Saturday 25 July, 2009

It has been several years since I had previously played any version of Grand Theft auto. When I played it this time I wanted to approach it as if I had never played it before and I was unaware of the type of game play and the characters involved. It is very easy to just jump into the game because it is like any other action game where a character is trying to get from one point to another. The difference between Grand Theft Auto and other action games is that there are a bunch of side characters creating a game family in the mission mode. However, I decided not to partake in any of these side missions because I just wanted to just get a feel for the game. The odd thing about this game is that you get a reward for being violent.
Generally you associate points or rewards in game when you have a mission and you finish it or achieve a certain goal. In Grand Theft Auto you are given rewards for anti-social behavior. It’s a situation that when you allow yourself to really identify with the character, it’s you in your game against the world. From this point of view it almost makes the player feel like there is a warped perception from right and wrong. What would normally be deviant anti-social behavior becomes acceptable because it is done as part of a goal for your gang in your side missions.
When I played I just started to wonder around and not get involved with the missions. I started by assaulting random people on the streets and taking their money and guns that they dropped. After I had killed two people, I had a star at the top part of my screen indicating the amount of trouble I was in with the police. It started with just one police officer trying to arrest me but I quickly stole a vehicle and began to run over the other pedestrians in an attempt to get away. After I had racked up 4 stars from stealing vehicles and killing police officers I had died. After I died I restarted with nothing.

So, how is that a reward for being violent? It seems like the opposite, no?