One of the things that helped Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise stand out from other open-world titles over the years is the series' ability to masterfully capture the feel of some major US cities. GTA’s Liberty City and Los Santos recreated the charms of New York and Los Angeles respectively, and there’s little doubt that the rumored return to Vice City in Grand Theft Auto 6 will expand on Rockstar’s already impressive take on Miami. But rather than limiting the reach of the franchise to these three hubs, Rockstar should take GTA in a new direction tonally and geographically by exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Exploring America’s Pacific Northwest in a Grand Theft Auto game would be a chance for Rockstar to shine a spotlight on a region of the US that has received relatively little attention from video games. The often overcast and rainy weather would not only provide a distinct change of scenery from the traditionally sunny GTA locales but also a way to introduce a variety of colorful new characters. A GTA game set in the Pacific Northwest could see players interacting with characters ranging from city-dwelling tech execs to heavily-armed cultists and militias out in the hinterlands.

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The Wilds of the Pacific Northwest Would Be a New Playground for GTA

Screenshot of Black Bone Forest from Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 proved that the developer is just as adept at designing lush and beautiful natural landscapes as it is at recreating urban sprawl. A Grand Theft Auto game set in the Pacific Northwest could allow it to leverage both of those strengths. Like most GTA games a title set in the Pacific Northwest would probably have much of the action taking place in cities, but taking players out into the rugged, rainy old-growth forests of the region could be a great way to introduce some interesting new missions.

Missions in the forests would let players interact with all sorts of colorful characters that would fit in well with the series’ brand of satire. Gamers could complete tasks for survivalists and paranoid militia groups hidden away in the wilds that could help them grow both their arsenal and their criminal empire. Smuggling missions would also fit with the new setting, letting players run all manner of illicit goods across the northern border and maybe even come face-to-face with Grand Theft Auto’s most infamous Canadian, Trevor Phillips.

GTA Could Give Cities Like Seattle a Chance to Shine

inFAMOUS Second Son screenshot - Seattle skyline through trees

Adding a vast wilderness for players to explore wouldn’t be the only way that a Grand Theft Auto game set in the Pacific Northwest could break new ground. While gamers have explored versions of Seattle in The Last of Us and Infamous: Second Son, the former featured the city in ruins, while the latter was held back by the PlayStation 4’s hardware limitations. With modern gaming hardware, Rockstar could create a dense, Seattle-inspired city for GTA that incorporates iconic locations like the Space Needle and features an urban setting with a wholly different feel than Liberty City and Los Santos.

Moving Grand Theft Auto to the Pacific Northwest would also let Rockstar use its unrivaled satirical skills to poke fun at some of the biggest companies in tech. Microsoft and Amazon both have headquarters in the region, so Rockstar could add tech companies to its roster of criminal enterprises and let players take part in some outlandish missions. From violent acts of corporate espionage to ensure the success of a major merger, to collecting black market rocket parts for a CEO’s secret plans, the comedic possibilities are endless.

With the US offering so many interesting and unique regions to explore, it doesn’t make sense for Rockstar to keep Grand Theft Auto limited to only a handful of cities, no matter how much those cities may improve with each entry. Letting players broaden their criminal horizons to the Pacific Northwest would be a great move for the franchise, and maybe even give Rockstar an incentive to finally include the “real” Bigfoot in a GTA game.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.

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