Who has seen me and who sees me. I was at the inauguration, at the first steps of the multiplayer mode of GTA V back in 2013 and when nobody could imagine the colossus that it is today. Rockstar Games knew how to hit the table based on effort, constant updates and all of them free.
It all started on my late PS3, living those beginnings in Los Santos with kind friends and strangers with dubious intentions. We dreamed of having our own properties, vehicles, unlimited customization, and total underworld domination. A chimera nine years ago, a palpable reality today.
The jump to the, of that, new generation left me behind. I did not want to know anything about the improvements, casinos, ships and other content who looked at me with eyes. Hell, I stopped playing with my friends and focused on, what do I know, platinuming Far Cry 3.
I have a PS5, GTA Online is back in the spotlight being free on the Sony console and the siren song from Vinewood is powerful. I have started a new journey through Los Santos. A new empire of crime is born and only God knows if I will manage to create a niche for myself among so many thugs.
Just like old times… but no
As you can guess, I never did my character transfer to PS4ergo I also have nothing to hold on to on PS5. I am totally caught off guard by the game: I have to start my career as a criminal from four different possibilities.
- Executive: too typical. It doesn’t sound particularly attractive to be part of the classic business underworld.
- Gun-runner: interesting, but seems too aggressive. The idea of having an impregnable bunker catches my attention, but it takes me too far from the center of the city.
- night club owner: no doubt, one of the most common covers. Clubs and clubs have always been a good refuge for money laundering. Having the place full of people and being able to move the skeleton without being embarrassed ends up conquering me.
- Therefore: I need a crew that I don’t have, but the Harley Davidson and custom roll is one that I’m not going to give up so easily.
Determined, I’m going to become the king of the night. Rockstar knows that newcomers don’t want to break stone or spend money right away to get resources, so they put a great four million dollar springboard to start. Of course, they don’t want you to go with a full pocket either, so you have to spend at least three million before you start playing.
My doubts dance between uptown Vinewood and areas like East Los Santos. I want to be in the thick of the action, but I also don’t want to be committed to fussing with other players, so I’m going with Del Perro. The Palace style for the club, with exuberant luxury, grotesque lighting, transgressive clothing and male and female dancers. Nobody is going to be left out here, I need as many clients as possible and from all social classes.
I hit the brakes clearly with cars. It is a juicy, appetizing and irresistible parade of expensive sports cars, but I must not lose my composure. there will be time for take a look at Southern San Andreas Super Autos or Legendary Motorsport. Bucks of cash is what I need, so I’m sticking with a custom MTL Pounder. An armored truck with weapon customization, perfect for continuing to take steps in the world of crime.
Obviously you can’t go bare-chested around there, so I get myself a good supply of firearms. Proximity bombs, carbines, shotguns… you know, the cell phone, wallet, keys that every player of GTA Online Check your pockets before you leave home.
The party starts
Rockstar assured that the tutorial of GTA Online had been remodeled for the new generation of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is not that he has put a brushstroke here and retouched there, it is that he has thrown everything out the window and has begun to paint a new canvas. Now It’s not about Lamar picking us up at the airport anymore.but the direction is totally different.
There is a story to tell, nothing is governed by the randomness of events anymore. It is not about simply doing a race to be clear about how the cars work, nor is it released at the first change in a corner like an abandoned puppy. No, this time we have a place to carry out, serving as a showcase to see how well worked the plot of GTA Online is. I know I’m looking at something different.
The seven years are noticeable in moments like these, when you see that you are the investor of Gay Tony himself. Damn me, the mythical character of the GTA IV DLC in person. I can’t help but smile and laugh seeing him, despising everyone, showing off a stunning ego. This is the kind of partner I want with me.
In a show of creativity, I decide to call the club Black Hole. It swallows everything, nothing comes out of it and attracts everyone. No masks, no safety distance or bagpipes, open bar until dawn. Not only is Tony present, but Dave becomes the DJ provider for each night and helps me out by bringing Solomun to play the first session.
Once again, bringing the music equipment, picking up Solomun after he landed a plane alone…these are missions with history, worked on, that they feel special and that they are not light hobbies. Once the objective is achieved, it is time to settle in the work room to see how a nightclub is managed.
There’s a lot of wood to chop here. I generate about 50,000 dollars, which is not much and barely enough to fix the Maibatsu Penumbra that they gave me as soon as I started the game. I can choose a DJ, hire more staff, have all the data controlled… really, for someone who arrives so long after, the shock is really powerful.
The culmination of this heady feeling of victory is that they give me a free apartment in Del Perro, just two blocks from the premises. Apartment with two floors, air conditioning, furnished from top to bottom and with a garage for 10 cars. To give you an idea, it’s the same house I had in my prime with GTA Online years ago. That was the pinnacle of my character, making money by shoplifting, doing tricks on missions and playing just a couple of heists.
It cost me a lot to get hold of all the properties I had and without spending a single euro on Shark Cards. I never put real money and I reached the maximum of what I gave GTA Online on PS3, especially after Rockstar’s announcement that they will no longer support new content.
I do not start from scratch, it is that directly my starting box is above the one I had. It’s time to shine, it’s time to take over the city. There is much to visit, places to discover, activities to do. This city can still be squeezed a little more.
