GTA 6 and Social Justice: Tackling Relevant Issues Within the Game’s Narrative
Oh, Grand Theft Auto. That one franchise that doesn’t shy away from addressing misogyny, racism, groupism, sexualization, and a plethora of other social issues. GTA 6 won’t turn a blind eye to these either, and portray things in the most over-the-top ways possible.
Almost every title by Rockstar Games has a protagonist who believes in certain values and tries to navigate the tricky world of right and wrong. Well, mostly the latter. After all, these are violent sociopaths we’re talking about.
Keeping GTA’s rich history and the studio’s last big project (Red Dead Redemption 2) in mind, there are certain parallels we can draw in GTA 6 and expect yet another parody of the real world driven by a tale of two outlaws.
Leonida – A Canvas for Insanity and Inequality
Rockstar Games has a clever habit of using an open world as a systematic approach to its narrative. In GTA 4, we were introduced to a darker metropolitan persona of New York that highlights an immigrant’s survival in a city that thrives on concrete-jungle-esque clichés.
In GTA 5, drugs, money, and other vices took the spotlight, letting three protagonists shuffle their life choices for the sake of entertaining audiences. Almost as if they were in a video game about to make millions of dollars.
Then, there was Red Dead Redemption 2 which presented a brief history of America’s violent past perceived through the eyes of a protagonist who tried to embrace the dawn of a new civilization in 1899.
From GTA 6‘s trailer, we can point out how evident it is for ongoing events in the state of Leonida (a fictional Florida) to be an active part of the game’s narrative. I wrote about this in detail last year, and it’s a phenomenon that will continue to shape the game’s future.
Leonida will use in-game social media to highlight its world in a relatable way, and maybe even help us introspect a little. Do we respond to the game’s world in a way we do to real-life issues? Cue The X-Files theme song.
The gritty stories of outlaws and morally bankrupt people in power are often the backdrop of stories in Rockstar Games’ worlds, and GTA 6 is no different. So, how does a modern-day Western paint a picture of a morally bankrupt world?
Bonnie, Clyde, and the Tainted World
It’s unironic and almost deceitful how GTA 6 is leading up to feel like another Western, yet looks nothing like Red Dead Redemption. The masked robberies, the devious plans for a richer tomorrow, and a couple resembling Bonnie and Clyde feel a tad bit similar to the era of Western Spaghetti many of us have grown to love and cherish.
Simply put; many parts of GTA 6 may feel like a tale told in the 1800s, except it’s not through the eyes of a rugged protagonist living in 1899. Instead, we have two playable characters this time – Lucia and Jason. Both show the promise of portraying ambitious personalities who wish to build a better life for themselves.
Despite the era a narrative is set, human behavior can pervasively carry out the wrong ideas, igniting social injustice. In Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan would find himself crossing paths with morally bankrupt groups based on the likes of the Ku Klux Klan and The Dalton Gang.
In GTA 6, there’s a high chance that Lucia and Jason too will witness social injustice regularly. How they go about this can be a twofold method – first, making a commentary. Second, acting on it.
Like You, GTA 6 Characters Will Have Opinions Too
When Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 meets strangers and sociopaths from all walks of life, he often has an opinion on things. For instance, there’s a man in Saint Denis who loudly promotes white supremacy on the streets of the vibrant city. Upon noticing him, Arthur speaks up and lets him know that the world is progressing and he should too.
You can check out this encounter in a gameplay clip shared by user ZanarGaming on YouTube.
How does Arthur express his opinion? He can pass a snarky remark, and leave things be. Or, he can take his pistol out and shoot him in the face. He can even hogtie the guy and take him for a ride on the railway tracks.
I got friends who’s Mexican. Friends who’s Indian. I’ve known blacks, Irish, Italians… good and bad in all. I’ve known good white people and bad white people. And above all… dumb white people.
– Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2).
The best part? If Arthur decides to kill this man, his honor doesn’t go down! Is this Rockstar Games’ subtle way of teaching us a lesson in open-mindedness? Maybe.
This level of interactivity opens the possibilities of a morally diverse range of narratives. If GTA 6 decides to take a similar path forward, Lucia and Jason will have quite a few things to say about the modern world.
In another example, let’s not forget Niko Bellic from GTA 4 who protects his friend from a homophobic bully. User streefgliver from Reddit shared a video clip of the same, reminding the community that this game came out in 2008. Quite literally, the main objective of that mission is “Take down the hater.”
Many things have changed since 2008, and a brand-new GTA will take things up a notch. But, we can safely expect a similar mission design that turns social injustice into gameplay-driven narratives.
Thicker Skin, Thicker Game Library
Earlier GTA games didn’t feel as complex. Just like Rockstar Games, some of the franchise’s iconic protagonists like Claude and Tommy had little to nothing to say about the social disparities happening in their vast open worlds. For the most part, gamers were okay with this, but we don’t live in that world anymore.
Games have come far since, and now topics like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have often led to heated conversations about creative freedom and the portrayal of certain members of the gaming community.
Of course, you can always turn a blind eye towards virtual characters tackling polygon problems in a world that’s not real, like ours. But, it’s difficult to not have a conversation around it when social injustice can be talked about so freely on the internet.
Thankfully, an ever-evolving world can work in favor of Rockstar Games. Take the example of GTA Online – a world that’s extremely dynamic, and introduces new content over time.
This social commentary will continue to feel open-ended with the introduction of GTA 6, and we will likely watch the game mimic ongoing problems from the real world in Leonida.
What do you think about GTA 6 tackling social injustice through its narrative? Do you think Leonida and its inhabitants will voice things out? Let us know in the comments below.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
