The butterfly effect is a fairly common theme in entertainment. The theory is that a seemingly small, inconsequential event can have major repercussions in the future.
Despite being released in 2013, GTA V is still incredibly popular with gamers. In fact, players revisit the debauched world of Los Santos regularly. The engaging and cleverly written storyline played a huge part in the game’s rise to being the best-selling game of all time on both console and PC devices.
Part of what made the storyline so engaging – although this may have been overlooked at the time – is the use of the butterfly effect. In our own lives, whether we realise it or not, countless seemingly small changes have altered the course of our existence and led us to where we are today. While it may be a video game, GTA V captures this truth remarkably well.
So what are the instances of the butterfly effect being shown throughout the game?
“You forget 1000 things every day…make sure this is one of them”
The game begins by taking players on a flashback to a heist that took place 9 years before the events of the main game. During this heist, Michael Townley is caught by a security guard and has his mask taken off. When the guard threatens him, he responds with the line “You forget 1000 things every day…make sure this is one of them”. Michael and fellow heist member Brad are shot, and Trevor Phillips is forced to flee.
This heist is later revealed to be a trap. Michael had secretly cut a deal with Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) agent Dave Norton to escape the life of a criminal and go into hiding with his family anonymously. Also, can we just appreciate Rockstar’s genius in making the Agency’s acronym literally spell out F-I-B? They knew what they were doing with that one!
Michael’s quip to the security guard may have seemed like an off-hand comment at the time, but it’s the first major example of the butterfly effect in action in the game. Don’t worry – we’ll get to that!
Franklin Repossesses Jimmy De Santa’s Car
When we first meet Franklin Clinton, he’s a small-time hustler working as a repossession driver for a corrupt car salesman. One of the cars he attempts to fraudulently repossess just so happens to belong to Michael’s son Jimmy.
Michael – now going by the alias Michael De Santa – knows exactly what’s going on. Not only had his son only just got the car, but he met Franklin right at the start of the game in the present day, and knew exactly what he was up to. Knowing what was likely to happen, Michael hid in Jimmy’s car and waited. When Franklin broke into his house and drove off with the car, he pointed a gun at Franklin’s head and forced him to drive the car through the dealership window.
Needless to say, Franklin was fired for this stunt. Out of options, he turns to Michael for help. After Franklin proves his worth by saving Jimmy’s life, Michael takes him under his wing. Michael and Franklin’s lives are now intertwined, and the stage is set for the events of GTA V to kick off properly. The butterfly effect has been lined up – all we need now is the trigger.
Michael Catches Amanda With Her Tennis Coach
While Franklin is trying to steal Jimmy’s car, he notices that a woman – later revealed to be Michael’s wife, Amanda – is getting a bit too close to her tennis coach. Of course, cheaters never prosper – and we can all see what’s coming next. The truth will find a way to make itself known eventually.
Sure enough, Michael eventually catches his wife in a – let’s say compromising – position with the tennis coach. Understandably, he sees red. Maybe too much red.
The tennis coach flees, with Michael and Franklin in hot pursuit. When they catch up to the tennis coach, he’s hiding in a fancy mansion in the hills outside the city. He tries to tell Michael that it’s not actually his house, but Michael refuses to listen – pulling the property’s supports down and causing it to crash down into the road.
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea NOT to make a rash decision in the heat of the moment. This is definitely the case here. The tennis coach was right. That wasn’t his house – there’s no way he could afford a place like that. Unfortunately for Michael, the house he just destroyed turns out to belong to the mistress of gang kingpin Martin Madrazo, who demands that Michael finance the rebuild.
Michael may be rich, but even he doesn’t have that kind of money. This sets the stage for the Jewel Store Job, which is the butterfly effect that acts as the catalyst for the rest of GTA V.
The Jewel Store Job
When you’ve managed to annoy someone as dangerous as a gang kingpin, it’s a good idea to get them off your back as soon as possible. Particularly when you owe them $2.5 million.
Realising this, Michael calls up his old friend Lester Crest – the brains behind the operation. Together, they assemble a crew and successfully raid a jewel store in Los Santos – taking nearly $5 million. Martin Madrazo gets his money, and the rest is split between the crew. All’s well that ends well, right?
Well, no. When Michael leads the crew out of the jewel store, he’s caught by security. Whether intentional or not, he uses the same quip as he did 9 years earlier. The difference here is that the guard in question doesn’t die. Instead, he gives an interview to a local news station – who are more than happy for an exclusive.
As luck would have it, this interview is seen by Michael’s old heist partner Trevor. Trevor – who believed that Michael died when he was shot nearly a decade earlier – has been forced into hiding out in Sandy Shores, far away from Los Santos.
It quickly becomes apparent that Trevor is a man of focus when he puts his mind to things. Now he knows his former best friend is alive and well – and he’s been living a lie for 9 years.
This is the point where the game really begins to take off. We’re not going to reveal what happens from here – you’ll just have to find out for yourself!
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