There's been no shortage of critical acclaim and extreme backlash for Rockstar Games creations over the years, and few among them more so than Grand Theft Auto 5. Seven years after its initial release GTAV continues break sales record as it expands the multiplayer components of Grand Theft Auto Online. Despite substantial updates over that time, the core game itself, and even the online component, is showing its age in more ways the one.

Rockstar has received deserved praise over the years for the level of detail and polish they've brought to open world gaming, with immersive narratives and stunning visuals, things which are especially true in the GTA and Red Dead Redemption franchises. GTA, however, is unique in that almost no franchise has seen such widespread criticism for its in-depth depiction of violence, drug use, and sexuality. Any game that inspires federal legislation proposals and op-ed articles in national newspapers is truly in a class of its own regarding controversy. While many arguments against gaming, such as that of in-game violence, have trended downwards over the years as more research is done, other issues become more glaring as time moves on.

Related: GTA Controversy Timeline: A History Of The Series' Outrages

GTA has always been partly a satire of American culture, in particular with the idealization of gangster and mafia lifestyles. Even within the world, characters like Lamar in GTA 5 openly state this, giving the game a sense of meta commentary. The franchise also takes itself very serious at times, and that's where certain narrative choices and jokes become incredibly cringe-worthy as time progresses. Some of these gaffes are easily noticed, but others can be a little more subtle.

GTA 5's Outdated Jokes & References

GTA Online Halloween Players

In the therapy session after the opening mission of GTA 5, Michael makes a comment that all his son does is "smoke weed and play video games all day." At the time this was certainly meant to be one of GTA's satirical cultural comments. Seven years later, though, more states have recreational marijuana than states where it is completely illegal, the FDA has approved the first ever video game as a means of therapy, and the average gamer is 34 years old, owns a house, and has kids, according to the ESA.

The misogyny in GTA 5, however, was quite obvious and controversial even at the time of launch. The series has long been known for its strip clubs and heavy sexual content, but GTA 5 is notable in being virtually devoid of any female characters that aren't either hyper-sexualized, psychotic (like Trevor's mother Mrs. Phillips), or immediately killed off. The co-creator Dan Houser even stated in an interview with The New York Times at the time of release that despite having three playable characters, they had never even thought about one of them possibly being female.

While the game did release in 2013, before many franchises finally realized strong female characters were something the fanbases very much wanted, that was still after games like BioShock Infinite, Tomb Raider, and the Mass Effect series had shown how important female playable characters and support characters could be. There have been some recent rumors about GTA 6 starring a female protagonist, but nothing official has been confirmed so far.

Rockstar will undoubtedly continue toeing the line in any way they can, though even weird missions like joining a cult or helping cannibals don't quite deliver the same shock GTA once caused. As society progresses and matures, perfume ads encouraging players to "Smell Like a B****" and taking bong hits in a penthouse don't quite resonate as they may once have. It is worth hoping that in trying to balance satire and realism, the Grand Theft Auto franchise can become more aware of the actual world and culture outside of their games.

Next: What GTA 5 On PS5 & Xbox Series X Consoles Needs To Add