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For as long as I can remember, I've always played GTA the same way: as a law abiding citizen who enjoys the simple pleasures in life. I'm talking about the smaller side activities you can so often do in the series outside of the crime-filled action, whether it's cruising around with no destination in mind and enjoying tunes on the radio, playing a round of tennis, or kicking back at the cinema, I love the many ways you can spend your time outside of missions.
With GTA 6 set to come our way in 2026, I already know I'm going to tuck into Rockstar's next adventure in much the same way if given the chance. And thanks to the GTA 6 trailer 2 dropping earlier this year, we've already gotten some inkling about the kind things we might be able to get up to in the setting of Leonida – from working out to going to clubs of Vice City and hitting the water on a jet ski.
But if the next entry is still some time away, I've decided to reflect back on my history with the series over the years and pick out some of my all-time favorite ways to spend time in GTA when I'm playing my way.
5. Riding fairground attractions - GTA 5
I'm a huge fan of roller coasters and rides in real life, so I was naturally drawn to the pier in GTA 5. With a fairground of attractions, you can hop on a rollercoaster and take in the sights of a lit up Los Santos at night with every ascent and drop of the track.
Not only that, but you can also get on a Ferris wheel or, in this case, the "Ferris Whale" and take in the scenic vistas of the city at a much slower pace. It's a neat little location to visit during the nighttime, and whenever I'm nearby, I always have to stop and throw down some bucks to get on the rides.
4. Going to the cinema - GTA 5
I always loved the little friend activities you could do in GTA 5, and visiting the cinema was a personal favorite. Much in the same way that I enjoyed seeing a theater show as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, taking a breather between missions to settle down and watch a movie always added to the role-playing experience, and it also helped that the short films Rockstar cooked up are humorous homages.
Thanks to Rockstar's official website, we've learned a lot more about the GTA 6 characters we'll be meeting, including pals of our dual protagonists, so I have hope that the upcoming game in the series will let us hangout with our buddies in Leonida in different ways.
3. Eating at a restaurant - San Andreas
Whenever I think about my time with San Andreas, I mostly think about riding my BMX bike and stopping at every restaurant around. From fast food joints like Cluckin' Bell to various diners and even steak houses.
Of course, overindulging in too much food would increase CJ's body mass (not unlike the weight system in Red Dead Redemption 2, which always brought San Andreas to mind for me), and you could eventually make him quite heavy, but the novelty of eating at restaurants never really wore off. I always loved the sense of role-play it brought into the mix, and if there are any eateries in GTA 6, you better believe I'll be carving out some time to dine on food as Jason or Lucia.
2. Driving around to the radio stations - Vice City
I've written about my lifelong love of driving cars in games in the past, and I credit GTA: Vice City for helping to keep that flame burning for me as a kid. To this day, it's still the entry in the series I think of most fondly when it comes to driving, and that's in large part thanks to the '80s setting, which was home to the best radio stations.
Nothing beats cruising around to Flash FM, but I've always enjoyed getting behind the wheel in every iteration of the GTA series I've tucked into. I'm sure that will happily continue on into GTA 6 – even more so because I truly can't wait to hit the roads of an updated Vice City.
1. Playing Tennis - GTA 5
I'll be the first to admit I'm not big on sports in reality - or any of the best sports games around for that matter - but I've always loved playing tennis in games. From playing many different installments of Mario Tennis over the years, to using the Wii remote as a racket in Wii Sports, I also spent a lot of time hitting the court in GTA 5.
It's actually a really enjoyable mini-game in GTA 5, to the point that I would always actively seek out Tennis in the open-world when I was exploring Los Santos, or I'd frequently return back to Michael's house just to play.
For more, check out our pick of the best open world games.
