My top 3 GTA protagonists (and why Niko edges out Tommy)

I might be in the minority here, but I think Niko is the best protagonist Rockstar ever wrote. The way his backstory bleeds into every mission, the quiet moments where he just sounds tired of it all. It feels more grounded than the others, even if the physics in IV were a bit too boat-like for my taste.

Tommy Vercetti is a close second. He's the blueprint for the power fantasy, and his rise feels earned. I'm curious if anyone else thinks his lack of a moral compass actually makes him more consistent than some later characters who flip-flop between mass murder and guilt.

Third is CJ. The sheer amount of stuff he can do is wild, but I think the narrative gets a bit scattered. Still, the RPG-like stats and the way his body type changes the feel of movement is something I'd love to see return. Do you think Jason and Lucia will have a similar dynamic, or will they be more like a fixed Niko-style character arc?

quiet moments where he just sounds tired of it all

That's The Journey at 3am energy right there! Niko's arc basically lives on that station. Tommy's pure V-Rock power chord swagger, and CJ is Radio Los Santos through and through. I'm just praying Jason and Lucia get a station that hits as hard as Vladivostok FM did for Niko's loneliness!

I have played every GTA since III at launch and Tommy still wins for me. Niko is well written but I only get an hour after my kids go to bed. I don't need to feel worse about myself after a long day.

About Jason and Lucia, Rockstar hasn't shown enough to guess. I'll be happy if the save system respects my time.

quiet moments where he just sounds tired of it all

That's the stuff right there. Niko's a character actor in a leading role. But Tommy's rise is the better movie. Pure momentum from that first taxi ride.

Jason and Lucia feel like a two-hander already. I don't need RPG stats. Just give me scenes where the silence between them says more than the gunfire.