In the wake of Grand Theft Auto 5 once again breaking sales records at 160 million sold, Rockstar Games has also officially announced the development of the next Grand Theft Auto title. While the presumed Grand Theft Auto 6 has reportedly been in development for years already, Grand Theft Auto 5 has still maintained a surprising degree of popularity over time, despite releasing almost a decade ago now. Things like the consistently evolving and often updated multiplayer, as well as the incredibly popular roleplay mods, GTA 5 remains an impressive gaming mainstay. However, one aspect of GTA 5 that was particularly unremarkable over time was its story.
Grand Theft Auto 5 certainly succeeds in accomplishing the benchmark satirical commentary that the series is known for, but it doesn't really accomplish this with any sense of nuance or decent character development. Granted it's arguable whether or not any Grand Theft Auto game has done that effectively, but Grand Theft Auto 4 makes a case for itself with a far more memorable cast of characters and narrative in comparison. Many of Grand Theft Auto 5's main characters aren't memorable or compelling in any context other than contributing to the satire of American excess, but Grand Theft Auto 4 managed to balance satire with motivational complexity.
American Excess As Depicted In Grand Theft Auto
In the past, Grand Theft Auto stories often haven't made a concerted effort in telling narratively compelling stories alongside its parody of United States culture. Any degree of narrative complexity from Rockstar Games' writing was generally reserved for the Red Dead Redemption games, both of which were praised for their story. Ranging from the stereotypical to outright ridiculous, the singleplayer campaigns from games like Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, or San Andreas only sought to engage players through ramping up the action. Grand Theft Auto gameplay has always encouraged wanton violence, and the stories have always supported that design.
Grand Theft Auto 4 did this to a similar degree as well, but the overarching story of Niko Bellic's journey represented a very different tone in comparison. Rather than focus on a born-and-bred American, players follow a Serbian immigrant coming to Liberty City in the late 2000s, whose backstory is based around the very real conflict of the Yugoslav wars. His military unit was betrayed by one of its members, leaving him and two others as the sole survivors from the ambush. Niko Bellic fought and lived through that experience, traumatized and left without a future, forced to work for various European crime syndicates before landing himself in his own troubles.
Aboard a cargo ship bound for Liberty City, Niko hoped to start anew with his cousin Roman, whilst also closing that chapter in his life that left his psyche so scarred.
Why Grand Theft Auto 4's Immigrant Story Is Unmatched
By comparison, none of the main characters in Grand Theft Auto 5 experience any kind of character development that's nearly as compelling as Niko Bellic's story. Grand Theft Auto 5's story was praised for being referential and hearkening back to 80s action films; centering a majority of the game's narrative and action around completing high-stakes heists for grand rewards. Operating in tandem with the contemporary satirical flair that the series is known for, the game's story was a serviceable vehicle for encouraging the game's hectic and insane nature. However, in attempting to capture GTA's spirit through narrative and gameplay, the story ended up being very forgetful.
Compared to Grand Theft Auto 4's story, the fifth entry's narrative and character development pales in comparison to its predecessor. All of the characters in Grand Theft Auto 5's main campaign, perhaps with the exception of Franklin and Lamar, are largely unlikeable without being endearing in any capacity. Trevor has the narrative depth of a Psycho from Borderlands, and Michael's tenuous relationship with his family teeters more on the satire side compared to genuine character development. Rarely do the three protagonists get a chance to mesh with one another in a group dynamic, which isn't an inherent detriment to GTA 5's story as a whole, but it is comparatively lacking.
A new Grand Theft Auto game should return players to that outside perspective on life in the United States, viewing American excess through a lens of curiosity and critique like Niko. Pursuing the "American Dream" is a recurring theme throughout the Grand Theft Auto series, but Niko's degree of hope that's so convincingly broken down and shattered as Grand Theft Auto 4's narrative progresses is vastly more interesting compared to Grand Theft Auto 5. Never has a Grand Theft Auto matched this depiction of U.S. culture in a more compelling manner, and it's Niko's character development and relationships throughout GTA 4 that fuel the game's interesting story.
Niko and his relationships with Roman, Little Jacob, Packie, Mallorie, Brucie, and Dwayne offer far more meaningful moments of character development when compared to Grand Theft Auto 5's cast. Roman's chaotic lifestyle helps spur on Niko's spiral into organized crime, Little Jacob remains loyal to Niko after several shared crimes link the two together, and Dwayne is one of the few characters who can level with Niko's nihilism and trauma after the war. Rarely are similarly interpersonal moments of character development experienced in Grand Theft Auto 5 without being interrupted by the game's pursuit of action and levity, making the story far less memorable.
The next Grand Theft Auto game is in development.
