Critics say GTA Online is the worst thing Rockstar has ever done
With a slew of troubled remakes and lacklustre ports, there are fears that Rockstar Games might've peaked. While the developer rides on the coattails of Grant Theft Auto, all eyes are on the upcoming GTA 6 as a record-breaking banger or the game that breaks the industry's back.
Since its release in 2013, GTA V and its GTA Online component have become the most profitable entertainment product of all time, with many thinking Rockstar has been a victim of its own success and pumped the brakes on GTA 6 to keep milking GTA V.
Of course, the adventure of Michael, Trevor, and Franklin isn't the only certified win to come out of Rockstar HQ, with the developer remembered for everything from Manhunt to Bully, Max Payne to Red Dead Redemption. The question is, what are Rockstar's peaks and troughs?
Fans think GTA Online is Rockstar's 'worst' game
Discussing what is the best and worst thing Rockstar has ever done over on the GTA subreddit, there were some interesting observations from the consumers on the ground. There was a lot of hate directed at GTA Online, targeting everything from monetisation to crunch.
Putting Rockstar in their crosshairs, one disgruntled gamer lamented, "It's bastardized their top franchise and turned it into non-game. For... like... real life. I think the crunch they put on their developers is objectively wrong...
"While game releases might take a long time, I'd rather development teams have healthier work life balances. I think they've changed for the better with this, but the reports from the launch of GTAV and RDR2 were abhorrent."
Another raged, "GTA Online's focus on microtransactions and outlandish vehicles, and none of it being added to the single player game beyond the earliest stuff," and a third said, "GTA Online's focus on microtransactions and outlandish vehicles, and none of it being added to the single player game beyond the earliest stuff."
Others criticised what a focus on GTA Online has done to other IPs. Someone said, "Abandoning Red Dead Online," and another expanded by concluding, "Red Dead Online. Yeah, GTA Online is an absolute joke, but RD:O is everything GTA:O is, but even more boring."
What's the best thing Rockstar has done?
Click to enlargeWhile GTA Online took a lot of the heat, it's clear you've got a lot of love for the developer's other work. Championing the peak of Rockstar genius, someone said, "Damn good games (including Manhunt 1/2, The Warriors, Red Dead Redemption 1/2)." Another thanked Rockstar for "popularising the open-world crime game with GTA 3."
It's interesting that while GTA V is still earning a tonne, hardly anyone was saying the base game is Rockstar's best. For many, that goes to the likes of GTA 3, San Andreas, or Vice City. Let's also pour one out for our boy Niko in GTA IV.
Ultimately, someone put it best by saying GTA V is both the best and worst thing Rockstar has ever done. In something of a Monkey's Paw situation, the gaming giant has fallen victim to its own success. This has put GTA 6 in an equally sticky situation, and for many, they're worried the next chapter will never be able to live up to the hype.
