TheGrand Theft Autofranchise has established itself as one of the biggest in video game history. The sandbox action-adventure games have become increasingly iconic with each release over the years, and news of an impending newGrand Theft Autodominates the focus of the industry whenever details are announced.
Although the games have changed from their original top-down predecessors, the setting ofGrand Theft Autotitles has always been a dominant aspect. WithRockstar officially confirming the nextGrand Theft Auto, players are speculating what the setting will be. Consider the iconic settings of past 3D titles may offer some insight into the next title.
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Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto 3, known for being the first entry to adopt a third-person perspective and creating theGrand Theft Auto"3D universe,“is also unique as the first entry to properly flesh out its environment. The game returns to, and is entirely set in, Liberty City.
Being an exaggerated caricature of New York, Liberty City encapsulates a grimy and sprawling metropolitan space. Full of tough, no-nonsense residents, the game’s setting lends validity to the struggle and psyche of the many characters and anti-heroes who appear throughout the story. While limited due to its software, the game would lay the groundwork for a fan-favoriteGTAsetting.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The titular Vice City is on full display in this installment ofGrand Theft Auto,being a parody of Miami, Florida. It showcases a lifestyle of excess, illicit money, and hard drugs, complementing a 1980s setting stereotyped to fit these parameters of debauchery.
While Vice City is a fan-favorite place, it is up for debate how much of the allure of this setting was dependent on the neon-saturatedMiami Vicevibe, includingVice City’s famous soundtrack. With recent titles being set in the year they are released, a possible 2020s return to Vice City may see the city a lot less vibrant than before.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto’sinterpretation of Los Angeles and wider-California is the vast San Andreas. The city of Los Santos provides a juxtaposition between ghettos and high-rise luxury apartments, providing contextual justification for the criminality that gamers partake in.
Smaller suburban areas and an expansive wilderness lend themselves to this ambitious setting, includingthe now-iconic Mount Chiliad. The diverse nature of this map allows for multi-faceted and fresh gameplay, so it’s no wonder San Andreas would return in a later title.
Grand Theft Auto 4
The highly anticipatedGrand Theft Auto 4saw players return to Liberty City. Taking full advantage of more advanced hardware,GTA 4enhanced the immersion and life of Liberty Cityin a then-benchmark setting way. It improved world-building AI and added a rich level of detail to the city.
The rainy and often gloomy East Coast setting of Liberty City bolstered themelancholy tone of protagonist Niko Bellic’s story. That being said, with Liberty City featuring so prominently just two titles before the confirmedGrand Theft Auto 6, it’s not likely to return as the next title’s main setting.
Grand Theft Auto 5
The second-highest selling game of all time,Grand Theft Auto 5blew the dynamic setting of its predecessor out of the water. Retaining the poverty-stricken, affluent, and outlying suburban areas ofGTA: San Andreas,GTA 5revives Los Santos with three simultaneous protagonists uniquely experiencing different areas of life in the county.
Los Santos is an inverse to Liberty City in that it embodies a much lighter and exaggerated parody of Western society. The hyper focus on consumerism, health kicks, and even cults of Los Santos fosters an avenue for comedy andvibrancy withinGTA 5’sstory and environment.With this title possessing an unprecedented longevity, Los Santos most likely will not be the primary setting for the next installment.
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Where Rockstar Can Go Next
Vice City, Los Santos, and Liberty City are all classic settings in theGrand Theft Autofranchise, so it’s unlikely any of them will be the main setting for the nextGTAtitle. With Rockstar’s consistent track record of one-upping itself with every release, the next title will likely not be restricted to one city,if it’s even in the sameGTAuniverse.
With how big a game this next installment will be, it would not be surprising if Rockstar creates an entirely new city, possibly incorporating the ability to travel between known cities like Liberty City and Los Santos as an additional vehicle for sandbox exploration. Additionally, Rockstar may opt to move away from the United States, withfan debates about where the nextGTAsetting will bepersisting. If the most recent installment ofGrand Theft Autois anything to go by, gamers can expect to shoot and loot for a very long time in the next setting.
