Grand Theft Auto V is the latest installment in a series of action-adventure games.
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Story & Themes
Grand Theft Auto V tells the story of three men engaged in Los Santos' criminal underworld. Michael is a former bank robber who must rob a jewelry store to pay off a debt. He enlists the help of Franklin in the robbery, and his old accomplice Trevor eventually catches up with him as well. The game follows the three men as they rise to power in the criminal world.
In every GTA game you can expect lots of over-the-top thrills in the form of car chases, assassinations, explosions, heists, etc. You can also expect misogyny, racial slurs, homophobia, and transphobia.
Ironically, the GTA franchise has more playable people of color than any other game franchise. As usual, this is a double-edged sword because even if the characters are fully fleshed out and interesting, they are still always violent criminals
Save Points
In GTA V players can save at save points and safe houses, but also through their character's cell phone.
Heads Up!
Violence Violence is a major component of Grand Theft Auto. It is impossible to complete the games without perpetrating many murders. Additionally, players can kill civilians at a whim; the police will be put on alert, but there are ultimately no in-game repercussions. There is blood spatter in all of the games. Gore and dismemberment are minimal, but can occur. In GTA V there is an extended graphic torture sequence that is required to complete the game.
Sex & Nudity In GTA V you can change the camera angle and watch the character have sex. There isn't any nudity in these sequences, but from the movements and the audio, it's pretty clear that they are simulating sex. Usage of sexual language is prevalent in all the GTA games.
In GTA V the strippers' breasts are exposed. There is casual male shirtlessness in most games. In GTA V there is a disturbing instance of graphic full-frontal male nudity with implications of sexual violence.
Strong Language GTA pulls no punches on foul language. All of the basic swear words that you might not want kids to hear are present, along with racial, gendered, transphobic, and homophobic language.
Substance Use Two of the three protagonists are active drug users, and the third, though anti-marijuana, can still smoke if the player chooses to. Players can drink alcohol and drive under the influence.
Discrimination The Grand Theft Auto series has come under fire for its representation of women, the LGBT community, and racial minorities. All of these groups are featured in the game and/or series, but their portrayal is often flawed.
Online Community
Online multiplayer is a feature of GTA V. Players can connect in groups of up to 16 through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network and engage in online play. As always, when playing online, players can be exposed to concepts and language that may be inappropriate. Considering that this is Grand Theft Auto, the online multiplayer version is unlikely to be less appropriate than the single-player game.
Conversation Starters
- Do you think these games are realistic? What happens when people behave this way in real life?
- What is your favorite part of this game? What makes it fun?
- When people criticize this game on the news, do you think they are being fair?
- Are these games funny? If so, what is so funny about them?
- Do some parts of this game make you uncomfortable? Is the game still fun if you’re uncomfortable?
- Does being able to do something "bad" in a game make you want to do it more?
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