5 moments from the GTA series that shocked players

The GTA series features a number of unpredictable moments that players did not see coming, which is perhaps one of the reasons why Grand Theft Auto is the most popular franchise out there.

Unexpected plot twists bring out the unpredictable nature of the GTA series. If the protagonists never did something out of the ordinary and if the virtual world never dropped unpredictable bombs on the player, the story would become stagnant and players would start to slack off.

Rockstar knows how to keep fans engaged.

This article highlights some of the most shocking moments featured in the GTA series.

5 moments from the GTA series that shocked players

#5 Big Smoke's Betrayal (GTA San Andreas)

Players might, at some point, forget the robust world of GTA San Andreas, but they will have a hard time forgetting how Big Smoke stabbed his closest friends in the back.

The game did feature scenes that foreshadowed his betrayal, but they were so subtle that players didn't really see Big Smoke for who he really was until his betrayal slapped the characters - and the players - right in the face.

Big Smoke wanted to be remembered after his death. He didn't paint a masterpiece or write a timeless classic, but he will certainly be remembered for joining hands with the wrong party and turning his back on the only people who treated him like family.

This is perhaps one of the most shocking and unforgettable moments featured in the GTA series.

#4 Dooming the teacher (GTA 5)

Players always knew they would have to make a choice between Michael and Trevor when playing as Franklin, but the scene where Franklin betrays Michael, the person who turned him from a 'two-bit gangster' to a 'three-bit gangster', still left players paralyzed in shock.

Even though the game features a middle ground where neither Trevor nor Michael would have to be hurt, players still often find themselves opting for this heartbreaking ending because what would the GTA series be without the spine-chilling shock of watching two friends break apart?

#3 Trevor's blood-curdling savagery (GTA 5)

Trevor has always been a bit of a madman in the GTA series. In fact, his introductory scene takes players right into his twisted mind as he ruthlessly murders a side character just because he got a rise out of him, but his cold-blooded savagery leaves players in sickening horror when he tortures a guy for information. The torture scene is brutal and disgusting to say the least, but it's not there just for fun. It gives an invaluable insight into the twisted psychology of criminal masterminds and how deep-rooted their 'pleasure-seeking' problems apparently are.

#2 The unprecedented male nudity scene

According to the early accounts of human history, people didn't really care for clothes. The GTA series, being a global phenomenon, would have been rather incomplete had it not incorporated that bit of inspiration into the game. In Lost and the Damned, GTA 4 features full frontal male nudity - something that had never been done in the 3D world before. A shocking moment indeed.

#1 Licensed Prostitution

Just when players thought the GTA series couldn't get any more diverse, Rockstar made prostitution a part of the game. After all, player-raves are triggered by things that are normally tagged as socially taboo, especially in Grand Theft Auto. The inclusion of prostitution not only shocked players to the bone but it also created a lot of tension in the community - a fully intended outcome.

About the author

Sawera is a freelance writer by day, and an avid reader by night. When she is not lost in the art of content creation, she can be found in the most quaint places on earth, reading poetry or listening to Exile by Taylor Swift.

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Edited by Gautham Balaji