Whose your favourite HD era GTA protagonist and why?

[vestan]

When I say HD era, I'm counting

• GTA IV
• GTA IV: The Lost and Damned
• GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
• GTA: Chinatown Wars
• GTA V

Personally, I've got to give it to Niko. While everyone in V felt like some dumb, over-the-top, one-dimensional stereotype, Niko is one of the only protagonists in the series to feel like an actual human. He's pretty relatable in the sense that he's extremely flawed, damaged and sees the world for what it is. He's also a hypocritical piece of shit which is what makes him so great. Not to mention his dry and sarcastic humor which really made me chuckle every now and then. Then you throw Roman into the mix and they bounce off of each other really well. Niko wouldn't be nearly as good as a character without the yin yang relationship dynamic he has with Roman.

My second favourite is definitely Luis. He just seems like a really chill guy and I respect how loyal he is to his friends.

What about you, Era?

 

[Rezsolution]

None of them because they're all terrible people

Trevor

 

[Resetta Stone]

If we are talking about fully fleshed out that honor goes to Niko, uncontested. My personal favorite is Trevor simply because of Stephen Ogg's performance and how the character itself was, as eloquently put by someone I don't remember, the id to the average GTA player's ego.

 

[Deleted member 51539]

Niko. He was the only one I was even slightly sympathetic towards.

Great VA too.

If we are talking about fully fleshed out, that honor goes to Niko, uncontested but my favorite is Trevor simply because of Stephen Ogg's performance and how the character itself was, as eloquently put by someone I don't remember, the id to the average GTA player's ego.

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Shouldn't it be the ego to the id?

 

[Lant_War]

Trevor because he's the only one not suffering from massive ludonarrative disonance.

also Niko sucks

 

[Linus815]

Tie between Trevor and Michael, but went with Micheal.
He's basically Rockstar's Tony Soprano. I love the duality of his life - being a (shitty) family man and a successful master criminal. He can pull off the most difficult strikes but struggle to have a regular conversation with his daughter or son.

Trevor feels like the embodiment of how we, collectively play GTA games. He is chaotic, unpredictable, and he makes all the stupid shit you do in free roam feel "canon". Also, Steven Ogg did an incredible job at playing him.

 

[Azoor]

Niko Bellic is not only the best HD GTA protagonist, but he is also the best one period. As much as I disliked GTA4, I really loved his character and his monologues. GTA4 deserves a playthrough for his story alone.

 

[8bit]

Niko was the best performed, imo, but I had such a good time with IV and it's expansions, walking into a comedy club and sitting down to hear Frankie Boyle was pretty incredible.

 

[Yog-Sothoth]

They're all bad.

 

[HeRinger]

If I had to choose one, it would be Niko. I don't think any is particularly good, though.

 

[Anth0ny]

Franklin because if you master his ability you can drive hella fast

 

[Border]

Niko sucks. Always whining despite having hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bank.

 

[Budi]

Woow, super cool to see Niko taking the lead atm. My favorite too, I like him because he's an ethnicity we don't usually get as a progatonist (I don't mean because he's white lol), I like the character design (he's far from pretty), voice acting and personality compliment each other.

 

[SecondNature]

I guess Niko. Mix of badass and comedy

Trevor is annoying af, Franklin is a punk, and Michael is just TJ from Recess all grown up and he's so damn whiney

 

[Mikebison]

I still prefer CJ to the lot of them.

 

[MJnR]

Niko, his initial awkwardness but sincerity makes him one of the few good GTA characters. I never played any of the GTA IV DLCs though, so there might be another interesting protagonist there. However, compared to GTA V and CW characters, yeah, Niko without a doubt.

CJ still is the best GTA protagonist though, no one comes even closer.

 

[Listai]

GTA3's silent protagonist.

 

[NCR Ranger]

Had to go with Trevor out of all of the options. He is a giant piece of shit but it fit with how i played the game.

It's the reason Niko never clicked with me.

 

[Nemesis-T Type]

Niko

 

[King Alamat]

Franklin because as a relatively normal dude in his mid-twenties exasperated at the stupidity of everyone around him, he speaks to me. Also, if I ever got fuck-you money, I think I'd also spend my time alone in my mansion, getting baked and playing with my dog.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

None because

are still my favorite.
Claude Speed is one of the few silent protagonists I like and don't mind being silent.
He's basically just a Mafia hitman thats good at his job while the situation escalates.

Tommy starts from the bottom but you truly felt the progression, unlike everyone afterwards.

 

[cb1115]

it's Niko.

poor Franklin though lmao. he was my favorite of V's trio.

 

[Dragon's Game]

Franklin was boring, it's obvious he was created to be the normal middle man between Michael and Trevor and although some might like that, it was rather bland. Michael was the most interesting of GTA V although Niko is the best overall HD protagonist

 

[Serule]

Trevor is the worst person with the worst story, but he's the only one that actually makes sense doing the stuff you do in GTA games.

 

[Dragon's Game]

I will never understand the criticism of GTA protagonists because they are bad people. Like duh

 

[Erevador]

Trevor and Michael are more charismatic than Franklin, but Franklin is the only one that the gamer is likely to be able to enjoy as a "fantasy" avatar. He can at least seem somewhat normal and fun to play.

Redneck Psycho and West Coast Tony Soprano are both pretty off-putting and pathetic, though they're very well acted.

I gave Franklin the nod because I enjoyed living it up with Chop in that fancy house up in the hills.

The best GTA protagonist of the HD era... was not a GTA protagonist.

Wei Shen. Great fashion sense. A genuinely appealing character, unlike the various losers and maniacs of recent GTA games.

 

[Doskoi Panda]

Franklin because as a relatively normal dude in his mid-twenties exasperated at the stupidity of everyone around him, he speaks to me. Also, if I ever got fuck-you money, I think I'd also spend my time alone in my mansion, getting baked and playing with my dog.

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Frank also hates himself thoroughly and believes that real money and genuine success will make him likable to himself and to other people. (It won't, and it doesn't.)

 

[data west]

Trevor and Michael are more charismatic than Franklin, but Franklin is the only one that the gamer is likely to be able to enjoy as a "fantasy" avatar. He can at least seem somewhat normal and fun to play.

Redneck Psycho and West Coast Tony Soprano are both pretty off-putting and pathetic, though they're very well acted.

I gave Franklin the nod because I enjoyed living it up with Chop in that fancy house up in the hills.

The best GTA protagonist of the generation... was not a GTA protagonist.

Wei Shen. Great fashion sense. A genuinely appealing character, unlike the various losers and maniacs of recent GTA games.

Click to shrink...

I love Wei

the man is definitely a maniac

 

[Dragon's Game]

Trevor and Michael are more charismatic than Franklin, but Franklin is the only one that the gamer is likely to be able to enjoy as a "fantasy" avatar. He can at least seem somewhat normal and fun to play.

Redneck Psycho and West Coast Tony Soprano are both pretty off-putting and pathetic, though they're very well acted.

I gave Franklin the nod because I enjoyed living it up with Chop in that fancy house up in the hills.

The best GTA protagonist of the generation... was not a GTA protagonist.

Wei Shen. Great fashion sense. A genuinely appealing character, unlike the various losers and maniacs of recent GTA games.

Click to shrink...

But Gta protagonists arnt meant to be avatars. Which is why rockstar will never do a created character on their games. That is the reason most people enjoyed Michael or Trevor over Franklin

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

I will never understand the criticism of GTA protagonists because they are bad people. Like duh

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Though I would kinda like a future GTA to star an undercover cop or something that has actual morality and or faction systems with it.

 

[vestan]

Trevor and Michael are more charismatic than Franklin, but Franklin is the only one that the gamer is likely to be able to enjoy as a "fantasy" avatar. He can at least seem somewhat normal and fun to play.

Redneck Psycho and West Coast Tony Soprano are both pretty off-putting and pathetic, though they're very well acted.

I gave Franklin the nod because I enjoyed living it up with Chop in that fancy house up in the hills.

The best GTA protagonist of the HD era... was not a GTA protagonist.

Wei Shen. Great fashion sense. A genuinely appealing character, unlike the various losers and maniacs of recent GTA games.

Click to shrink...

WEI SHEN MOTHERFUCKER WHO ARE YOU

Sleeping Dogs was great

 

[Erevador]

But Gta protagonists arnt meant to be avatars. Which is why rockstar will never do a created character on their games. That is the reason most people enjoyed Michael or Trevor over Franklin

Click to shrink...

I like that they're specific characters, but I think they're so unlikable that it can be hard to project yourself into them. Obviously, the morality of the GTA universe and gameplay is an aspect of that, and I get that. The Red Dead games have much more likable leads while exploring the morality of violence in a more interesting way. Niko Belic dances with those kinds of themes, but the game has so much tonal whiplash that its hard to feel its fully developed. I'm not suggesting GTA should get all grimdark and moralizing though. Tommy Vercetti definitely felt like a more appealing fantasy character than the sad bastards of GTA V.

I respect what they were going for with the leads of GTA V, but I think I would have spent more time with that game if the characters were more appealing company.

 

[Haze]

Kinda crazy seeing Niko win on a website that hates the game he's in

But yes Niko. GTA IV also has the best story in the series and the best collection of characters overall.

 

[Dragon's Game]

Arthur is leagues above all of the though

 

[data west]

Arthur is leagues above all of the though

Click to shrink...

Arthur is leagues above every video game protagonist.

 

[Duxxy3]

Trevor Philips enterprises!

 

[yap]

In between Niko or Luis as my favorite, of course Niko has the advantage. I think I heard some good thing about Huang Lee.

I really did not care for any of V's protagonists.

 

[Dragon's Game]

Arthur is leagues above every video game protagonist.

Click to shrink...

He might be my personal GOAT

 

[KomandaHeck]

Don't feel strongly about any of them but voted for Luis. Michael's character, in theory, should have been my favourite. I like the premise of his character but I thought the execution was poor and GTA V's writing in general is spotty.

It's been ages since I played it but I remember Luis being a fun character without going too far, and I don't remember him being too awful of a person either (as far as GTA protagonists go).

 

[Dragon's Game]

Niko dominating. Lol poor Johnny

 

[TickleMeElbow]

Niko was dope because he was a fish out of water + came from awful circumstances, making him easy to sympathize with.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Franklin. He's got the funniest lines, is just kind of there, is really chill, and the straight man to everyone else's nonsense. I loved his whole "I'm fed up with this shit" attitude, and how he just wants to chill with his dog.

I guess I value his comedic value over the depth of the other protagonists. In a game like GTA, comedic value is key.

 

[Dragon's Game]

Franklin. He's got the funniest lines, is just kind of there, is really chill, and the straight man to everyone else's nonsense. I loved his whole "I'm fed up with this shit" attitude, and how he just wants to chill with his dog.

I guess I value his comedic value over the depth of the other protagonists. In a game like GTA, comedic value is key.

Click to shrink...

Funnier then Trevor? Ehh I don't know about that

 

[Richter1887]

Huang Lee is the true answer. Niko comes close.
The rest suck hard.

Huang Lee is one of those sarcastic dickheads that knows the characters he is dealing with are stupid yet treats them that way not to mention his dialogue is really funny and well written (the story too). Niko was one of those characters that I liked for being a stone cold badass but with a heart of gold (by GTA standards anyway) and the story of his was great.

 

[Acorn]

Franklin. He's got the funniest lines, is just kind of there, is really chill, and the straight man to everyone else's nonsense. I loved his whole "I'm fed up with this shit" attitude, and how he just wants to chill with his dog.

I guess I value his comedic value over the depth of the other protagonists. In a game like GTA, comedic value is key.

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Lamar is funnier than any of them, not the protagonist though I know. I picked Franklin too, dude is just trying to come up but keeps letting himself get dragged into doing dumb shit. He doesn't think further than 5 minutes in the future which means he ends up in some shitty situation bemoaning his luck.

He seemed the most real.

 

[Richter1887]

Lamar is funnier than any of them, not the protagonist though I know. I picked Franklin too, dude is just trying to come up but keeps letting himself get dragged into doing dumb shit. He doesn't think further than 5 minutes in the future which means he ends up in some shitty situation bemoaning his luck.

He seemed the most real.

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You could argue that Franklin was going along with those because of loneliness and depression. His dialogue when smoking weed seems to indicate that.

Of all 3 in GTA5 I found him the most interesting. Michael was laid bare so you knew everything during the game and Trevor well he is just a salad of every ridicilous, evil and insane character elements ever. He was the most boring after everything was said and done.

It sucks Rockstar didn't even attempt at giving Franklin more time to shine. Then again, I dislike GTA5 as a whole so...

 

[bmdubya]

Niko for sure. But it also helps that he is the protagonist in the best GTA game.

 

[Plywood]

The best GTA protagonist of the HD era... was not a GTA protagonist.

Wei Shen. Great fashion sense. A genuinely appealing character, unlike the various losers and maniacs of recent GTA games.

Click to shrink...

+1

I voted for Niko, but man I wish Sleeping Dogs could've gotten a sequel :(

 

[crimsonECHIDNA]

I think Niko easily. I get some people didn't like his revenge story, but it at least had a proper build up and conclusion in the story.

V was overly ambitious in trying to juggle three protagonists and I felt like Rockstar fell flat with all three. Michael was probably the best of three but his family was so shitty his midlife crisis didn't work for me since I didn't care if he reconciled with them or not. Trevor was an interesting idea of "what would a GTA protagonist really be like" but his problem is Rockstar wouldn't pick a lane if they wanted to treat his mania seriously or not. And his whole "hating betrayal" conflicts with the fact that he is willing to fuck over anyone at his convenience And poor Franklin ended up drawing the short straw and just ended up going along for the ride.

 

[LabRat]

michael probably but to be honest i think none of the hd era gta protags are amazing. i miss the 3D gta era characters, i think gta works the best if you play a quiet killer type with no personality at all (claude) or a complete psychopath like tommy vercetti.