This might be a hot take, but I foundGrand Theft Auto 6’s new trailer to be a little underwhelming. I’ll admit, like everybody else with a pair of functioning human eyes, that I think the game looks very pretty, and it has plenty of action alongside the series’ signature cynical depiction of American culture. But it doesn’t reallyfeellike GTA just yet. That satirical edge seems to be missing, butI’ll get into that another time.
Sparks Are Flying
What I did enjoy was the focus on dual protagonists Jason and Lucia, who fans have been hankering to see more of since the first trailer dropped almost a year and a half ago. While trailer two is fairly light on plot – we’re really seeing vibes here more than anything concrete, which is fine – it serves to get us emotionally invested in the game’s protagonists. After all, what’s a GTA game without people to root for and against?
The trailer really zooms in on the small intimate moments of their relationship. There’s more of a focus on Jason in general, but we see him picking Lucia up from jail when she’s released, then them rolling around in bed, drinking beers and reminiscing, laughing so hard they fall over, and dancing and partying in their best outfits. We also see them robbing people, but that’s par for the course with this series, naturally.
GTA games aren’t known for their depictions of healthy romantic relationships, and we definitely haven’t seen any of the games in the series really focusing on that. GTA 6 seems to be different – Lucia and Jason have undeniably intense chemistry.
But more than that, they seem to have a genuinely loving relationship. There’s a surprising nuance to the way they act around each other that will feel incredibly familiar to people who’ve had long-term relationships.The way Lucia collapses on Jason after a long day (presumably doing community service) on the couch for a snuggle, the laughing and shoving each other while joking around, and the gentle words of affirmation to each other – “You and me, Lu, we got this.” “We got this.” – all serve as evidence of their dedication to each other.
All of this only serves to endear me to these characters, because the intimacy feels so real and authentic. Assuming Rockstar was gunning (ha) for a Bonnie and Clyde dynamic, they’ve nailed it. Lucia and Jason are obviously partners in crime, but they also feel like partners inlife.
Is GTA 6 Choosing Heart Over Edge?
It’s pretty interesting to see all this from a GTA game, considering the series is so renowned for its edgy, cynical tone. Jason and Lucia seem like the opposite of what I would have expected from a series whose last game had one of its characters’ wives cheating on him and otherwise annoying the absolute heck out of him. We’re seeing a tender and earnest relationship here, one that makes me feel like this iteration of GTA will be a more grounded one, less focused on having bite and more focused on having heart.
And perhaps most impressively, GTA is a series that historically hasn’t had agreatattitude towards women and marginalised communities, so it’s incredibly heartening to see Lucia, a Latina woman, portrayed in such a humanising way. I can’t honestly say that either of these characters feel fully fleshed-out just yet, since thiswasa very mood-based trailer, but it doesn’t look at all like she’s the butt of a joke. She’s a partner, an equal player.
Of course, it’s too early to say much, considering we have less than five total minutes of trailers to analyse and we won’t be seeing the game for another year, at best. I’m sure there’ll be some kind of twist –a lot of people believe that Jason is an undercover cop, which means there could be some kind of betrayal in the cards – but for now, I’m finding myself surprisingly moved by what I’ve seen of GTA 6. It might not be the satirical take on contemporary American society we wanted or expected, but it might be something special nonetheless: a love story.
