It's easy to forget that the minds behind the blockbuster video game series Grand Theft Auto weren't born and bred in the United States, given the franchise's talent for satirizing just about every part of American pop culture.

Grand Theft Auto V, the latest release from the Scottish arm of Rockstar Games has taken the series' open-world gameplay to new heights, featuring a fictionalized take on Los Angeles, dubbed Los Santos that is bigger and more thriving than any game in the company's history.

So with next-gen on the horizon, it's hard to know just what Rockstar still has up their sleeves. That being said, we've got a few ideas on where the series could head next, making the most of hardware while offering up some new gameplay opportunities.

Here are 5 Cities We Want in Grand Theft Auto 6.

Paris, France

Grand Theft Auto 6 City Paris

Given its place in history, it's surprising to think of just how few games have used Paris, France as their backdrop (and even fewer outside of World War II). Yet the city's urban landscape would be a compelling one to traverse - despite its lack of towering skyscrapers. That shortage of tall buildings is no coincidence though; Paris' relatively squat aesthetic is largely due to the vast system of tunnels that run through its underground - perfect for an open-world game.

Rockstar has proven that few studios can master a sprawling urban setting like they can, but if the British studio was asked to turn their satirical gaze towards their French neighbors... well, let's just say the resulting game would probably be as entertaining as the ensuing controversy.

Tokyo, Japan

Grand Theft Auto 6 City Tokyo Japan

Although Japanese tales aren't as well-known in mainstream entertainment as the 'crime stories' GTA usually focuses on for its campaign, we'd trust that Rockstar could craft a compelling one with Tokyo as its background. It's true that the Yakuza series has greatly explored the area, but given that franchise's inability to garner massive support in the West, there is certainly room for GTA to bring something new to the setting.

There's no way to measure just how much a new setting and culture can enrich even the most derivative gameplay - Sleeping Dogs was surprisingly thrilling, due in no small part to its Hong Kong setting - and successfully navigating another culture is one of Rockstar North's strong suits. Would players explore Tokyo's surrounding areas by day, or control the bustling entertainment districts by night? Either way, we'd be happy to see GTA head East in the future.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Grand Theft Auto 6 City Rio Brazil

White sand beaches, lush tropical vegetation, sprawling hillsides of favelas - Rio de Janeiro has everything a Grand Theft Auto game needs. Brazil has become somewhat of an oft-used setting in film and TV lately - a warm climate, throbbing music and notoriously beautiful people will do that - and Rockstar already put time into doing the city justice with Max Payne 3. They've got the interest, but have yet to develop it into a full-blown open world.

As the 6th largest city in the Americas (with over 6 million residents) Rio possesses the same mix of urban and rural locations as Los Santos, and with the city playing host to the 2016 Olympics, the writers would have the opportunity to turn their satirical skills to the international community in ways never before seen. Still not convinced? One word: Carnival.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Grand Theft Auto 6 City Las Vegas

As 'the gambling capitol of the world' and 'the city of sin,' it's hard to think of another location that embraces the same values of the Grand Theft Auto series more than Las Vegas - so why hasn't a game ever been set there? It was a question obviously asked by the makers of This is Vegas, the cancelled 'GTA killer' from Surreal Software, but from top to bottom, Las Vegas' attitude of 'anything being possible... for the right price' seems an ideal setting for the kinds of stories usually driving GTA titles.

It might be tempting to draw links between a GTA game and old-fashioned Vegas organized crime, but for our money, we'd bet that a story dealing with the corporate, family-friendly takeover of Vegas would be far more compelling. There's now way current-gen hardware could do the city justice, but next-gen could be up to the task.

London, England

Grand Theft Auto 6 City London

Those who've been fans of GTA since the beginning will know that America wasn't always the sole setting. In Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969 - released back in 1999 - players were dropped into the seedy criminal world of '60s era London. Since then, Rockstar has kept their focus on more contemporary settings, and more American narratives. But we just can't figure out why.

It may be that Rockstar's British writers and designers are more comfortable in an American mindset, but given London, 1969's success in the UK, and the constant criticism of GTA simply painting by numbers at this point, it might be time for a change. A quick look at today's entertainment industry shows that some of the best actors, writers, films, and TV shows hail from the UK, so a game set in the same environment could be a success. Or at the very least, open fans' minds to the concept of driving on the left side of the road.

Conclusion

Grand Theft Auto 6 Settings

Those are only our top choices for which cities should be featured in the next Grand Theft Auto title. The creators of the series maintain that they're considering just about everything for the future of the franchise, so we can only hope these ideas make their list.

Which of our cities would you be most interested to experience? Are there any you'd to add to our list?

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Grand Theft Auto V is available for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.