10 Stupid Arguments About Grand Theft Auto That Make No Sense

5. GTA Takes Itself Too Seriously These Days

The Argument: Since GTA IV, some hardcore GTA fans have expressed displeasure that the series' storylines have become too serious and "grounded", far away from the more cartoonish mayhem of the earlier games. As they've turned to the Saints Row series for their absurdist thrills instead, they've continued to decry GTA for buying too much into its own hype and taking itself too seriously as a result. After all, hasn't the excellence of the series always stemmed from the outlandish situations rather than aspiring to be a Scorsese-esque crime drama par excellence? Why It Makes No Sense: Though the GTA series certainly has had a focus on telling a more cinematic and "realistic" story since GTA IV, it's a mistake to suggest that the games have lost their fiercely funny undertone, given how brilliantly laced with satire the two most recent GTA sequels are. The pop-culture satire in fact reached a delirious fever pitch in the fifth game, what with everything from Twitter to Z-list celebrities and reality TV all getting brilliantly skewered. While the newer games might treat character deaths (like Kate or Roman in GTA IV) with a little more import, it certainly doesn't cast a dark pall over a game that still has its emphasis placed squarely on fun.