A Grand Theft Auto V player claims to have found a solution to the "male loneliness epidemic" within the game's sprawling sandbox of Los Santos, not through traditional social mechanics, but by embracing a peculiar form of companionship enabled by a new mod. The "2gether" mod allows players to approach non-player characters (NPCs) and attach them to their player character, effectively carrying them around like a backpack or a boa.
A New Form of Friendship
According to the mod's proponent, this unconventional method provides the human connection that characters in GTA V supposedly lack. The mod's functionality is described as enabling players to "adorn" themselves with random NPCs, which is posited as the essence of friendship. The NPCs in Los Santos are depicted as remarkably compliant with this mechanic, showing no objection to being carried, even in the midst of the game's usual chaos, which can include flying cars and active gang warfare.
To test the NPCs' placid nature, the modder recounts an experiment where a hiker was carried into a busy intersection. Despite being struck by multiple vehicles, the NPC remained undisturbed, a testament to their in-game composure. The experience concluded with the player returning the hiker to their original location before the player character presumably moved on.
The "2gether" mod offers a unique, albeit strange, approach to player interaction within the game. It highlights the creative ways players continue to mod and engage with Grand Theft Auto V, long after its initial release, by introducing novel social dynamics to its chaotic world.