The Rockstar Games studio released a first trailer for the next part of “Grand Theft Auto” (GTA) online on Monday, ten years after the release of the previous work of the very popular and controversial action game.
The video, broadcast on X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, features a Miami-inspired setting and, for the first time, a female protagonist. The release of this new work called “GTA VI” is scheduled for 2025.
The trailer was supposed to be presented on Tuesday, but was “leaked,” said the studio, which therefore decided to broadcast it on its own.
The highly anticipated video game returns to “Vice City” (Miami) and once again promises fans the opportunity to play as gangsters, from the Florida mansion to the prison.
According to the parent company of Rockstar Games, the American company Take-Two, the entire franchise has sold 410 million copies worldwide, including 190 million for the latest work “GTA V”, released in 2013 and the record holder for sales in the industry United States both in volume and value.
However, its success was not without controversy, particularly due to the game’s sulphurous aspect, which revolves around characters engaging in criminal behavior and which, according to its critics, encourages players to reproduce their characters’ actions themselves. , allegations that Take-Two has denied.
The franchise has been banned or restricted in several countries.
In previous episodes, players could play as a member of the Italian Mafia in New York (or Liberty City), step into the shoes of Scarface hero Tony Montana in Miami (Vice City), or take on the role of a former gang member in Los Angeles (Los Santos).
AFP
AFP
On the program: car thefts, robberies, car chases, drug sales or street fights, with a soundtrack adapted to the era and style of the city passed through.
In the game, “I can behave in ways that would immediately get me into trouble in real life, or even risk prison or death,” says Wedbush analyst Nick McKay.
The game is intentionally politically incorrect and offers the player the freedom to act as they wish “with the devil on their shoulder,” Mr. McKay adds.
“In everyday life, our behavior is largely determined by what society allows or prohibits us to do. In GTA, anything is possible whenever you want it and if it has consequences, you just have to restart the game,” he explains.
Beyond the issue of violence, the series was heavily criticized for its particularly misogynistic depictions of women and caricatures of minorities, not to mention the torture scenes.
This time, the trailer confirms rumors of a scenario involving a “Bonnie and Clyde”-style crime duo, including a playable female character, a first for GTA.