Current Events > Michael's backstory in GTA V is some of the dumbest writing ever (SPOILERS)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Weird how with all the attention to detail Rockstar puts into depicting America they have no understanding of how law enforcement works.

Michael de Santa is a serial bank robber with no connections to any organized crime syndicates yet somehow strikes a deal with the FBI to enter WITSEC for no reason whatsoever. The conditions of his family being in witness protection consist of changing their last name and being placed in a multimillion dollar mansion in a neighborhood populated by celebrities and being given so much money by the FBI that nobody in the family needs to work.

It is often mistaken that Michael De Santa and his family are in the F.I.B.'s Witness Protection program. This is a lie conjured up by Michael to explain to his family their sudden relocation and change of last name, as well as used to excuse his actions towards Trevor once Trevor finds him ten years later.

And you can avoid being arrested for mass murder if you run away and hide for 10 minutes, even if the cops get a look at your face.

CADE_FOSTER posted...

It is often mistaken that Michael De Santa and his family are in the F.I.B.'s Witness Protection program. This is a lie conjured up by Michael to explain to his family their sudden relocation and change of last name, as well as used to excuse his actions towards Trevor once Trevor finds him ten years later.

Even then this still makes no sense. He changes his name and moves the family to the most conspicuous part of the country and somehow avoids detection from the IRS for somehow being able to support his entire family on a nonexistent salary.

idk if it's a traditional witness protection scenario.

iirc, he pays a lot to a corrupt FIB agent to create a new life, but I dunno if it's sanctioned by the agency.

CADE_FOSTER posted...

It is often mistaken that Michael De Santa and his family are in the F.I.B.'s Witness Protection program. This is a lie conjured up by Michael to explain to his family their sudden relocation and change of last name, as well as used to excuse his actions towards Trevor once Trevor finds him ten years later.

But also this. Michael cut a deal with Davey and faked his death after selling out Trevor.

CRON posted...

Even then this still makes no sense. He changes his name and moves the family to the most conspicuous part of the country and somehow avoids detection from the IRS for somehow being able to support his entire family on a nonexistent salary.

it worked till the heist tbh when he was on camera saying his catch phrase

Seripusly? You've had a decade to work this out and you're still confidently slamming a group of writers for your inability to understand a massive plot point.

Is it dumb writing, or is it regular writing that you didn't understand because you assumed he was in the "real" Witness Protection/Relocation?

bigblu89 posted...

Is it dumb writing, or is it regular writing that you didn't understand because you assumed he was in the "real" Witness Protection/Relocation?

Both

This kinda sounds like you just didn't really pay much attention.

I always just assumed he was in hiding from Trevor and that is it.

tbf, when the game was being developed, smart phones were still relatively new, so it wasn't like he really had to worry about his face being put out there.

like someone said, he was only caught by Trevor by slipping up and saying his catchphrase.

besides that, he was living a "normal" (for a rich dude), quiet life, where he mostly chilled in his backyard.

hockeybabe89 posted...

But also this. Michael cut a deal with Davey and faked his death after selling out Trevor.

This was done due to Michael's desire to escape the life of crime (dialogue flashbacks in Bury the Hatchet) as well as Norton's corruption and desire for fame and money (several missions, explicitly noted several times). Lester notes during Friends Reunited that there have been transactions valued at tens of thousands of dollars going monthly into Norton's account by Michael.

bigblu89 posted...

Is it dumb writing, or is it regular writing that you didn't understand because you assumed he was in the "real" Witness Protection/Relocation?

/topic

Cron misunderstands something and whines about it, news at 11.

TC bought Michaels lie of being in the witness protection program, its definitely good writing

Hey TC, remember how you're always saying people should be denied widespread Internet access because it allows them to propagate ignorant opinions?

And another thing. How can you be a billionaire in GTA 5 by playing the stock market?

As as been stated, he's not in WITEC, he's being protected by a corrupt FIB agent in Dave Norton in exchange for a lot of money and turning in Trevor and Brad (and presumably the unnamed Driver). Michael had a lot of money from his bank robbing days, with which he purchased a mansion.

WITSEC is not run by the FIB or (the real life counterparts) the FBI. It's run by the US Marshals. Not sure what's hard to understand here.

saspa posted...

And another thing. How can you be a billionaire in GTA 5 by playing the stock market?

Invest in a company. Kill ceo of rival company.

disagree. gta 5 has some of the best writing in video games.

Robot2600 posted...

disagree. gta 5 has some of the best writing in video games.

It's still one of my favorite games but I strongly disagree. There's a huge writer's voice problem with a lot of characters' dialogue and the satire in the game is a lot more mean-spirited than in previous games. I'm optimistic about GTA VI just because of how amazing RDR2's writing was.

Y'all must have the baby dick

CRON posted...

It's still one of my favorite games

Even with you misunderstanding it as hard as you did in the first post?

I also thought that part of the story was stupid. He wouldve gone to prison for years in a heartbeat. He damn sure wouldnt be living large in his supposed retirement.

LonelyStoner posted...

I also thought that part of the story was stupid. He wouldve gone to prison for years in a heartbeat. He damn sure wouldnt be living large in his supposed retirement.

Not if he's legally dead because he's paying off a corrupt federal agent

Whitey Bulger moved to SoCal and lived there for like 25 years while being one of America's most wanted.

It's not impossible to fake a new identity if you've got the money to do so.

CRON posted...

It's still one of my favorite games but I strongly disagree. There's a huge writer's voice problem with a lot of characters' dialogue and the satire in the game is a lot more mean-spirited than in previous games. I'm optimistic about GTA VI just because of how amazing RDR2's writing was.

Stop disagreeing about things you don't understand and go play the game.

Tbh the plot of gtav stops making sense very quickly. It probably has the worst story of all of them but the best gameplay as well.

it was mostly a vehicle to show the corruption of the FIB, cus in the game Michael worked with a corrupt agent and his witness protection is fake. then later on, they end up dealing with even more corrupt FIB agents.
so it's basically saying "the FIB are just as criminal as the criminals"

I think, I haven't played through the game since it got released.

I think I get it now. It's still a little confusing but I guess if it were too realistic the game wouldn't be fun. I still think the original plot could have been fun to see play out where Michael and Trevor were originally brothers and (who would become) Franklin ended up being an undercover FBI agent.

CRON posted...

I think I get it now. It's still a little confusing but I guess if it were too realistic the game wouldn't be fun. I still think the original plot could have been fun to see play out where Michael and Trevor were originally brothers and (who would become) Franklin ended up being an undercover FBI agdon't.

Yeah, you don't.

Setting aside TC's hilarious misunderstanding of the plot, GTA isn't a series that is known to strive for realism ESPECIALLY in the ways it depicts law enforcement