Let me start by saying this: GTA 5 had one of the weakest plots of the modern entries. That’s not to say it was bad. It certainly had great moments. However, most of these moments were elevated by the solid cast, which, contrary to the plot, was one of the greatest in the franchise. Still, the plot, compared to that of GTA 4, wasn’t that groundbreaking. With GTA 6 on the far horizon, many are talking about how the plot might play out. With what we’ve seen already, it’s safe to say that GTA 6 is aiming to bring the best story mode to the series, or at least the most emotional one.
GTA 6 Might Fix the Weak Points of GTA 5
This is in no way intended to undermine the plot of GTA 5. It had great moments and touched upon many topics that followed each of the three playable characters. Michael’s family issues, Franklin’s struggle to do something with his life, and Trevor’s mom—all of them were gut punches, especially the latter—but the overall plot derails at the end of the game.
Think about it. We spend hours being pushed by those above us in the criminal world. Our three protagonists start doing heists they don’t really want to do, some even lead to internal betrayals, and those moments hit those intended high notes effortlessly. However, it’s all glued together in a flimsy way and just culminates with them realizing, “Oh yeah, we’re criminals, we can just kill those who’ve wronged us.” You’ll have to excuse me here, but the game’s final act felt lazy.
However, not everything is bad. The relationships between the three protagonists, which are indeed the focus throughout the game, shine in every possible way. Naturally, the ending, or rather, endings, hit everyone like a truck. Depending on your choices, you can betray Michael, who saw Franklin as a son, give Trevor a fiery ending, or look for a nicer ending for them all. Again, the best part about the story of GTA 5 is its characters, but not the overall plot.
Lucia and Jason Are Already Setting the Stage for a Potentially Heartbreaking Story
We can’t really judge the characters just by the two trailers we’ve had. While the few minutes we’ve seen have been excellent in alluring players into this new criminal duo, we’ll still have to see how they actually behave in the game. Still, the couple’s dynamic of Lucia and Jason brings high stakes to the story of GTA 6.
From what we’ve seen, Lucia is the only one who’s been locked up. What’s the reason, though? It’s still uncertain. Some speculate Jason got her arrested, or it might’ve been the usual case of a job gone wrong. Whatever the case, both of them are starting from the bottom.
We don’t see much about their relationship in the first trailer. However, the second trailer delves into that, if only in a short way. You can see both of them being in love with each other. There’s even a scene where Lucia playfully imitates Jason as they sit on a dock. Fan service aside with the bed scenes, there’s a huge spotlight pointing at the love they have for each other. So, what does this mean for the actual story mode of GTA 6? It might be the most emotional one.
While we still have more than a year before the game lands, a love story is always great in any media when executed correctly. In that regard, Rockstar Games has always made excellent character-driven moments, and GTA 6 doesn’t seem like it will be the exception.
On the other hand, and I hope I’m wrong, we could still have a GTA 5 situation. The characters might be great and well-written, but the overall plot might not be as solid. I don’t think that will be the case, especially after cooking in the oven for so many years. But we’ll just have to wait and see what Rockstar has in store for us and this criminal couple.
