Someone even more "breathtaking". What GTA could learn from Cyberpunk
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Hiring Hollywood stars is nothing new in GTA, but after stars cast in 2002'sVice City, and 2005's San Andreas, the practice seemed neglected. Instead of more than a dozen celebrities like Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds, William Fichtner, and Danny Trejo, GTA: San Andreas featured fewer celebrities, though we have to admit that Samuel L. Jackson is a different league. GTA 4 and GTA 5, in turn, feature far less recognizable names.
All of these, of course, were voice actors for characters loosely related to their own appearance, which was understandable with the technical capabilities of the time. Meanwhile, the appearance of Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 in full glory, that is, not only in voice, but also in the face and physique of Johnny Silverhand, hit bullseye. If not exactly in the artistic sense, then certainly in the marketing one. The reveal of this featuring seems to have doubled the hype around the game, with leaked gameplay footage analyzed for "when does Silverhand first appear."
Given the popularity of GTA today, it's probably worth thinking about hiring a famous celebrity again. Not necessarily in the lead role – even a side-character appearance would be a pretty interesting move. The appearance of an actor or actress in full image could breathe some fresh air. Provided, of course, that Rockstar's engine has finally become "breathtaking" and offers much better facial graphics, as those in RDR 2 already fell far short of standards from other titles.
