Following up one of the most successful entertainment products to meet fans' expectations is a near-impossible feat, but it is one thatGrand Theft Auto 6has to achieve.Red Dead Redemption 2ensured that Rockstar Games' reputation for excellent all-new games is untarnished, despite thesub-par remakes of the PS2GTAtrilogyalmost shattering the studio’s lofty name.Grand Theft Auto 5is the gift that keeps on giving, as after an astronomically successful launch it has gone on to sell over 165 million copies worldwide as of May 2022. The next game in the series is likely to deploy a fan-favorite setting, which gives it a good chance to be equally revered.
WhereasGrand Theft Autoprior to 2008 took advantage of different time periods to tell each story, the release ofGTA 4set in a theme of each new mainline game being set in modern times, poking fun at current cultural norms rather than looking back to decades past.Grand Theft Auto 5pulls no punches, taking aim at the millennial generation and social inequalities, which feed into the ridiculous campaign and the world in which it takes place. Vice City has been all but confirmed to be the setting forGrand Theft Auto 6, which has to maintain its historical feel while contrasting it with modern sensibilities.
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Vice City is Shrouded in Nostalgia
Much of the lure of Vice City is because it is reminiscent of a different time. Mimicking Miami in the 1980s with neon-infused streets and a story emphasis on the drug trade, it wears its influences on its sleeve to craft an experience that submerged itself in cultural and historical significance. It will be tough forRockstar Gamesto bring such a retro-centric city into the modern day while maintaining what made it so special in 2002. That’s what it’s hoping to do if the somewhat recent leaks are anything to go by, however, and going back to such a beloved place would already be hard to replicate.
A place like Los Santos felt more connected with audiences because the places in which it takes inspiration from have moved massively with the times.Grand Theft Auto: San Andreasmay have harkened back to the 1990s with its story, butGTA 5was able to transfer that into a cohesive narrative set in the modern day.Vice City feels far more like a time piecethan its California-inspired counterpart, which could potentially have positive and negative implications on the degree to whichGrand Theft Auto 6executes its satirical themes.
Modern Influences were a Big Part of Grand Theft Auto 5
For the most part,Los Santos inGrand Theft Auto 5did well to reintroduce a setting to players by bringing it to the 20th century. It was different enough to be awe-inspiring and surprising while also having familiar elements that kept its fundamental identity intact. It was a bold move from the developer, and achieving the same balance withGTA 6’s world will be a significant achievement.
For some,Grand Theft Autoworld best when it is poking fun at a specific time, be it California in the 1990s, London in the 1960s or in Vice City’s case, Miami in the 1980s.Grand Theft Auto 6has to keep those people happywhile also layering the city they love with a modern makeover that feels new. It’s a hard balance to get right, but ifGrand Theft Auto 5is anything to go by, Rockstar is in a prime position to make it work.
Grand Theft Auto 6is in development.
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