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John Oremus
GTA Log No. 1
I had not played a label in the Grand Theft Auto series for a number of years before I purchased Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and began my game log, so I figured I would be in for a bit of a shock. Discounting the graphics, though they are good for their time, I was surprised with the arch of the story to a certain extent. Perhaps my surprise is due to the fact that I had never really played the story modes of the previous titles because I usually messed around the maps. The issue I was surprised most by was that of racial depictions. Right off the bat the character is introduced as a murderer. No back-story. No context. No rationale. I was not sure what to think of it at first, to be totally honest. Was it racist? Was it the portrayal of a stereotype? Was it a tongue-in-cheek depiction of African-Americans in California? If I had to select my answer it would likely be the last one, to a degree. The media portrays the culture of African-Americans, or at least minorities, in Los Angeles a certain way, and I think that the game reflects this portrayal so much so that it almost seems to be poking fun at it. Violence is second nature and expected, committing crime is just as normal as taking out the trash. It has made me think if the plot of the game, at least in the first half-hour or so of gameplay, is part of the problem of derogatory ethnic stereotyping or if it’s trying to set itself apart. As I continue to play the game I guess I’ll find out. The experience of the gameplay has been about what I have expected from any Rockstar game. An optionally task-oriented sandbox, which I happen to enjoy. I look forward to exploring the map and the story more in the upcoming days.
Rating (out of 5): |
