New school meets old school in this fan-crafted recreation of the recent Grand Theft Auto V trailer, with surprisingly hilarious results.
Really, there are two ways to view this clip, created by Grand Theft Auto fan “DasMatze.” You can take it as technological comparison, contrasting the gaming aesthetics of 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with those seen in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V.
Or you can see it as I do: A reminder of how crucial subtle action and movements are to telling a good story.
Not to knock the painstaking effort that obviously went into remaking the GTA V trailer, but there are certain moments that simply don’t translate from the newer engine to its predecessor. Specifically that bit where the gentleman is staring out a window at the faux Los Angeles skyline, then turns his head away. In the new trailer, it’s a believably minute action, yet in the old engine, it’s a series of jerky twists more akin to a mannequin being jostled into place than an actual person turning to face an unseen viewer.
And then of course, there’s that forklift.
Part of me knows that this comparison should have me excited for GTA V, but another part of me (which was forged entirely in my early-90s adolescence) is left mourning for the upcoming game’s likely dearth of L7 and Dr. Dre tracks. Obviously Grand Theft Auto V will look phenomenal, and Rockstar has yet to let me down when it comes to open-world sandbox games, but I just don’t know if this new urban crime simulator can offer the same thrill that San Andreas did via a combination of grunge-era nostalgia and shooting jerks from the (non-existent) safety of a hovering jetpack.
Pro tip: Don’t ever get old kids. It’s all sadness, regret and a depressing lack of Glenn Danzig.
