Rockstar Games is understandably best known for its work on the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series. Both have brought the developer/publisher critical and commercial success and have become beloved and memorable household names. However, while it makes sense that the wider population would know Rockstar for these monolithic experiences, it is responsible for many others that are well worth playing.

While Rockstar hasn't developed a lot of these - often taking on publishing or porting duties - it nevertheless played a hand in some of the best games from across the past two decades, including some of the most impressive PS2 games ever made. From movie tie-in games to one of the best school sim titles ever made, Rockstar's repertoire is immense and staggeringly good, which is perfect for those who want to try more of its games.

10 State Of Emergency (2002)

A Lesser-Known Title From Rockstar's Past

State of Emergency is a lesser-known Rockstar-published game that launched in 2002. Developed by the now-defunct VIS Entertainment - it shut down just a year after the release of State of Emergency - it saw players fight against the shadowy Corporation, a nefarious organization hellbent on stealing people's freedom. With a range of weapons to use, players went around large areas fighting enemies and engaging in its biting satire.

Best known for rendering an impressive number of NPCs on screen at once, State of Emergency fell into obscurity due to its low review scores and lack of a sequel. However, it still remains one of Rockstar's most engaging projects outside its most recognizable brands. It isn't hard to draw similarities between it and the unbeatable Grand Theft Auto 5, if only with its approach to the endlessly entertaining chaos of an all-out brawl.

9 Smuggler's Run (2000)

A Pretty Fun Driving Game

Smuggler's Run was a somewhat entertaining off-road driving game in which players must navigate challenging terrain while evading U.S. border patrol and C.I.A agents. It featured intense car chases that would go on to influence future GTA games, and pretty satisfying driving mechanics that were later evolved into the Midnight Club series, another lesser-known Rockstar franchise.

Interestingly, Smuggler's Run was developed by Angel Studios, which was later rebranded into Rockstar San Diego. For those not in the know, Rockstar San Diego is the team behind not only the Midnight Club games but also Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption. It would later collaborate on Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V, making it one of the more influential Rockstar development teams.

8 Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis (2006)

The Most Bizarre Rockstar Game

If you weren't aware that Rockstar had developed a sports game, then you'd be forgiven. That's because not only is Rockstar not known for its sports games - it has literally only made this one - but it also made a game of one of the most niche sports of all time: table tennis. Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis is as bizarre as it sounds, and yet, somehow, actually quite a compelling game.

No one will call Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis the best sports game ever made, but it is a pretty competent experience thanks to its sharp focus on what makes the sport fun in the first place. Lacking any real bells and whistles, this is a fairly lightweight experience, but it's a lot of fun for those looking for a niche sports experience developed by a company best known for violent and mature third-person open-world games.

7 Oni (2001)

A Hidden Rockstar Gem

Oni is a complicated Rockstar title. It was developed by Bungie West, a now non-existent branch of Bungie that literally only made Oni, and published by Gathering of Developers for PC. Rockstar Canada (now Rockstar Toronto) made a PS2 port of the game, and Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar, bought out Gathering of Developers when it went defunct in 2004, meaning it now owns the rights to Oni.

All of that is to say that, while Rockstar didn't publish or develop the original version of Oni, it technically has the rights to it now, meaning it is, for all intents and purposes, a Rockstar game. It is also a really good one at that, taking inspiration from a lot of influential cyberpunk anime of the time, like Ghost in the Shell and Akira. It may be less popular than some of Rockstar's other IP, but it is still one of the most underrated PS2 games of all time and well worth playing.

6 Manhunt (2003)

A Controversial And Extremely Violent Experience

Manhunt is an extremely controversial game and likely one that would never get greenlit, never mind made today. Infamous for its extreme violence and gore, Manhunt is set in Carcer City, a horrible place in which people delight in gore and upsetting amounts of torture. After Cash is killed, he is brought back to be hunted down and brutally killed once again. It's up to him to figure out why and survive the night.

Manhunt is a disturbing game, but that doesn't mean it is a bad one. Sure, there's no chance Rockstar would touch this franchise with a ten-foot pole anymore, but it earned a reputation for a good reason. The fact the entire game takes place in one night, its somewhat impressive visuals, commitment to the horror of violence, and Brian Cox's smooth voice pushing the player on the whole time make it worth playing - for a specific kind of person - at least once.

5 Midnight Club: Los Angeles – Complete Edition (2009)

Rockstar's Best Driving Game

Midnight Club is one of Rockstar's most popular series, although one those outside of the racing game scene will likely not have heard of. Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Complete Edition, which launched in 2009 and was developed by the aforementioned Rockstar San Diego, was the last game in the series, and it was just a re-release of the original Midnight Club: Los Angeles from the year prior, albeit with new content.

Featuring exciting arcade-style racing, a huge map to explore, police chases, and a plethora of cars to race in, Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Complete Edition was by far the best and most expansive game in the series. If Rockstar were to resurrect any of its older series, there's a good chance it may bring back Midnight Club.

4 Max Payne 3 (2012)

An Excellent Third-Person Shooter

The Max Payne series was originally developed by Remedy Entertainment, the wonderfully talented folks behind Alan Wake and Control. After selling the rights to the Max Payne IP to Take-Two Interactive, Remedy set about creating the second game in the series, with the intention that it would be the final Max Payne game. It had no plans for Max Payne 3, so, naturally, Rockstar stepped in to make it, despite most of the characters being dead.

What Rockstar developed was a lot different to Remedy's initial vision, and more akin to Rockstar's typical output in style and tone. However, it was fortunately a hit with critics and fans, even despite these differences, ensuring that it earned its place in the series. With Max Payne remakes on the horizon, there's no better time to revisit one of Rockstar's best.

3 The Warriors (2005)

A Surprisingly Good Movie Tie-In Game

Movie tie-in games are rarely good, even when they're made by good developers. They focus too much on the plot of the original source material rather than interpreting it and making it fit into an original video game framework. Fortunately, that wasn't the case with Rockstar's phenomenal adaptation of the 1979 film, The Warriors.

It was a somewhat open-world beat 'em up in which players roamed around with their gang breaking into stores, getting caught by the police, fighting rival gangs, and progressing through the story. There was a multiplayer component in which the entire game could be played in co-op, as well as the ability to fight in small arenas as any of the game's gangs against another player. The Warriors still holds up today and is well worth playing, even for those who haven't seen the film.

2 L.A. Noire (2011)

Still The Best Detective Game

There is really no other game quite like L.A. Noire. Its impressive technological achievements, immersive gameplay, setting, and writing all coalesce to make it one of the most compelling detective games ever made. Featuring an all-star cast and a stellar recreation of 1950s L.A., this is absolutely one of Rockstar's best games, even managing to stack up against the likes of GTA and Red Dead Redemption 2.

In fact, much like Rockstar's very best game outside of GTA and RDR, L.A. Noire really deserves a sequel, one that should explore another cop's journey during that period. Considering how much the developer has learned since 2011, it could easily improve upon the foundations established by L.A. Noire and deliver a truly groundbreaking detective experience.

1 Bully (2006)

One Of Rockstar's Finest Masterpieces

Of course, it goes without saying that Rockstar's best game outside of GTA and Red Dead Redemption - in many fans' eyes potentially even better than those two series - is the school sim Bully. Featuring a vast school full of hilarious characters and the potential for a plethora of antics, as well as classes, activities, and a city to explore, Bully is a truly immersive and impressive experience from start to finish.

With rumors of a Bully remaster, it is possible that Rockstar will eventually return to this franchise. It could even get a sequel after GTA 6, especially considering how that game will likely give Rockstar enough money to take a risk on Bully 2. While many may prefer Red Dead Redemption 2 or GTA 5 to Bully, it absolutely deserves a spot at the top of Rockstar's best games of all time, let alone the best non-GTA ones.