GTA 6's biggest problem isn't living up to the hype, it's the fact that parody is dead

“Actually, Grand Theft Auto is a clever satire of the American Dream” is the sort of toe-curlingly obvious declaration that tiresome pseuds like me used to come out with in the early 2000s, in order to assert the artistic merit of a game in which you could get a blowjob from a prostitute to replenish your health, then murder her to get your money back. We felt inclined to defend video games as a medium back then, as it always seemed precariously balanced on the cusp of mainstream acceptance,...