My Life in Los Santos or: How I Learned to stop worrying and love Rockstars OASIS;  Part 1

The prologue.

By Steve Smith

I have played every Grand Theft Auto game there has been and in that time I've done some questionable but also extraordinary things in the name of money and levelling up, involving Elvis lookalikes, hot coffee and Trevor's teddy bear fetish and with each iteration of its sandbox world I have wondered what it would be like to actually experience this as if I were really there...now I know some things would be harrowing and very unpleasant to experience but other things would be wondrous and exhilarating as if stepping through that wardrobe to Narnia, racing in a Light Cycle  or jacking into The Matrix. 

I would just need to remember, Fauns are your friends, the MPC is not and everyone falls the first time.    

Upon its next generation release I found playing the single player campaign in first person mode was a jarring and disorientating experience and one I only did for a short period while driving in free-mode and not in any missions. I was dead set against it and was in fact a bit disappointed as I had been waiting a long time to see the world from my characters point of view and not just above their head. I would forever be playing it as I had always done with a separated out-of-body experience.

After installing the DLC to include the online heists I noticed that there seemed to be a new sheen covering my beloved Los Santo's and I decided to investigate further. Maybe the detail hadn't been tweaked but to me something was different and deserved a closer inspection, a much closer inspection.

I booted up GTA V and for once in many months I did not choose the online option and instead let the single player campaign load up from where I had abandoned playing it so long ago. There I was in Franklin's bedroom with his Auntie already shouting abuse at me from the living room, I'd completely forgotten where I was in the story arc and as fate would have it already in the first person perspective.

I looked around exploratorily and soaked up the verisimilitude. I stared at the grubby light switches and wanted to turn them on and off, the phone cabling was attached to the wall with little clips and snaked around door ways and ran from phones to the outlet in the wall. I stood and watched the cars and people walk past through the net curtains while the TV next to me blurted out a show called Princess Robot Bubblegum. The carpets wearing thin in places and where they were actually ripped had been taped down. The lava lamp shed a soothing glow over the makeshift breeze block table and the kitchen clock told the real game time with a minute hand whizzing around, yes I checked with my GTA mobile and it was correct.

I was already being sucked in Antique Cavalry Dagger, pistol and MG with extending magazine and I hadn't even walked out the front door yet.  

I thought to myself I need to start from scratch, I need to go back to the beginning and see, hear and try and experience exactly what life is like for Michael, Trevor and Franklin in Los Santos from their eyes. Believe me I was worried as I've already played through the single player campaign and know they're not the most jovial of companions and some of their actions can leave a nasty taste in your mouth. But what an experience, right from the ill-fated bank job to....oh no spoilers...well not yet anyway. 

I pressed the option button on my controller and was reminded of a scene from Tron as Flynn is digitised and pulled into that sprawling world of corruption, greed and adventure. I chose New Game and pressed the X button to confirm and was sure I heard something whirring and warming up behind me.....I must get that central heating fixed.

Next time: The ill-fated bank job and what do I have to do to get some respect around here?!