Here on TheGamer I’ve covered a lot of topics and in doing so a lot of beloved franchises. My bread and butter is Final Fantasy. I’ve played those games more times than I can count so obviously I have a lot to say both good and bad about them. One giant series I have yet to cover is Grand Theft Auto. This is a franchise that appeals to the average Joe gamer. You know the type. Maybe they play some puzzle games on their phones from to time, but they’ll also pick up one, if not all, of three big releases. I’m referring to Madden NFL, Call of Duty, and of course, Grand Theft Auto. These games appeal to a wider audience that generally wouldn’t classify themselves as gamers.

That’s why topics on Grand Theft Auto and the others are so popular online. Even actors get in on the game if you pay attention. So where do I fall on the GTA train? Well like most I started with GTA III and loved it. When GTA V came out I enjoyed it, but something felt off. My interests had grown. That’s not to say the game itself was bad, but I had other tasks. Such is the life of a video game writer. Personal troubles aside, one cannot argue that there are some pretty strange issues regarding GTA V’s logic. These comics, as always, are a good way for me to jump into some of these troubling topics. Get ready to be put on blast Rockstar.

25 Starred

Crashgordon on DeviantArt made this comic. Like in the movie Anchorman, things can go from calm to crazy in an instant in Grand Theft Auto V. That is all to say the police A.I. always feels random. You could brush them on the street and set them off like you destroyed a building and other times you can tap their car and they don’t care. It’s weird, but this comic is a perfect illustration of how insane things can get. I do love the subtle close-up of the two officers as the perp throws his coffee on the ground. If I had to add one thing to brush up the comedy I would add like four more panels of awkward silence. That’s just me though.

24 Tank Smash!

Physics have never really made sense in Grand Theft Auto’s universe starting from one and making it all the way to five. Breaking them can be fun just so long as the physics don’t glitch the game into unplayable territory. Now the craziest logic puzzle of them all lies between trees and light posts. That isn’t a riddle like the infamous clue in Final Fantasy Adventure, palm trees and 8, either. I’m literally referring to both objects.

Are those light posts made of Adamantium?

For some reason, you can crash through light posts, but a tree will mess up your day up. I guess that’s pretty close to reality depending on the tree and post quality. Shouldn’t a tank beat a tree though? It continues to boggle my mind.

23 A Grand Zack

This ties back to my point about Grand Theft Auto V’s original release on older systems being weird. When it was announced for the newer consoles, i.e. Xbox One and PS4, fans rejoiced. Then the PC version was announced and it was an even more thunderous roar. Personally I was excited to see what cool mods people were going to hack into it.

I would play a Hangover (the movie) GTA V mod any day of the week.

People are still making stuff for GTA IV and that game is a decade old! Will we see patches from fans for this game ten years later? Who’s to say, but right now it’s looking pretty good. Maybe not that lifelike, but the point of the comic is hilarious nonetheless.

22 Money Money Money

Julia Lepetit made this comic for Dorkly. The next example from The Different Kinds of GTA Online Players highlights the whales of Grand Theft Auto Online. You know the type. They love to spend real money on big purchases so they can show off. Hey, why wouldn’t you want to show off in the virtual world along with reality too? Now that is a boss move. Personally, I think it’s rather silly, but hey, it’s people like this that help fund Rockstar and their many random ventures. I’ll get more into that later. I’m waiting for Rockstar to release a literal divine character you can purchase for one million dollars. What’s the best part of that idea? There is only one code. Let the bidding begin!

21 Here Comes Backup

Julia Lepetit made this comic for Dorkly. The last excerpt from The Different Kinds of GTA Online Players showcases the ever-reliant player that no one wants to associate with until things get hectic. You may know this type of player, or you may be one. Admittedly I am when it comes to other online experiences.

Hey, I’m a person too and I have feelings!

I’m not terrible, but I’m also not hardcore falling somewhere in the middle wherein the elite don’t want me until they are desperate. I guess every team needs an ace in the hole. It sure would be great to get recognized for my achievements every once and awhile. I’m sure “the lackey” in Grand Theft Auto Online feels the same way.

20 Getting Hyped

Some Thomas posted this comic on Tumblr. When Grand Theft Auto V originally came out in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360 the world went bananas. It was like the second coming or something. While it rolled out to a huge audience there are plenty of people out there that ignored it like in this comic. I dabbled with it, got bored, and moved onto something else. That other project was not Cookie Clicker, but like GTA V, I also understand that obsession. Even a free piece of candy can set off those positive signals in your brain to make you feel at ease. Cookie Clicker, and other games like it, reward players at a fast pace. Who wouldn’t want those sweet juices flowing faster?

19 Nooooo!

Chris Haley made this comic for Let's Be Friends Again. Speaking of controversial things I actually don’t remember the media going after anything regarding Grand Theft Auto V. At that point in 2013 I think they finally gave up and or accepted video games as a proper medium and not some simulator trading children to go bonkers and do weird stuff. The thing I thought they would go after was the torture scene toward the latter half of the game. Even I was uncomfortable playing that. It just felt unnecessary like a commentary on governments getting things done in shadow ops. Did it hit to close to home? Who’s to say, but I do like the dig at the awful FOX show that was thankfully canceled: Dads.

18 No Time For Comedy

Even though I put Grand Theft Auto V down only after a third of the way through, I didn’t hate the game. There were just other things on my to-do list that had to take priority. That is to say, I know it’s a fun, well-put-together title, with tons of content that will keep you entertained for hours. GTA V is one of those big open worlds where you can play it for seemingly an hour and find out its next week already.

My lines are erasing!

Ok so maybe it’s not that consuming, but my point is you can get lost in it. So much so that other jobs may seem less important. For example, not putting your best effort into finishing your Internet comic strip like above.

17 Shark Week

Josh Crandall made this comic for Double-XP. One of the coolest new mechanics in Grand Theft Auto V was the trio of protagonists that you could swap between. This could lead to some interesting random moments. The best ones would always come up when you switched to Trevor. Sometimes he’d wake up on a beach, or an alley, or be in the middle of beating someone up. He’s like chaos incarnate. This panel brings up a good point though. What happens to your character when you leave them behind to look at someone else in the middle of a fight, or in this case underwater with a shark about to attack? The easy answer is nothing since it’s a video game, but the picky side of me wants to dissect the logic holes.

16 Too Late

M.S. Corley made this comic for Double-XP. Here’s a little history to put things into perspective. Grand Theft Auto V released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 17, 2013. Now the PS4 and Xbox One consoles would release two months later in November without the ability to play these momentous releases. This prompted people into speculating the game would get ported which it was, but not for an entire year. That seems crazy to me.

It was worth the wait for the first-person mode.

So the joke here is that even though two brand new shiny consoles released, their launch lineups did not compare to the majesty that was GTA V. I wonder if Sony or Microsoft tried to bribe Rockstar into rushing a port for their new system first, but failed.

15 Dummy Distractions

Small kids probably shouldn’t play any Grand Theft Auto game. In fact, no one under the age of seventeen should according to the rating rules. Yep, that’s what I believe! Pff, just kidding. Look. While I agree some content in mature rated games may be too sensitive for a younger audience I’m not outwardly against giving a younger child the game. It’s just a video game. They’re not being trained how to go to a club, steal money, and then get away in a sweet new ride. That’s lunacy. I like this comic because it reminded me of growing up and sneaking a peek at grown-u[ video games. I never made sweet cardboard cutouts to fool my parents, but you get the idea.

14 Coasting On Life

Demitasse-lover on DeviantArt made this comic. Franklin, Michael, and Trevor are all great characters for completely separate reasons. While they do interact together through various missions you never really get to see them hang out. I mean really hang out. You know like go to a bar, get some food, or in this panel’s case, go to an amusement park. Out of all three Michael definitely seems like the fussy one of the group. He’s too comfy in his government hideaway lifestyle. A typical dad on the East coast. Now that’s a mod I would also enjoy, or maybe a short film. The gang of Grand Theft Auto V goes to Disney World. The havoc Trevor would cause would be historical. Get on it Steam!

13 Sleepless In Los Santos

Demitasse-lover on DeviantArt made this comic. All three gangsters are main characters, but if I had to pick a main, main hero it would be Michael. He’s the center of it all. He finds Franklin and brings him in to mentor him, and he’s still haunted by his past crimes with Trevor. He’s the literal middleman as it were, binding Franklin and Trevor together. It’s ultimately a story of a midlife crisis and going back to the past.

Is that comfy?

Michael is one big ball of stress like a ticking time bomb. That’s what the tossing and turning represents in this panel. As far as Trevor sitting on top of him goes it’s a comment on how he’s constantly on Michael’s case about everything. Also that he’s a slob and doesn’t care where he sits.

12 Hop On!

Arok318on DeviantArt made this comic. Trevor is about as unpredictable as a character can get. Sometimes he seems sane like his actions, as crazy as they are, roll into something that resembles a plan by the end. Other times he has no plan and just likes to start things up to make life exciting. I believe he is the penultimate Grand Theft Auto character. He is chaos for chaos’ sake and GTA incarnate. Loki would take one look at him and be frightened because even he couldn’t be that mischievous. So yes, wheeling up to pick up Franklin on a Vespa wearing a woman’s dress isn’t crazy. There are no words for this strip, but it doesn’t need them either. It’s perfect the way it is just like Trevor.

11 Lined Up For Danger

Tim Buckley made this comic for CTRL+ALT+DEL. Here’s some commentary on how the news can go after anything regarding Grand Theft Auto V. Now it actually took awhile for GTA Online to come out, but you know how Rockstar is with delays. They may do it a lot, but at least you know the product that’s going to come out at the end is going to be amazing.

Standing still is the new planking.

Now there are reasons why you would log into the game and not do anything. You can check your market values and gain bonuses by just jumping in and out daily. I guess even the most innocent thing can be taken overboard by the media if they’re really, and I mean really, struggling to find a news story.

10 It Prints Money

Tim Buckley made this comic for CTRL+ALT+DEL. Speaking of Grand Theft Auto Online, Rockstar is making bank in that investment. As I liked to earlier the sales are outstanding. You know how free to play games try and rope in dumbfounded and or rich individuals they call whales? Well that’s what Rockstar found in this online service. People are spending boatloads of cash on in-game items. For what? To look cool? To have bragging rights? It’s incredible is all I have to say and impressive for a variety of reasons. Like this comic is trying to joke around with, why would Rockstar ever make a game again instead of just updating GTA Online? We’ll never see that single-player DLC, but who needs it with Red Dead Redemption coming out anyway?

9 While Supplies Last

CmOrigins on DeviantArt made this comic. The Grand Theft Auto games have always sold well, but I don’t think Rockstar was ready for the numbers they received when GTA V released. It sold tremendously well in its first few days and continues to make Rockstar boatloads of cash. That said I actually find it hard to believe this author couldn’t find a copy.

Would you like to preorder that?

He must live in some area that is either tiny and stores get very little shipments, or a giant hub where people buy stuff all the time. Maybe it’s just a commentary on GameStop’s policy. You know how they love to make you preorder stuff. I never do and rarely buy stuff from there for that exact reason.

8 Hair Envy

Mart Virkus made this comic for Arcade Rage. This might be the most video gamey thing about Grand Theft Auto and it applies to a lot of games too. How can you get hair added to you be it on your head, or your face? It doesn’t make a lick of sense. Wouldn’t it be great if you grew hair in real time? Well, maybe not real time, but you know like every few night cycles, or so. That would be pretty cool. They did let you get chunky for eating too much in San Andreas so Rockstar has toyed around with the idea in some form. It was kind of annoying to keep that weight down though and I imagine the same would apply to having to constantly trim your hair so maybe that is a bad idea.

7 Recycling Is Good

Scott Ramsoomair made this comic for VG Cats. How could I only post one comic about hair? There are actually a lot of them. It seems to be a popular topic to poke fun at regarding Grand Theft Auto V and others like it. That said this comic had a different enough angle that I wanted to include it anyway even if the general idea is the same. What I like a little better about this panel is that the tables have been turned.

The ultimate barber will now serve you.

The barber is unsure how to make a haircut, or grow a beard from nothing, but Michael needs it his way. Why not try adhesive? It’s either his way, or he’ll probably blow up the shop if the barber refused.

6 The Easy Life

John McDevitt made this comic for Ready Soup Comic. As exciting as Grand Theft Auto V can get it can also be pretty chill. That’s probably one of the reasons why it’s so popular as in everyone can play the game and get different things out of it. Do you want to play the story? Go ahead. Do you just want a chaos simulator? That’s there too. Maybe you just want to play it like The Sims and groom your characters’ lives into a successful life. That sounds crazy boring to me, but hey, to each their own I guess. Again, that’s what makes this franchise so great even if watching video game stock markets isn’t appealing to me. Video games truly are the best medium.