Summary
- Grand Theft Auto 5's single-player narrative is a major reason for its lasting popularity and success in the gaming industry.
- Fans have long-awaited story DLC for GTA 5, similar to past entries in the franchise, but it has yet to materialize.
- With the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, a story DLC for GTA 5 could be a game-changer and help tie the two games together.
Grand Theft Auto 5 possesses a staggering level of longevity in the gaming industry, still being a popular title a decade after originally releasing and being one of the best-selling games of all time. While a lot of this success can be attributed to the addictive multiplayer of the title, its single-player narrative is undoubtedly the largest pull-factor for the game.
The story of Grand Theft Auto 5 is a vast and unforgettable experience, with the likes of Trevor, Michael, and Franklin being some of the most recognizable characters in gaming history. With this level of success, fans long-believed that GTA 5 would eventually receive story DLC, similar to past entries to the franchise, although this strangely never materialized. Rockstar has let the potential success of single-player expansions for Grand Theft Auto 5 go untapped for ten years, but the present day could be the perfect time to finally pull the trigger. With news of Grand Theft Auto 6 creating an unprecedented amount of buzz around the IP, a story DLC for GTA 5 could be a game-changer.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Story DLC Could Link the Game to GTA 6
News surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 has been scarce since it was quietly announced in February 2022, despite the game arguably being the most anticipated release of all time. This is set to change with Rockstar's recent confirmation that Grand Theft Auto 6's reveal trailer is coming in early December, and a huge amount of attention is currently on the franchise as a result.
This impending storm of discussion around GTA 6 risks overshadowing the legacy of Grand Theft Auto 5, and the near future should be just as much about reflecting on GTA 5 as it is about learning what experience GTA 6 will provide. It only seems right that this should be achieved by Rockstar via a single-player story expansion for Grand Theft Auto 5 which directly ties into the eventual narrative of its successor.
Rockstar Is No Stranger to Successful Story DLC
Single-player DLC has been a huge element of past major Rockstar titles like Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption. These two games alone produced the following story expansions that were received extremely well by fans:
- The Lost and Damned
- The Ballad of Gay Tony
- Undead Nightmare
This excellent track record was not extended to Grand Theft Auto 5, with the game never receiving a story expansion in over a decade, despite its near-unparalleled success. The absence of DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5's story has confused fans long before GTA 6 was even announced, with the recent explosion in popularity of GTA Online taking up a lot of Rockstar's current attention.
With news of GTA 6 already feeding into bittersweet nostalgia surrounding Grand Theft Auto 5, a story DLC for the 2013 release could be an absolute showstopper for the IP. The narrative of this DLC could stay consistent with the story-line of GTA Online, showcasing GTA 5's characters ten years on from the events of the main story. This could then see iconic GTA 5 characters visit the locations of Grand Theft Auto 6, or even meet the rumored protagonists of the upcoming game. Michael's voice actor, Ned Luke, has been hinting on social media that he would love to reprise the role, perhaps giving fans the first indication that GTA 5's story is not finished after all.
It is already confusing that GTA 5 was never given its own singleplayer DLC, but Rockstar could have been waiting for the perfect moment to commit to such a project. Not only would a GTA 5 expansion in the near future sensibly set up Grand Theft Auto 6, it would also give fans one last foray into a title that has defined and dominated large portions of the gaming industry over the past decade.
Grand Theft Auto 5
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- September 17, 2013
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath find themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. Government and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other.
Grand Theft Auto V for PC offers players the option to explore the award-winning world of Los Santos and Blaine County in resolutions of up to 4k and beyond, as well as the chance to experience the game running at 60 frames per second.
The game offers players a huge range of PC-specific customization options, including over 25 separate configurable settings for texture quality, shaders, tessellation, anti-aliasing and more, as well as support and extensive customization for mouse and keyboard controls. Additional options include a population density slider to control car and pedestrian traffic, as well as dual and triple monitor support, 3D compatibility, and plug-and-play controller support.
- Franchise
- Grand Theft Auto
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- How Long To Beat
- 32 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 84 GB (July 2023)
- Metascore
- 81
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
