There’s one thing shameful I need to admit about myself: I’m a local of Miami, Florida. It’s the place I spent the primary 18 years of my life rising up, and even after leaving, I look again on my time rather a lot.

South Florida was my residence, and feeling its vibe is uncommon until I go to household. That’s, till I noticed the long-anticipated trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. I’ve watched it quite a lot of instances now, and my solely thought is, “Yeah, that’s Florida.”

Does it seize completely all the pieces I affiliate with the state? No, however for a trailer that’s solely 90 seconds lengthy, it will get a lot proper. It additionally makes me really feel represented in a approach I don’t suppose some other sport has made me really feel earlier than.

Recalling my time as a Florida gal

Earlier than I’m going into what Grand Theft Auto VI will get proper about Florida, I wish to say one thing concerning the state and I say this with love: It’s kinda trashy. This isn’t to say that on a regular basis life in Florida is rather like the real-life tales used as inspiration within the trailer. Persons are wild all over the place, and it’s uncommon for alligators to finish up in your pool. Florida Man is just a factor as a result of the state has extremely sturdy public file legal guidelines.

Once I say Florida, together with Miami, is trashy, it’s as a result of I imply it actually. One shot within the trailer showcases what I assume is GTA VI‘s South Seaside equal looks like an entire fabrication, and solely as a result of there isn’t trash all over the place. Persons are gross and, particularly on a populated seaside, will depart their trash behind.

This is applicable to the water, as a result of the clearest factor I bear in mind about Florida seashores is the rancid odor coming from them. It was dangerous sufficient that I assumed I hated the best way seawater smelled. The reality was that air pollution from various sources makes the water odor horrible and provides it a murky brown coloration.

Moreover that one little gripe I’ve? Every part else is on level, even with how the fictional state of Leonida is proven outdoors Vice Metropolis.

Though I left earlier than I used to be sufficiently old to understand Miami’s nightlife, the trailer represents its extra amazingly. Miami is a vivid metropolis in any respect hours, and whereas the plethora of luxurious sports activities vehicles is noticeable in the course of the day, they glow at evening. Even the glimpse of a strip membership resembles a really Miami model of extra. It’s extremely flashy in a approach that may take consideration away from how different elements of Flordia are.

Past Miami’s glitz, Florida resembles the southern US whereas remaining distinctive, and I really like how GTA VI‘s trailer exhibits this. My favourite a part of the entire thing is a shot of an airboat driving via swampland. It’s one thing that took me again to when my household and I took airboat excursions via the Everglades.

Whereas one thing I by no means cared for, it was wild seeing mudding represented in GTA. The exercise constitutes driving vans via mud within the messiest approach potential, and is one thing part of my household enjoys doing. It’s on a much smaller scale than showcased within the trailer, however the shot stirred some recollections in me.

Seeing that helped solidify that I used to be watching a parody of my residence state, and Rockstar hardly must exaggerate it. Even with that, it’s one other determination Rockstar made that makes me really feel seen in a sport.

Ay dios mío, a sport represents me!

I’m not a lot of a Grand Theft Auto fan, however I’m probably shopping for GTA VI due to Lucia. Whereas Latino leads like Spider-Man‘s Miles Morales and Simply Trigger‘s Rico Rodriguez exist, they’re uncommon.

This goes doubly so for Latina leads. Outdoors Far Cry 6‘s Dani, I can’t consider any, and even then Dani’s gender is player-chosen.

In any other case, if Latinas are represented as playable characters, they’re at all times a part of an ensemble, like Overwatch‘s Sombra or Valorant‘s Reyna. As Americanized as I’m, it’s a bit isolating figuring out how underrepresented we’re.

Though anybody who adopted Grand Theft Auto VI leaks is aware of Lucia is likely one of the playable leads, seeing her entrance and heart within the trailer makes her position as a protagonist really feel a lot extra actual to me. Whereas the person she’s touring with might be the opposite protagonist, the deal with Lucia gives the look she’s the sport’s actual star, and I am keen on that.

It’s cathartic whereas additionally sobering, because it jogged my memory of how little Latina illustration there’s in gaming. One other level in her favor is that she represents those that lives in Miami. The town is stuffed with Latine folks, with many coming from the Caribbean and South America. I actually am Cuban, and I’d wager the identical for Lucia, given Miami’s excessive Cuban inhabitants. Her particular ethnicity doesn’t matter, nonetheless, as a result of I’m simply ecstatic she exists and isn’t a caricature of a Latina.

Whereas I probably anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI‘s trailer as a lot as many others, the sentiments it stirred shocked me. It made me nostalgic for a spot I’ve cultural and political qualms with. It additionally made me really feel extra represented in a sport than I feel I ever felt.

All Rockstar must do now to win me over is add trash to the seashores and have a scene devoted to how scrumptious Cuban meals is. Solely then will Vice Metropolis actually be residence.