Over the years, I've always played GTA the same way. Rather than getting stuck into the action, or, you know, committing crimes, I opt to be a law abiding citizen in the open world, who enjoys the simple pleasures in life. That means that I'm always seeking out side activities in Rockstar's open worlds that tap into some life sim goodness.
Be it playing a round of tennis, cruising around in my the many different cars, or even popping to the cinema to kick back, I love the many different GTA side activities the series has to offer. And now that GTA 6 is landing this November, with a Netflix GTA 6 extended look in sight, I'm hoping we'll have some more life sim-y elements that will let me once again play GTA the way I like to.
From what we saw in GTA 6 trailer 2 already, I reckon that will very much be the case. But while I wait to find out how I can be an everyday citizen in Leonida, I've decided to bring together the best GTA side activities that I always loved spending my time doing in the series.
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. With every ascent and drop of the track, I loved taking in the sights of a lit up Los Santos at night.
You can also get on a Ferris wheel or, in the case of GTA 5, 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, 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. It also helps that the short films Rockstar cooked up were all humorous homages.
Thanks to Rockstar's official website, we've learned a lot more about the GTA 6 characters we'll be meeting, including some of the 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 only braking my wheels to pull up at restaurants and dine to my heart's conent. From fast food joints like Cluckin' Bell, to various diners, and even steak houses, there are plenty of places to chow down.
Of course, overindulging in too much food would increase CJ's body mass (not unlike the weight system that would later be found in Red Dead Redemption 2), 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, and singing along to the likes of Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes, or Out of Touch by Hall and Oates. But my love for getting behind the wheel extends to 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. Thanks to playing many different installments of Mario Tennis over the years, and using the Wii remote as a racket in Wii Sports, I naturally gravitated towards the tennis courts 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. I'd also frequently return back to Michael's house just to play.
For more, check out our pick of the best open world games.
