15 Terrible Mistakes That Almost Ruined Grand Theft Auto

6. The Torture Controversy (GTA V)

Easily the most controversial mission in GTA V is By the Book, in which Michael is tasked with assassinating a man the FIB claims is linked to terrorism, while Trevor is made to torture Mr K to discern the man's whereabouts. As Trevor, the player is able to water-board Mr. K, beat him with a wrench, give him electric shocks and remove a tooth with pliers, which can cause him to go into cardiac arrest, at which point the player must deliver an adrenaline shot to resurrect him. Eventually Mr. K will direct players to a beach house, where Michael must use Mr. K's description of the man's appearance to assassinate him. The mission proved hugely contentious because of the perceived glamorisation of torture, and even though the mission is clearly a satirical swipe at the American government's own attitude to torture (especially considering it's heavily implied you end up killing an innocent man), it needlessly rustled up tired controversy about the series' approach to violence that every gamer has heard 1000 times already. It's not a bad mission by any means, and the Conservative media are more to blame than anyone, but it's only provocative in the most lazy and cynical of ways. Does the satirical content compensate for the brutality of the mission? You decide.