in film noir, and still has a great deal of relevance today. Either way, this game had a strong concept that deserves the care a remaster would bring.
Manhunt
Set in the same universe as the Grand Theft Auto series, the Manhunt games are stealthy survival horror. This is the only time we see Rockstar Games dip its toe in the horror genre. Unlike Bully, this game leans into the excess Rockstar Games is known for with visceral and gruesome violence throughout. It is a dark and graphic game with solid stealth mechanics. While this subject matter won't appeal to everyone, the game has a cult following that would no doubt snap up a remastered version. It's risky in the same way that A Clockwork Orange or Ichi the Killer are, in that the ultraviolence is supposed to be upsetting. Both of those films also have a cult following and excessive gore in any medium usually sparks passionate debates. Aside from the subject matter though, this time the mechanics were overall well received and a remaster would bring this game to a whole new audience.
The Warriors
Speaking of cult classics, Rockstar Games' adaptation of the 1979 cult film, The Warriors, is one of Rockstar Games' best games. Not only does it feature some of the music from the film, but some of the original actors came back to voice their characters again. The gameplay, atmosphere, and narrative are all on point, and the cult status of the film attracts a wide array of fans. Film buffs and gamers alike are generally always in favor of getting a better picture and higher resolution, so a remaster of this game makes total sense. As long as some remasters are happening, The Warriors should definitely be high on the list of games that should be revisited.
Of course, these aren't Rockstar Games' only titles outside of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead, and definitely not the only games Take-Two could remaster. The Rockstar Games catalog includes games like Oni, a futuristic game inspired by Akira and Ghost in the Shell, or Midnight Club, a relatively well-received car racing game. Whatever games do get remastered are sure to do well, and although some gamers are growing tired of remasters, there's definitely still a few classics that would be great to see remastered.