MeinMMO editor Caro has decided to return to a game that captivated her for 400 hours in her childhood in preparation for GTA 6: After 10 years she returned to Los Santos in GTA 5. And it was a more intense experience than she initially expected.
The release of GTA 6 is getting closer, and with it the question of whether the expectations of many fans will be met or whether the game has been overhyped. I am also looking forward to it with cautious anticipation, as I associate my first gaming experiences from my childhood primarily with GTA.
Back then, GTA 5 was a kind of “enlightenment” for me about what is possible in video games – today it is simply a memory I smile about. But I wanted to know if GTA 5 can still catch me, through the eyes of the somewhat older, not quite so adult, but still “not-so-childish Caro”.
GTA-5 disc inserted into the PlayStation, PS5 update installed, watched the installation for what felt like 2 hours, and then it was just: let’s go!
And HOW I was in … GTA 5 welcomed me with open arms and showed me that I am either still a child or that the game is just still awesome. Maybe both.
What GTA 5 means to me in relation to GTA 6
I hadn’t played GTA 5 for a long time and found it a bit hard to get back into it at first. The movements felt somehow clumsy, the controls alien (I punched a civilian instead of running), and the cars didn’t seem to listen to me at all. Even the sight of my character from GTA 5 Online, whom I thought was sooo cool at 14, just made me cringe.
Oh no, was the game just awesome for me back then because I found it funny to hit as many pedestrians with the car as possible?
I decided to simply restart the story. Ludendorff, North Yankton. The prologue bank heist. Slowly I got back into it, remembered the controls, the shooting feeling, the characters, and the start of the story.
But where it really hit me was the transition to Los Santos and the introduction of Franklin and Lamar. Driving through the city with stolen cars, listening to the songs and Weazel News on the radio, and completing the first missions again worked its magic. I was fully back in.
Yes, nostalgia plays a role. It will certainly play a role with GTA 6 as well. But that’s okay – and effective.
From Caution to Hype
Despite my concern that my experience in GTA 6 might not be as good as its predecessor due to the lack of the childlike “wow” effect from GTA 5, this has now given way to impatient anticipation.
At 26, I can say that GTA 5 was even more fun for me in many ways than it was during my school years. I understand the jokes better, the satire, and I appreciate the game much more for its content than the blunt “Look how I throw money at the stripper”.
Getting a gaming experience like in GTA 5, but with better graphics, more current themes, the Florida setting, and a female protagonist? It no longer sounds like a game that has to exceed the expectations of its predecessor, but – hopefully – builds on the same humor and absurdity of the story and level design, but with a new flavor.
Of course, GTA 6 could also crash for this very reason. As anticipation grows, so does the risk of being absolutely disappointed. But if everything falls apart, and GTA 6 completely flops, I can now see that I still have a lot to catch up on in its predecessor.
Have you played GTA 5 as well? And does it play a big role in your expectations for GTA 6? Let us know in the comments!
Just recently, the cover art of GTA 6 was presented. Only a few days later, some detectives stumbled upon something: “If this is true, I am so disappointed with Rockstar” – Fans of GTA 6 are upset about an innocent crocodile
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