Summary
- A fan cosplay envisions Big Smoke from GTA: San Andreas in the world of Persona 5.
- Big Smoke's twisted morality would make him an ideal target for the Phantom Thieves.
- Fans imagine crossovers between GTA and Persona games.
An amusing fan cosplay shows what it might look like if Big Smoke from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas found himself in the world of Persona 5. Melvin “Big Smoke” Harris is one of the main characters in 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, introduced as a high-ranking member of the Grove Street Families gang that operated in the Los Angeles-inspired city of Los Santos. While he starts the game as an ally to CJ, Big Smoke eventually betrays his fellow gang members in a bid to become a legendary criminal leader in his own right.
This twisted morality and desire for fame at all costs would make Big Smoke an ideal target for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the teenage heroes of Persona 5 and its many spin-offs. Driven by the personal tragedies and injustices they have suffered in their lives, the Phantom Thieves use the power of the Metaverse to venture into the minds of corrupt authority figures and steal their distorted desires in order to change society for the better. While an official crossover between Grand Theft Auto and Persona is extremely unlikely, fans can always imagine what it would be like if these two beloved gaming franchises collided.
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Reddit user trinhhoangnguyen recently shared an image of a cosplayer dressed as Big Smoke from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, wearing his signature green dress shirt and black bowler hat while wielding a wooden baseball bat. Surrounding him are the command prompts from Persona 5 being held up by other attendees, presenting players with many options for dealing with enemies in battle. In Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves have the option to attack their opponent with their melee weapons, fire a shot from their guns, or even unleash the magic of their bonded Persona monsters.
Cosplay Pits GTA San Andreas’ Big Smoke Against The Phantom Thieves
Other Reddit users in the comment section have been playfully giving their own ideas on how the Thieves could successfully combat Big Smoke, such as offering him his famously large food order from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ “Drive-Thru” mission. Others joked that Big Smoke would confront Persona 5 players who ventured away from the train tracks in Mementos, a nod to how Big Smoke would berate CJ for failing the infamous "Wrong Side of The Tracks" mission.
Grand Theft Auto players are currently awaiting more news about the highly-anticipated GTA 6, which is reportedly set to launch sometime later this year provided Rockstar doesn’t delay the game. In the meantime, fans and cosplayers are passing the time by making crossovers between the legendary open-world crime franchise and other popular games like Persona 5. One can only imagine how a confrontation between Big Smoke and the Phantom Thieves would play out, as well as what a “reformed” Big Smoke would look like after the Phantoms completed their mission.
- Released
- October 26, 2004
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- RenderWare
WHERE TO PLAY
Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas — a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Where film stars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers.
Now, it's the early '90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading toward disaster.
On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets.
- Franchise
- Grand Theft Auto
