Torture in GTA V

The torture scene in GTA V has led to many claims that this time Rockstar have crossed the line with the violence. For those of you who have not played the game, or not yet reached the level, in the torture scene the player, as Trevor, is required to torture a man for information on an assassination target for Michael. In order to get the highest score the player should use all available instruments of pain from water boarding to electricity. It is certainly a brutal scene, and any game or film representing torture needs to tread carefully.




However, I believe that Rockstar were being cleverer with this scene than some of the critics have given them credit for. The information the player collects using the torture is very vague and largely unhelpful. He has a beard. He is a smoker. Facts which could apply to any number of the targets Michael is viewing through the sniper scope. Indeed, when the player (as Michael), does finally shoot a subject it is largely guess work over who to shoot. Later on in the game, the assassination is discussed on the radio and it is suggested that the guy who was shot was innocent. Torture therefore did not aid the mission therefore but simply gave a pretense that the assassination was more than guesswork. It was certainly a subtle critique of the use of torture, at the hands of Rockstar, therefore to demonstrate it in use, and failing to provide adequate intelligence.

It is the conversation between Trevor and his victim which really succeeds in proving the torture scene was an attempt to satirize America, and other governments, who have been guilty of using torture in recent years. Trevor, hardly the most intelligent of characters, quite wisely says:

“Torture’s for the torturer. Or the guy giving the order to the torturer. You torture for the good times! We should all admit that. It’s useless as a means of getting information.”

Indeed, given the events of recent years, the use of water boarding as a weapon of choice is particularly poignant. And particularly effective as a satire of countries which may or may not have recently used torture...




Rather than glamorizing torture, in GTA V Rockstar have shown it up as the farce it is. Don't let the violence fool you, this scene is a sophisticated satire on the use of torture which fully demonstrates how useless and horrific the practice is.

If nothing else, it should be agreed that anything which Trevor gets enjoyment out of should generally be avoided by the masses!