Although the games have changed from their original top-down predecessors, the setting of Grand Theft Auto titles has always been a dominant aspect. With Rockstar officially confirming the next Grand Theft Auto, players are speculating what the setting will be. Consider the iconic settings of past 3D titles may offer some insight into the next title.

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Grand Theft Auto 3

Grand Theft Auto 3, known for being the first entry to adopt a third-person perspective and creating the Grand Theft Auto “3D universe,” is also unique as the first entry to properly flesh out its environment. The game returns to, and is entirely set in, Liberty City.

Being an exaggerated caricature of New York, Liberty City encapsulates a grimy and sprawling metropolitan space. Full of tough, no-nonsense residents, the game’s setting lends validity to the struggle and psyche of the many characters and anti-heroes who appear throughout the story. While limited due to its software, the game would lay the groundwork for a fan-favorite GTA setting.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

The titular Vice City is on full display in this installment of Grand Theft Auto, being a parody of Miami, Florida. It showcases a lifestyle of excess, illicit money, and hard drugs, complementing a 1980s setting stereotyped to fit these parameters of debauchery.

While Vice City is a fan-favorite place, it is up for debate how much of the allure of this setting was dependent on the neon-saturated Miami Vice vibe, including Vice City’s famous soundtrack. With recent titles being set in the year they are released, a possible 2020s return to Vice City may see the city a lot less vibrant than before.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto’s interpretation of Los Angeles and wider-California is the vast San Andreas. The city of Los Santos provides a juxtaposition between ghettos and high-rise luxury apartments, providing contextual justification for the criminality that gamers partake in.

Smaller suburban areas and an expansive wilderness lend themselves to this ambitious setting, including the now-iconic Mount Chiliad. The diverse nature of this map allows for multi-faceted and fresh gameplay, so it’s no wonder San Andreas would return in a later title.

Grand Theft Auto 4

The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 4 saw players return to Liberty City. Taking full advantage of more advanced hardware, GTA 4 enhanced the immersion and life of Liberty City in a then-benchmark setting way. It improved world-building AI and added a rich level of detail to the city.

The rainy and often gloomy East Coast setting of Liberty City bolstered the melancholy tone of protagonist Niko Bellic’s story. That being said, with Liberty City featuring so prominently just two titles before the confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6, it’s not likely to return as the next title’s main setting.

Grand Theft Auto 5

The second-highest selling game of all time, Grand Theft Auto 5 blew the dynamic setting of its predecessor out of the water. Retaining the poverty-stricken, affluent, and outlying suburban areas of GTA: San Andreas, GTA 5 revives Los Santos with three simultaneous protagonists uniquely experiencing different areas of life in the county.

Los Santos is an inverse to Liberty City in that it embodies a much lighter and exaggerated parody of Western society. The hyper focus on consumerism, health kicks, and even cults of Los Santos fosters an avenue for comedy and vibrancy within GTA 5’s story and environment. With this title possessing an unprecedented longevity, Los Santos most likely will not be the primary setting for the next installment.

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Where Rockstar Can Go Next

Vice City, Los Santos, and Liberty City are all classic settings in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, so it’s unlikely any of them will be the main setting for the next GTA title. With Rockstar’s consistent track record of one-upping itself with every release, the next title will likely not be restricted to one city, if it’s even in the same GTA universe.

With how big a game this next installment will be, it would not be surprising if Rockstar creates an entirely new city, possibly incorporating the ability to travel between known cities like Liberty City and Los Santos as an additional vehicle for sandbox exploration. Additionally, Rockstar may opt to move away from the United States, with fan debates about where the next GTA setting will be persisting. If the most recent installment of Grand Theft Auto is anything to go by, gamers can expect to shoot and loot for a very long time in the next setting.

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