“A living breathing world.”

Rockstar put a lot of effort into the intricate details of their life simulators. “It’s just a game, though.” If it was just a game where gamers can run over folks, steal cars and kill law enforcement, then why did Rockstar add so much content from the real world? If any GTA could be considered just a game, it would be the original two. (Points being awarded for running over a row of pedestrians, anyone?) GTA3 broke out and laid the groundwork for what I would consider ‘the time capsule installments’.

Beginning with GTA: Vice City, Rockstar was no longer trying to make a game, they were trying to craft an interactive crime drama. The music, the neon, the fashion and the characters were used to set the stage of the 1980s. Short of living during those times, there was no better way to experience the coke riddled lifestyle of a gangster during those times. GTA: San Andreas continued the trend and so does GTAIV. The built-in internet, the online dating and the reliance on Niko’s cellphone all capture how much our life has changed thanks to technology. When I see so much working and believable detail in a “game”, I can’t just see it as a game anymore – it’s recreating a lifestyle. I’m living a role now.

Be it a test of morality or a glimpse into a foreign lifestyle, GTAIV and games in general have come a long way as a medium. Although, GTAIV isn’t quite up to the standards of film or novels, it is heading in the right direction. What’s important is how Rockstar took a franchise like GTA (a franchise with such broad appeal and controversy) and managed to say: “Hey, look, we can create believable stories, in a believable world and populate with people you’ll give a damn about.” It’s not just about killing a hooker and stealing cars anymore; it’s more than that now. It’s grown up with a lot more to offer. And I welcome it.

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 7:00 pm and is filed under Editorials & Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.