TheGrand Theft Autofranchise is known for its satirical take on American society, which it has done successfully for many titles. Despite being primarily based in the US, the franchise has briefly explored beyond the American borders, and this should be something it pursues once again. The franchise would not need to travel far, as Canada provides plenty of fodder for hilarious satire, andGrand Theft Auto 5already laid the groundwork withTrevor Philips memes.
In many ways, Canada is very similar to the USA. However, it does have eccentricities that make it a unique location. Though Canada is often portrayed as a country with an overemphasis on politeness and cordiality, games afterGrand Theft Auto 5may be the perfect way for Rockstar to illustrate that there may be more to the country than meets the eye.
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Canada Represented Through Grand Theft Auto 5’s Trevor Philips
In pop culture, Canada is often portrayed as a brother to the US, though the culture is depicted as being far more polite, with “sorry” being a term that is passed around often. Rockstar decided to play with this trope a bit throughGTA 5’s Trevor Philips, who is Canadian. Despite his heritage, he is easily the weirdest character players have ever taken control of in aGTAgame. Trevor is violent, unpredictable, foul-mouthed, cannibalistic, and a serial killer.
Sometimes, he is mocked for being Canadian, and this triggers his insatiable rage. The worst example of this is when military personnel make fun of his accent, which marks the beginning of a murderous rampage in retaliation. This shouldn’t be the last timeGTAexplores Canadian tropes and stereotypes, as it is a location ripe with fresh content for Rockstar to apply its genius to.
How Grand Theft Auto Can Explore Canada
Despite the cheery, cordial face that Canada puts on for the world, like all other countries, it has its fair share of dark events in its history, including the treatment of the indigenous peoples. Furthermore, albeit on a much smaller scale, the country is not immune to many of the societal ills its neighbor faces.Grand Theft Auto’s parodyof Canada could involve removing the thin veil of politeness, and Trevor Philips may have been the first example of this.
A game focused on Canada would not need to entirely abandon all commentary on the US. Instead, a clever juxtaposition of the two countries could highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both while stressing the permanence of the human condition regardless of where one resides on the planet.Grand Theft Autohas explored the USA for so long, and extending the sights of the franchise beyond the United States' borders may be a refreshing way forGTAto tell new stories and introduce new cultures.
Leaks and reports indicate thatGrand Theft Auto 6will take place in Vice City, which is inspired by Miami. This doesn’t mean that the upcoming game can’t feature Canada, however. According to a Bloomberg report, developers have plans to expandGTA 6’s map with more locations. This could eventually see players visit the Great White North, opening up a whole new world of adventures and characters.
Despite the massive leak, gamers don’t know much about what Rockstar is working on, and it is hard to make guesses, as the studio is fond of surprising its fans. The nextGTAtitle could go in many directions, and withGTA 6DLC, it may even travel far beyond the borders of Vice City. Canada would be the perfect location for players to visit, and it may even give Trevor a chance to make a cameo.
Grand Theft Auto 5is available on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
