It was only a matter of seconds after the announcement trailer for Grand Theft Auto V for speculation to begin on not just who the main character of the game would be, but what actors from the previous games - if any - would be returning. Now some investigation has been done to clear up the various rumors swirling on the internet, and it seems that the main character has not only been named, but we've got our own theories on what he could mean for the overall game. These ideas are still speculation about the who and what of GTA V, but we think you'll agree our ideas are a bit more believable than some you may have heard.
First off, it looks like the actor portraying the main character has been revealed to be Ned Luke. OPM UK has scoured the internet to find that Mr. Luke, a relatively unknown actor (although we loved his portrayal of Raffles in Rover Dangerfield) doesn't just match the voice of the trailer's narrator, but the physical appearance of the suited man pictured within it.
Have a listen to the GTA V announcement trailer one more time, then head over to Luke's IMDB page for his demo reel. It's hard to argue that his voice matches that of the trailer, and his facial features are close enough to call this one extremely likely. Some additional tweets from Luke's colleague and cousin seem to confirm that he is indeed voicing the game's lead, and serving as the visual basis for the character. But if the suited man in the trailer is in fact the protagonist, then his later appearances and the narration itself bring some clarity to past comments from Rockstar Games.
Facial and vocal similarities aside, Luke's IMDB page confirms that he is involved in GTA V, portraying a character named Albert De Silva. So while this fact would seemingly imply that this is the name of the game's main character, it also isn't too far from the previously-reported rumor that the game's lead would be a "Hispanic man named Adrian." The first name could have been changed in production, and the name 'De Silva' could be easily taken to be Hispanic. Now that the main character seems to be revealed, both the story he tells and the actions we see him taking in the trailer demand re-inspection.
The story told in the trailer is one common to the Grand Theft Auto franchise at this point - a criminal seeking to leave his life of crime behind him relocates, but soon finds himself neck-deep in murder and mayhem. Albert - if that is the protagonist's name - is similarly voicing his desire to "retire from what I was doing, ya know? From that...that...line of work. Be a good guy for once. A family man." What seems to have escaped most rumor-mills since the trailer's launch is the fact that the narrator claims he wants to "be a Dad, like all the other Dads." Many may have considered these musings as a simple embodiment of the American dream, the age of the actor makes it possible that the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto V may, in fact, be a father.
If this is the case, then Rockstar's founder Sam Houser's view of the game as a "radical reinvention of the Grand Theft Auto universe" makes perfect sense. Furthermore, the fact that dating had been removed from the game (as was previously leaked among 'insider' details) would be a foregone conclusion. We've been wondering for quite some time how Red Dead Redemption would reshape Rockstar's vision going forward, and a married father as the lead in Grand Theft Auto isn't just a logical step, but one that has us extremely interested.
We had plenty of things we were hoping for from GTA V, and this one character description could bring many of them to fruition. Just like Houser, we want to see something new from the franchise, and playing a father with a family to provide for and protect could be just that. Apartments and homes in past games have served as little more than a place to save games or change clothes, but having a family waiting there could redefine what a 'home' means in the game's world. We don't mean in a sentimental, Heavy Rain way, but Red Dead Redemption showed that a character with a family can be a far richer and more entertaining one.
Getting to play as a modern-day John Marston is a proposition we're willing to go along with, but all of this is of course our own theory on what this new information could mean for the game's story. Ned Luke looks to be the lead, and Albert De Silva looks to be his name, but how he'll differ from past leads remains to be seen. Hopefully these questions will all be answered soon.
What do you think of our conclusions drawn from all the evidence? Would you be interested to see a stronger story and character brought to the franchise, while still retaining its over-the-top charm? Leave us your own thoughts in the comments.
Grand Theft Auto V is expected to release on all major platform next year.
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