Summary
Almost everyGrand Theft Autogame is meant to be an extreme satire of American culture and capitalism. With the series usually relying on its hilarious writing to keep fans engaged, it’s easy to see why some people may assume thattheGTAgamesare incapable of being serious. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In between all this satirical and comedic dialogue lies some eye-opening quotes where players are taken off-guard with intelligent commentary on the situation of the world, introspective dialogue that allows for moments of amazing character development, and moments of genuine emotion that convey the sadness of a given situation. In these moments, theGrand Theft Autogames show that they’re more than what meets the eye, making them unforgettable experiences in the eyes of many,
Given Michael’s dysfunctional life and Trevor’s self-destructive tendencies, it’s easy to see why Franklin is the voice of reason holding the trio down from completely losing their minds. He doesn’t share a past with these characters and seems more sensible to players, even if the people around him can be completely kooky. He’s an integral member of the cast who is a joy to control, with players being able to decide what ending they get based on his actions.
One of these endings leads to Frankin killing Michael before calling Lamar to patch things up. What makes this moment so heartbreaking is that he recalls a line Michael told him about how people run for their entire lives before they just give up and fall. The act of killing his mentor ensures that Frankin will be stuck in this perpetual loop until it’s his time to bite the dust, making for a surprisingly poignant ending toone of the bestGTAgames of all time.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreaswastes no time in kickstarting its premise, withCJ being called back to Los Santosafter the death of his mother. It was a drive-by gone wrong where his brother was the intended target, making it somewhat poetic that Sweet is the one to tell the protagonist of this sad news. It’s a major event that kicks off the events of San Andreas, with CJ coming back to become a member of the GSF once again and getting embroiled in a massive controversy.
The death of his mom weighs heavy on his mind, and this betrayal is made even worse when it turns out that Big Smoke and Ryder were indirectly responsible for her death. This makes it all the more satisfying to hunt down and eliminate these backstabbers once and for all.
Out of all the games in the series,many people considerGrand Theft Auto 4to have the darkest and most thought-provoking story in the series. The game focuses on Niko Bellic, a war veteran who is roped in by the flamboyant descriptions of his cousin’s life who leads to Liberty City to make a name for himself. Given how most people who go to war are usually discarded by a civilized society, Niko is pulled into the underworld when he finds out that Roman’s life was wildly exaggerated in his letters.
Niko’s harrowing description of war is something that many people resonate with. The promising youth of a country is either traumatized or gunned down in these huge conflicts where people go through hell and back, and the worst part is how the people they served seemingly abandon them when it’s time to reward them for their efforts.
Grand Theft Auto 3isa largely funny game, with little to no introspection when it comes to Claude’s actions. This is to be expected, given how he’s a silent protagonist at the end of the day. There aren’t too many moments where players can feel sad after hearing a particular line of dialogue, which is why the satire in this game must be commended for highlighting the absurdity of certain behaviors that people attempt to justify all the time.
There’s no denying that spanking a kid is a horrible way to punish a child’s behavior and this hilarious conversation between the beloved radio host Lazlow Jones highlights the problems of such behavior. The tongue-in-cheek nature of this statement may be funny at first glance, but the cycle of violence highlighted by this statement is genuinely sad and contextualizes the behavior of kids who receive regular beatings from their parents as they grow up.
Vice City is one of the most iconic locations in a video game, with this title further perfecting theGTAformula. Players control a gangster who is sent to prison for fifteen years, languishing as the man who sent him to prison ascends the ranks to become the head of the Forelli Crime Family. A decade and a half is no joke, and it’s easy to see why Tommy was aggrieved when he found out about his friend’s betrayal.
Hearing a man who was his friend talk about how fifteen years of his life were a mere plaything for him is hard to digest. Prison is no joke, andlosing the best years of one’s lifebecause of an ill-timed betrayal isn’t something that goes down easy. It makes players sympathize with Tommy, which is impressive given how heinous this character is, at times.
