It is difficult to wrestle with the moral dilemma that all the GTA games present to us. We are, at once, forced to egg on a protagonist who, in any other medium, any other world, any other reality, would represent the most heinous, base and corrupt elements of the human psyche, and then, at the same time, we are given the opportunity to ruminate over what we, ourselves, may have become, albeit temporarily, by engaging in this endeavour. The fact that GTA's creators have done it so spectacularly well speaks volumes about not only their skills as game creators, but, as well, about their skills as writers. They have managed to capture the nuances of various elements of the human soul by exploring not one, but three distinct personalities in Michael, Trevor and Franklin.
The extremely delicate balancing act they have engaged in by bringing these disparate and volatile characters together is nothing short of Miltonian genius. Milton, for those of you who may not know, was the poet and author of the classical epic poem, Paradise Lost. In it, he writes verse upon verse about the legend of the Fall: Satan's falling out of the graces of God, and being cast out to rule in Hell as opposed to serve in Heaven. The genius of the poem is Milton's ability to make Satan, the Devil himself, the most sympathetic and charismatic character of the piece.
Rockstar has achieved just such a brilliant stroke with GTA V. Michael, the self appointed leader of this explosive crew, has done extremely bad things in his past, including a treachery so vile as to warrant his own execution at the hands of his now aggrieved former best friend. Yet, somehow, Rockstar allows us to focus on his family values. His family, though highly dysfunctional, still warrants our compassion and, by subtly, and not so subtly, keeping this in context, we find ourselves drawn to Michael, and even rooting for him. In the end, his charisma is undeniable.
Franklin, Michael's protege, appears, at first, to be nothing but your typical gang banger hood. A dime a dozen. Yet, the characterization is much more complex, the personality much more multi-faceted, and the emotional layering much more deep. Franklin is keenly aware of his place in the world, and eager to distance himself from it. He also has enough self awareness to highlight his own shortcomings, which makes him more endearing to us.
And then ... there is Trevor Philips. Trevor is less of a person at first, and more of a phenomenon. We watch him behave, and marvel at the depth of his depravity. Yet, again, the Rockstar balancing act is on display to show an unexpected humanity to Trevor that astounds our sensibilities. You cannot watch Trevor writhe on the floor in psychic agony in response to either the real or delusional abandonment by his mother without feeling a pang of empathy for him. Trevor does not just behave, he explodes. And we cannot help but watch to see where the pieces fall.
GTA V has created a world that is full of incredibly complex characters, and brilliant satire, pathos and bathos. It has surpassed, in my opinion, the world of video games, and launched itself into the world of literature. It is brilliant, caustic, outrageous, disturbing, funny and frightening. It is life itself. And it should not be missed.