Multiple protagonists were first introduced to the Grand Theft Auto series in GTA 5, and the game shows how useful it can be to switch between characters. Each of the three playable characters are unique and have their own ways of interpreting the world. It would be wise for Rockstar Games to implement the same mechanic in GTA 6, as it makes it easier to explore a large map and allows players to view the same story from different perspectives.
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Multiple Protagonists Make Exploring Large Maps Easier
In Grand Theft Auto 5, the three protagonists could not be any more different, but they must somehow work as a team. Franklin Clinton is a gangster who is close friends with a fast talker named Lamar. He has no qualms about doing crime, but he wants more for himself and realizes being a petty criminal will not get him out of the downtown Los Santos slums. Trevor Philips and Michael De Santa used to be in a gang together, but after a failed heist they parted ways, and Michael fakes his death to live a life of luxury while Trevor lives in a trailer on the outskirts of the state.
With Los Santos being such a large place, having three protagonists to jump between makes it easier to get around the map. Franklin usually lingers around the lower parts of the map, Michael can be found in the city, and Trevor roams the dusty streets of Sandy Shores. GTA 6’s map will likely dwarf GTA 5, which is already impressively large, making navigation a chore without convenient methods to get around. Fast travel is an easy option, but having multiple protagonists is a creative solution that solves the problem while providing a fun gameplay mechanic .
Multiple Protagonists See the Same Story From Different Perspectives
One of the biggest benefits to having multiple protagonists is that it allows players to see the same story through different eyes. GTA 5’s crime story may seem simple at first, but having multiple protagonists complicates it, allowing the game to have a greater replay value. Although Trevor appears to be an amoral sociopath, he cares far more about Michael’s betrayal than he does about any potential money there is to be earned. On the other hand, Michael cannot keep his eyes off the money, and living a calm family life makes him restless. Franklin can be seen as the middle between the two, and he must choose whether he will follow Michael’s path or remember his roots and not turn his back on old friends.
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To tell a singular story from the perspective of one protagonist will feel like a downgrade considering how gamers got to experience GTA 5. If Rockstar wishes for GTA 6 to have as long a lifespan, the inclusion of multiple playable characters in GTA 6 is one of the best strategies to use, as it encourages players to replay the game and see what the story looks like when they focus on a different protagonist. The way different characters perceive the situation they are in could be affected by their backgrounds, forcing players to think more critically about various scenarios.
Multiple Protagonists Open the Way For a Female Character
The Grand Theft Auto series has had a variety of memorable protagonists throughout its history, including the mute Claude from GTA 3, CJ the gangster from GTA: San Andreas, and Johnny the mean biker from GTA 4: The Lost and Damned. Despite the variety of protagonists that have appeared, female characters have been conspicuously absent. Some argue that female protagonists are incompatible with Grand Theft Auto, but in GTA: Online, plenty of players have chosen to create female characters, and it has not dampened their fun.
Having one of the multiple protagonists in GTA 6 be a woman could help warm players up to the idea. As is the case in GTA 5, she could have her own unique ability, her own section of the map where she roams, and her own vehicle to call upon. The inclusion of a female protagonist in GTA 6 may be just what the series needs to breathe new life into it, introducing a completely new perspective into the rags-to-riches crime story so that the game appeals to a wider audience.
Of all Rockstar’s franchises, the Grand Theft Auto series is the most profitable and popular. For this reason, the company will likely spare no expense when it comes to ensuring that GTA 6 stands the test of time. As usual, the next entry in the GTA series should help propel open-world gaming forward and introduce innovations that will be adopted by other studios. However, Rockstar should not throw away all its old idea, especially the idea of multiple protagonists, as the benefits it provides are too good to give up.
The next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is currently in development.
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