GTA 5 controversial torture mission was 'so unnecessary' according to fans

To say that GTA V has its fair share of the controversial moments would be an understatement, in particular when it comes to the infamous torture mission.

That being said, without its controversy, the Grand Theft Auto series wouldn't be what it is today, and we fully expect the upcoming GTA VI to have its fair share of “I can’t believe they went there” moments too. Bring it on Rockstar Games, I say.

Check out the GTA V trailer below!

Without giving too much away, at least in terms of plot development, the torture scene in question is featured in the mission ‘By the Book’. Depending on who the player is controlling out of two of the three main protagonists/antagonists, Trevor or Michael, you are ordered to extract information from a suspected terrorist by corrupt FIB agent Steve Haines.

The player can use a variety of torture techniques to extract information (despite that information being very questionable) such as waterboarding, electric shocks using a car battery, pulling out teeth or simply beating the suspect with a wrench.

Whatever you may think of certain controversies of the Grand Theft Auto series, the torture scene in ‘By the Book’ is not for the faint of heart. Yet, GTA V is an 18/M-rated game for a good reason, and so too will GTA VI, still, some fans have labelled the infamous torture scene as unnecessary.

“If I had known GTA V had a torture scene, I don’t think I would’ve bought this game… there’s literally no reason to make a player torture an NPC. It should’ve been skippable, that was unnecessary,” tweeted 8lackswan_ttv.

“The GTA V torture scene is so brutal and excessive. That was so unnecessary, why does it take that long?” exclaimed madvllainy.

“GTA V in the scene where you have to torture someone to progress. It seemed gratuitous and unnecessary at the time, and it kind of is really, but with hindsight, it serves as a reminder that characters in GTA aren't fun, nice people who happen to be crooks,” said onion2k.

At the end of the day, it’s personal preference as to what we find acceptable in video games as individuals. However, to play devil's advocate, I’d say that this infamous torture scene not only sets the tone for how scummy the FIB agent is but also the lengths that Trevor and Michael are willing to go to for power.

Grand Theft Auto V is out now on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. GTA VI will be released in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.