6 Best Reasons To Do A Law-Abiding Citizen Run In Grand Theft Auto 5

Key Takeaways

• Following the law in
  GTA 5
  adds a challenging new gameplay dynamic that forces players to slow down and appreciate details.
• Playing as a law-abiding citizen creates different reactions from the game’s world and highlights the importance of following rules.
• Following the rules in
  GTA 5
  makes money more important, as players must abide by the laws and spend cash for necessities.

Grand Theft Auto 5 appeals to gamers because of its massive open-world and gameplay variety. However, one criticism of the game is how most of the environmental interactions revolve around acts of violence.

This is true, but some gamers have taken it upon themselves to play the game following the letter of the law as closely as possible. These law-abiding citizen runs are more than just amusing. The entries below detail why anyone reading this might want to try it out for themselves during their next playthrough of the 2013 classic. There is still plenty of time to do it before Grand Theft Auto 6 hits shelves.

It is not possible to follow these rules during many story missions, since many end in shootouts or car chases.

6 The Challenge

Make It Harder

Rockstar’s games are not particularly hard, and they do not offer difficulty options. Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas were harder because of clunkier controls and a less forgiving checkpoint system, but the newer entries have much smoother gameplay and quality of life features. Players adept at shooting and driving can get through Grand Theft Auto 5 with little trouble.

This makes a law-abiding citizen run an interesting challenge for experts in the genre. The self-imposed rules add a new layer of difficulty and force players to think about every aspect of the game differently. Previously simple tasks become a lot more complicated when the law needs to be observed.

5 Appreciate The Details More

Stop And Smell The Flowers

During a normal playthrough, players can burst through traffic at high speeds, smashing into almost anything with little consequence other than some physical damage to their vehicle. Walking and running are similarly chaotic, with players able to run and weave between fast cars. Following the rules and laws forces players to slow things down a bit and pay attention to their surroundings.

By looking out for stop signs and crosswalk signals, players inadvertently start to notice everything else about the world they might have missed before. Though the game is more than ten years old, the attention to detail is still awe-inspiring. Like in real life, sometimes it helps to just stop and appreciate the little things.

4 It Is A New Way To Play An Old Game

Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

An old video game is like a relationship: Sometimes, changes are needed to spice things up. Grand Theft Auto 5 is over ten years old. It still holds up, but even fans who have only played it once through on each re-release have beaten it three whole times. Others have gone through the game more.

With many being familiar with the game’s dozens of missions, it might help make the game feel fresh if they take it on from a new angle. Instead of playing it like they always have, following the rules might rekindle some of the magic they felt when they played the game back in 2013.

3 Stores Won’t Refuse To Sell To You

Violence Is Bad For Business

One issue with some open-world games is how the systems can get in the way of each other. Plenty of players can relate to a story of just wanting to buy some healing items at a gas station, but they accidentally hit a cop car on the drive over.

Then, things escalate into a full-on car chase where their wanted level shoots up past four stars, and now, no gas station will sell to them. None of this would have happened if players just followed the law. It is a reminder that even in a game with as much freedom as Grand Theft Auto 5, actions still have consequences. In a law-abiding-citizen run, good actions in turn have a slight reward.

2 See The Way The World Reacts Differently

The City Is Alive

Los Santos lives and breathes. Players who stand still and take it in will see the world moving around them. In a normal playthrough, drivers and pedestrians react accordingly to reckless driving and mindless shooting. They swerve out of the way or duck and cover. Sometimes they even put up a fight.

Play the game the opposite way and notice how the world still reacts. Stop in traffic and cars will stop in time so as not to hit the car’s bumper. Walk calmly on the sidewalk and notice how pedestrians converse with each other and will sometimes acknowledge Trevor, Franklin, or Michael.

2018’s
Red Dead Redemption 2,
also developed by Rockstar, offers even more interactivity with NPCs. One wonders if those options will return in
Grand Theft Auto 6
.

1 It Makes The Economy Important

Money Does Not Come Easily When You Follow The Law

Want to get somewhere quickly in Grand Theft Auto 5? Just steal a car. The same goes for acquiring guns. This option is completely gone if players follow the law during a playthrough. They have to pony up the cash for a set of wheels just like everyone else.

Alternatively, they can also call up a taxi and get dropped off at their destination of choice. Regardless of how one chooses to legally and morally get somewhere, they have to use cash. Like in real life, nothing comes for free while following the rules. This makes money more important.

Players will want to think about ways to make money quickly early on in the game. It is harder in Grand Theft Auto 5 than in previous entries, since players do not come into any real money until after the first big bank robbery. Even then, the money will go just as easily as it came, so finding a steady stream of legal cash is both challenging and essential.