GTA 5 parents guide: Should you let your kids play it?
The GTA 5 parents guide is one of the most searched things, and this article acts as an unofficial testimony for those parents who are unsure about Grand Theft Auto 5’s nature. The GTA series has a wide range of player age groups, and it continues with the 2013 release title as well, as it is one of the most popular and commercially successful projects from Rockstar Games.
As of 2024, several generations of gamers have played the game, and it is still running strong. Therefore, this GTA 5 parents guide will explain to you some of the important parameters of the game’s offering, and help you decide whether you should let your kids play the title.
Note: Some parts of this article are subjective and only reflect the writer’s opinion.
GTA 5 parents guide: How industry experts rated the game
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 was rated M (Mature) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) with the following connotations:
- Blood and Gore
- Intense Violence
- Mature Humor
- Nudity
- Strong Language
- Strong Sexual Content
- Use of Drugs and Alcohol
ESRB is a self-regulatory organization that describes itself as follows:
“We are the non-profit, self-regulatory body for the video game industry. Established in 1994, our primary responsibility is to help consumers – especially parents – make informed choices about the games their families play.”
Now, you need to understand what the Mature rating means and the in-game things that resulted in the rating. Any entertainment content with an M rating means that it is suitable for an audience older than 17 years.
While 18 is regarded as the adult stage, any kid who is aged between 17 and 18 and is mature enough to differentiate between how video games and real-life work can play the game without any worries.
However, the parameters outlined by the Entertainment Software Rating Board should be understood properly so that parents or guardians can make their own decisions.
The GTA 5 parents guide explains them as simply as possible:
GTA 5 parents guide: Blood and Gore
Grand Theft Auto 5 is regarded as a crime simulator, and where there is crime, there will also be blood. Various missions in the game have situations where you have to encounter bloody and gory scenes. Fortunately, the gore in this game is much less and scaled-down compared to other titles in the Grand Theft Auto series. Still, it is better to know about such instances beforehand.
Moreover, players can also create bloody situations on their own using guns and vehicles in freeroam.
GTA 5 parents guide: Intense Violence
Violence is again related to the fact that Grand Theft Auto 5 is a crime simulator. The gameplay requires you to kill people, steal items, and disrupt various operations that directly or indirectly involve violence.
However, people who are reading the GTA 5 parents guide should note that Rockstar Games also put various gatekeeping measures that limit violence. Whether you cause violence during missions or while in freeroam, you cannot go out of bounds as the gatekeeping system will get activated to keep you in line.
GTA 5 parents guide: Mature Humor
Grand Theft Auto fans love the humor in GTA 5. Being an adult-centric video game, Rockstar Games has included some adult humor, which is not exactly unsuitable for little kids, but surely they need mature thinking to understand them.
Therefore, the GTA 5 parental guide advises parents not to worry about this parameter too much. It is basically harmless humor with double-meaning, non-veg jokes. Your kids can easily miss most of them, as they are skillfully included in conversations.
GTA 5 parents guide: Nudity
While there is semi-nudity in the Grand Theft Auto 5 gameplay, it is far away from direct perception. There are only two missions (Mr. Philips and Scouting the Port) where male nudity (from behind) is directly portrayed in the cutscenes. However, it is not the end of the world and can be easily digested by mature kids.
Other than this, all sorts of semi-nude scenes or activities are well hidden in the map of Grand Theft Auto 5.
GTA 5 parents guide: Strong Language
Since it is an adult-centric game, the dialogs and conversations in GTA 5 frequently use strong language. Rockstar Games tried to provide a feeling of realistic conversations with its dialog choices. The characters, NPCs, and other random pedestrians often drop f-bombs in between conversations.
Scolding and trolling are also very common between characters as these factors add to the mature humor aspect discussed earlier in the GTA 5 parents guide. However, mature kids can easily digest these things.
GTA 5 parents guide: Strong Sexual Content
Sexual content has been in the Grand Theft Auto series for ages and Rockstar Games also included them in Grand Theft Auto 5. However, it is not full-fledged explicit content. Readers of the GTA 5 parents guide should note that the only sexual act you can manually do in the game is acquiring services from hookers and prostitutes.
However, they are not very common in the game and are perfectly blended with other regular NPCs. As mentioned before, if your kids are not aware of them beforehand, they can easily miss such gameplay features.
GTA 5 parents guide: Use of Drugs and Alcohol
While it is true that the Grand Theft Auto 5 gameplay explicitly shows the use of drugs and alcohol, it is an optional activity that can be completely avoided. Similar to prostitutes, drugs and alcohol are there in the game’s open world. However, they are not at all necessary for the survival.
Franklin Clinton and Michael De Santa never touch drugs and alcohol unless you prompt them to. While Trevor Philips is fond of these substances, the number of times he deliberately touches them is very low. There are only one or two cutscenes where the character can be seen using drugs and alcohol on his own.
It is also worth noting that there are three missions (Grass Roots - Michael, Grass Roots - Trevor, and Grass Roots - Franklin) where all three characters smoke weed. However, GTA parents guide readers should note that Rockstar Games tried to show the ill effects of the substance through these missions.
GTA 5 parents guide: Whether you should allow your kids to play the game
Considering all the parameters discussed above in the GTA 5 parents guide, parents should let their kids play Grand Theft Auto 5. The gameplay is very fun and also teaches about decision-making. If you have teenage kids over the age of 17, then they can enjoy the game without you worrying much.
On the other hand, if your kids are below 17, then we recommend you accompany and supervise them while playing Grand Theft Auto 5. Although it is not officially proven, the gameplay is equivalent to a PG-13 movie. Therefore, parents should take the necessary steps depending on their kids’ age and maturity level.
GTA 5 parents guide: What things the game has to offer
Grand Theft Auto 5 is a massive game that can keep players engaged for hours. Rockstar Games offers around 70 story-based missions that include setups and optional tasks. The main story missions are as follows:
- Prologue
- Franklin and Lamar
- Repossession
- Complications
- Father/Son
- Marriage Counseling
- Daddy's Little Girl
- Chop
- The Long Stretch
- Friend Request
- Casing the Jewel Store
- Carbine Rifles
- Bugstars Equipment
- BZ Gas Grenades
- The Jewel Store Job
- Mr. Philips
- Nervous Ron
- Trevor Philips Industries
- Crystal Maze
- Friends Reunited
- Fame or Shame
- Dead Man Walking
- Three's Company
- By the Book
- Scouting the Port
- Minisub
- Cargobob
- The Merryweather Heist
- Did Somebody Say Yoga?
- Hood Safari
- The Hotel Assassination
- Masks
- Boiler Suits
- Trash Truck
- Tow Truck
- Blitz Play
- I Fought the Law…
- Eye in the Sky
- Mr. Richards
- Caida Libre
- Deep Inside
- Minor Turbulence
- Paleto Score Setup
- Military Hardware
- Predator
- The Paleto Score
- Derailed
- Monkey Business
- Hang Ten
- Surveying the Score
- Bury the Hatchet
- Pack Man
- Fresh Meat
- Cleaning out the Bureau
- Architect's Plans
- Fire Truck
- Reuniting the Family
- The Bureau Raid
- The Wrap Up
- Lamar Down
- The Ballad of Rocco
- Legal Trouble
- Meltdown
- Planning the Big Score
- Stingers
- Gauntlet
- Driller
- Sidetracked
- The Big Score
- Ending 1 - Something Sensible
- Ending 2 - The Time's Come
- Ending 3 - The Third Way
Determining the exact chronology of these missions is difficult as you can play most of the missions as per your choice. However, the gameplay does have a storyline that leads to The Big Score mission followed by any one of the endings.
In addition to that, Rockstar Games also included various side missions in the following three categories:
- Strangers & Freaks (66)
- Hobbies & Pastimes (61)
- Random Events (60)
GTA 5 parents guide readers should try these missions on their own and also let their kids enjoy them with supervision. Considering kids won’t play the game continuously for long hours, it will take months to complete the main storyline and even more time to finish the game 100%.
Therefore, Grand Theft Auto 5 is a good investment (from the entertainment perspective) even in 2024. The Grand Theft Auto 6 release date is still far away and you should enjoy the 2013 title to the fullest. Once you complete the story mode, you can also try the multiplayer version.
GTA 5 parents guide: Is Grand Theft Auto Online safe for kids?
Along with Grand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar Games also offers the multiplayer version titled Grand Theft Auto Online, which offers more than what the single-player has to offer. However, there is a catch.
If you allow your kids to play GTA Online solo, then there are little to no things to worry about. However, if they play in multiplayer lobbies, then you should keep an eye on the gameplay. In crowded lobbies, players can interact with each other through voice chats and in-game text messages. While Rockstar Games keeps a strict eye on how players interact with each other, keeping a tab by yourself whenever possible is also no harm.
Griefing is very prominent in multiplayer lobbies. While it does no real-life damage whatsoever, it can impact the minds of kids. Therefore, the GTA 5 parents guide advises you to be more vigilant when your kids play Grand Theft Auto Online. Playing in Invite Only lobbies is the safest way as the kids will be away from others’ influences.
Rockstar Games allows players to do almost all activities in private lobbies, and they are enough for your kids to enjoy the gameplay every once in a while. The Grand Theft Auto Online experience is more fun during DLC releases (usually June/July and November/December) and festive seasons (Halloween, Christmas, New Year, etc.).
At last, the GTA 5 parents guide would like to conclude that both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Grand Theft Auto Online are safe for mature kids and parents should accompany them whenever possible.