Subscribe by EmailWhere in the world is GTA: V
November 2, 2009 by JLister | 8 comments
A page in a manual for the latest GTA game has prompted speculation about the setting of the next installment in the series: speculation we at Geeks Are Sexy are happy to engage in.
The page appears in the recently-released retail copy of GTA: Tales From Liberty City, which brings together two games previously available as downloadable content. It shows a torn apart heart containing the front cover of GTA IV, the words “Liberty City, It’s Over!”, a scrap of an image appearing to be a hilly terrain, and the phrase “Opens March Everywhere”.
Take those clues, mix them up with the online community’s speculation, and you’ve got claims that the next release will be GTA V, announced next March (it seems inconceivable it could actually be released then), and taking place in a location other than Liberty City. But where? Well, here’s our take on some possible candidates:
Vice City
For: It would follow a logical pattern, being the sequel to Liberty City-based games on both the PS2 and the PSP. It was also a favorite setting of many players.
Against: The Vice City locations were arguably more about the 80s era than the physical location itself and it’s not clear if future GTA games will have historic settings. Even if they do, it could be argued the Vice City theme is played out.
San Andreas
For: Seemingly the most likely choice. It’s already mapped out so would need less new design. It’s also the largest GTA space so far and would lend itself to the greater scope available in next-gen and online gaming. The location would also lose much less in a transfer to a modern era setting than Vice City.
Against: It could be seen as unoriginal to revisit a previous setting at this stage.
Chicago
For: The biggest real-life US city to use as an influence after New York and San Francisco/LA/Vegas.
Against: Would probably work better as a historical era setting, but the most obvious would be Prohibition era, which severely restricts the driving element of the game
Washington DC
For: Packed with landmarks to pastiche. Could also make for some intriguing storylines parodying the political world.
Against: Even by RockStar standards, portraying shooting sprees in the nation’s political heartland might raise taste issues. Could also be tricky to find the right balance between making the scenery recognizable without being so accurate it makes storylines difficult without causing offence.
London
For: The only real-world venue to have been used for a previous game. Arguably the most recognizable potential venue outside the US, with many landmarks and distinct neighborhoods. Has a wide variety of potential historical era settings.
Against: Left-hand drive would be needed for realism, but that would be a major learning curve for many players. The lack of coastline means that giving the game a natural geographic border or having a storyline reason to lock certain areas at the start could be tricky.
Tokyo
For: Could look absolutely stunning with today’s graphics. Might help sales in Japan.
Against: The language barrier could be an issue.
Australia
For: Driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Opera House in the background would be unforgettable.
Against: That’s pretty much it for landmarks. If you thought the Badlands missions in GTA: San Andreas were frustrating, wait until you discover there’s no trip skip to get to Ayer’s Rock/Uluru. Australian setting has already been reported and then exposed as an April Fool’s joke.
The whole world
For: Make the entire game on-line play, then hook up Google Earth and street view to a rendering machine. Drive anywhere, play anywhere, design your own missions anywhere and share them online.
Against: Aside from the near insurmountable legal and technical barriers, absolutely nothing.
- Grand Theft Auto IV on Saturday Night Live
- The Online World of CitySpace
- World of Warcraft: 1; Moderation: 0
- World of Warcraft hits 9M players
Am i the only here noticing that the map at the bottom right is a map of France. Perhaps a GTA Paris?
It won’t be GTA5.
Think about it – Vice City and San Andreas ran on the GTA3 engine (getting better each time, but still the same basic engine), and they weren’t called GTA4.
This’ll be a new game (using the GTA4 engine) in a new city, with that city’s name being the game’s subtitle, as in “Grand Theft Auto: Subtitle”.
When they overhaul the engine again from scratch, it’ll be called GTA5. And I’d put money that it’s back in Liberty City.
Ok, the cons against London and Japan are just f’ing ridiculous.
Left-side driving being an issue? Who pays attention to which side of the street you’re driving on? The game is 90% breaking the law…
And as for the language barrier… really? Strangely this hasn’t been an issue for the FF series or any of the dozens of our Japanese titles that have come to the US or vice versa.
They certainly aren’t dealbreakers, but could be minor issues. For example, the driving would be easy enough to pick up after a little while playing, but it might be a good idea to avoid putting in the “avoid any car damage” missions very early in the game. On the language point, it might not be too bad for scenery and signs (there could even be a few gags with badly translated English signs), but it might take some creativity to explain why all the DJs speak English.
Also, London actually has a physical border around it. A motorway all the way around it (M25), to be precise, which would also be a great border for a driving game. It encompasses the city centre itself as well as a portion of the neighbouring suburban areas. Seems like GTA to me.
I was going to mention the M25 but thought it might be too far out to be practical. Of course, on reflection there’s no reason why the developers couldn’t take liberties in fictionalising the game and bring it closer in to the centre.
There could also be a side mission where you have to bankrupt a rival by repeatedly stealing their vehicles and driving into the congestion charge zone.
What about Gotham City?
I’ve always wanted a new GTA: London. But then I guess I’m bias. As for having to drive on the left hand side of the road, who even thinks about what side of the road they’re on in GTA anyway? Your only way of getting anywhere in a London based game would be to drive straight down the middle or over the pavement. It is true about the bordering though, also think it might be a major headache to navigate and feel claustrophobic.
Otherwise, bring it on. There is SO much potential in London for storylines and gags.