The protagonists in the open-world Grand Theft Auto games are murderous, cruel, vulgar, and always show a complete disregard for traffic laws. Trevor, Michael, and Franklin, the three playable characters in the new Grand Theft Auto V for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, are no exception.
Most wouldn’t deny that these men are terrible people, but does it bother players when they’re controlling irredeemable thieves and killers like the ones in Grand Theft Auto? We asked our followers on Twitter and Facebook what they thought. Below are some of our favorite responses from you:
@GamesBeat GTA protagonists were always irredeemable, this game just owns up to it. Your protag. was *always* a terrible murdering scumbag.
— JGfromＳｐａｃｅ (@JGfromSpace) September 25, 2013
@Gamechurch @GamesBeat Well, part of the gospel is that no one is “irredeemable.” However, I personally do no like those sorts of characters
— Jonathan Manos (@JaytheRogue) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat @JeffGrubb gotta care about the characters if I’m supposed to believe the world I’ve been placed in. Example: The Last Of Us.
— Dave Shumway (@mediaeaters) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat As awful as Trevor is, I love playing as him. Good characters don’t have to be good people.
— Jake Magee (@JakeMMagee) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat As long as it meets the needs of the narrative, that’s fine. Not everyone in fiction should be “good” all the time.
— Joey Davidson (@JoeyDavidson) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat I can show empathy for any particular character, given the setting is justified. It would be wrong of me to think otherwise.
— Daav’Puke’Valentaten (@DaavPuke) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat Embrace it, role play it, become a monster. Video Games exist to take us to another world, you should immerse yourself in it.
— Patrick Joyner (@Paustinj) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat @JeffGrubb I’m OK with it, but I keep trying to make them respectable. I help mugging victims and dress Trevor in a nice suit.
— Matthew Green (@PressTheButtons) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat @JeffGrubb I don’t enjoy it. It isn’t satisfying. I’d rather play someone I want to be and someone I want to cheer for.
— Scott (@TheAngryDM) September 25, 2013
@GamesBeat I’m fine with it, it keeps protagonists interesting when done well. Not every hero should be a “hero”.
— Bennijin (@Bennijin) September 25, 2013
Thanks for your responses, everyone! Be sure to follow GamesBeat’s Twitter and Facebook accounts to take part in future question and answer collections like this one. And please feel free to keep the conversation going in the comments section below. Or, hey, if you really have a lot to say, why not write your own story on Grand Theft Auto V for GamesBeat Unfiltered?