Difference between revisions of "Grand Theft Auto V"

Revision as of 18:17, 14 April 2017

Grand Theft Auto V

Genre	Action-Adventure,Shooter
Gamming Style	First-Person, Third-Person
Platform	Playstation 3, XBox 360, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Release Date	2007-Present
Developer	Rockstar North
Publisher	Rockstar Games
Website	Grand Theft Auto V-Rockstar Games

There are many controversies surrounding the Grand Theft Auto Series due to its extremely graphic content. Its release was accompanied with unprecedented commercial success. The game has broken 7 Guinness World Records, including the best-selling video game in 24 hours and fastest entertainment property to generate $1 billion.^[2] The game's distributor, Take-Two Interactive, reported $800 million in global first day sales. ^[3] As of February 7, 2017, Rockstar Games has shipped a total of 75 million copies worldwide, with approximately 15 million copies shipped in the past year, three years after its initial release.^[4]

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto V can be played from first-person or third-person point of view. Players complete missions to progress through the story and unlock content. The map of San Andreas is expansive, and appears in island form. After completing a brief prologue, players are introduced to the open-world of San Andreas and are able to navigate as they please via foot or vehicle. Players can run, jump, swim, and have the ability to drive and fly. Weapons can be acquired by picking them up or purchasing them at any Ammu-Nation store (marked by a symbol of a target on the interactive map) and accessed using a weapon wheel that allows users to switch weapon-type.^[5] Due to the map's large-scale size, different methods of transportation are available, ranging from speed boats to fighter jets. ^[6]

Opposed to the past games in the series, where players would control one character throughout,^[7] players can alternate between characters for the first time in Grand Theft Auto V. As the player progresses through the story, they unlock all three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Phillips, and Franklin Clinton. Players can freely switch between characters at any point in the game. Each character has a set of 8 different skills that can be improved by completing certain actions. The skills consist of stamina, shooting, strength, stealth, flying, driving, and lung capacity. At the beginning of the game, skills vary by character. Additionally, each character has their own unique special ability. Michael's Marksman ability is capable of slowing down time while aiming at a target, Trevor's Rampage special ability has the ability to receive double damage for a limited period of time, and Franklin holds the Wheelman ability to slow time down while driving to maintain speed during erratic turns .^[8] Players can accumulate money by completing heists, assassinations, and even investing in the stock market. Money can be used for expenses like weapons, vehicle modifications, and services, as well as to purchase properties that can provide the character of your choosing with a source of income.^[9]

Story

The story follows the characters of Michael De Santa, Trevor Phillips, and Franklin Clinton. Michael is a retired bank robber who moved to Los Santos to escape his past and start a new life. He is in the witness protection program after making a deal with the FIB (GTA's version of the FBI), under the name "Michael Townley". Trevor Phillips was a trained military pilot before he was discharged after being declared mentally unfit. He has a long history with Michael De Santa, including a series of bank jobs. Trevor was led to believe Michael died from a gunshot wound in a failed heist in North Yankton. Trevor Phillips Enterprises is the name of his drug smuggling business and he is at war with The Lost motorcycle gang. Franklin Clinton is a "gangbanger" from South Los Santos with aspirations of making it out of his hood. His friend Lamar and him complete odd jobs for an Armenian car dealer named Simeon Yetarian.^[10]

Grand Theft Auto Online

Ethical Issues

Grand Theft Auto V is rated Mature 17+ for instances of blood and gore, intense violence, use of drugs and alcohol, and nudity.^[11] It is problematic in its depiction of gender, race, and sexuality.^[12] Rap artist and producer, Daz Dillinger, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games shortly after the game's original release in 2013 for musical copyright infringement. Dillinger accused them of using two of his songs, "C-Walk" and "Nothin' But the Cavi Hit", without compensation. ^[13]

Torture

One mission that has drawn negative attention, "By the Book", requires the player to use torture methods to retrieve information on the appearance of an assassination target. Trevor has been assigned to torturing a man to gain the identity, location, and description of the target, while Michael waits for his shot.^[14] In order to achieve a gold rating for the mission, the player must use all four weapons without killing the hostage. The weapons include a jerrycan, pliers, a wrench, and electric clamps. If the hostage's heart-rate begins to flatline, the player is capable of administering an adrenaline shot.^[15] The scene has received backlash from anti-torture groups, such as Freedom from Torture, who stated: "Torture is a reality, not a game...this adds insult to injury for survivors who are left physically and emotionally scarred by torture in the real world. ^[16]

Depiction of Women

The series has received scrutiny for its depiction of women and prostitution. Prostitute service falls under the category of a Miscellaneous Activity in which players may pick up women and pay for various sexual acts. These escorts can be found throughout San Andreas and offer three services for $50, $70, and $100.^[17] They can only be found at night and typically linger at street corners and in rundown areas. Once finished, players can retrieve their money from the prostitute by killing them. Though minor, there may be some incentive to killing a prostitute in the game.^[18] Polygon has proclaimed that misogyny is a problem in the game and the killing of sex workers "reinforces hard ideas about the worthlessness of prostitutes, in a way that is unique to this class of characters in the game."^[19] Target Australia pulled the game from its stores due to consumer feedback on the depiction of violence against women." On December 3, 2014, an AustralianChange.org petition was signed by over 40,000 people calling for Target to withdraw sales of GTA V from their stores in Australia. ^[20]

Acts of Terrorism

"Rampage Four", a Stranger and Freaks mission for Trevor, involves combat with the U.S. military. Following an argument with a group of soldiers, Trevor enters Rampage mode and kills as many soldiers as possible with a grenade launcher while being ambushed by squadrons of soldiers and tanks. To achieve 100% Gold Completion, Trevor is required to get 45 kills, 6 headshots, and destroy 2 tanks.^[21]

Misrepresentation of Los Angeles

References