Why You Wouldn't Survive Life In Los Santos

The world of Grand Theft Auto is a slightly distorted parody of reality. That is to say, Los Santos draws inspiration from Los Angeles, California. Thankfully, the actual L.A. isn't nearly as cruel and unusual as the setting of Grand Theft Auto 5. Real life has more traffic and less bank robberies; more parking tickets and less police chases. 

While the Grand Theft Auto universe might sound exciting, and Los Santos certainly has its charms, you wouldn't want to find yourself transported into this fictional world. Like the pseudo-exaggerated Wild West of Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar has crafted an unforgiving world that chews players up and spits them out. Here's just a few reasons why you wouldn't survive life on the mean streets of Los Santos.

Police brutality is a complex subject in real life, but it's a given in Los Santos. The Los Santos Police Department seems to have a policy of shoot first, ask questions later when it comes to crime. Even for non-violent offenses, you can find yourself suddenly in a shootout with a half-dozen officers. This trigger happy police force can be summoned on a whim, too. Staring at security guards or flipping off uniformed officers might just lead to you getting wasted. 

Giving into your criminal urges could even warrant the intervention of a more reckless team of commandos. The aptly named National Office of Security Enforcement (N.O.O.S.E.) are ... a little too into their jobs. After receiving a three-star wanted level, these zealots will be deployed, shouting things like, "I kill for a living," among other, more vulgar phrases. Concerned? You should be.

Grand Theft Auto 5 gives players the freedom to be as reckless as they like with their driving, but they're not the only ones on the road. There are plenty of NPCs in Los Santos that have adjusted to the brutal lifestyle there. Sometimes that means just screaming abuse across the street; other times it means getting just as violent as any player character. 

There are plenty of videos out there showing that even when players (mostly) obey the rules of the road, NPCs will occasionally crash into them. Rather than apologizing, Los Santos citizens are prepared to duke it out over the damage. Are you ready to get into daily fist fights? Didn't think so.

What kind of career do you imagine having in Los Santos? In addition to presumably not paying well, gas stations and convenience stores endure violent robberies on the daily. The most lucrative career in Los Santos seems to be a combination of car thief and bank robber. The name of the game is, literally, Grand Theft Auto, after all. If you want to support a lavish lifestyle packed with luxury cars, then you'll have to turn to a life of crime. 

This means putting yourself in the line of fire of violent police force. But, if you can escape them, you'll be rolling in green, gold, and probably drugs. Crime really does pay in Los Santos, tempting law abiding citizens to turn to questionable tactics to support themselves. This is a "live fast, die young" kind of lifestyle, so don't expect to enjoy a long life in Los Santos.