Welcome to the 32 Dangerous Cheat Codes, a brand new series that will run daily between November 24 and December 25. Join us as we discuss the hazardous ramifications of some of your favorite cheat codes. Today we're opining for a time when cheat codes ruled the world. Sadly, those days are long behind us, but there is one game franchise that is keeping the fight alive. Find out why Grand Theft Auto is one of the last triple-A games to get cheat codes right in today's episode of the 32 Dangerous Cheat Codes.


A folding map. Public pay phone. Typewriter. Pager. Dial-up modem. These are products that used to be everywhere just a couple decades ago, but have since been outmoded by advancements in technology.

As much as it pains me to say this, you can probably add cheat codes to that list. Level selects, extra continues and hidden debug modes were a dime a dozen twenty years ago, but have largely been ignored in the era of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. We live in a world where games no longer have a need for an unlimited lives code and sound tests come with the package. Modern games want you to unlock the extras through hard work, not stumble upon them through random button combinations. Today's games are missing the point.

One series that gets it is Grand Theft Auto, which has always offered players a wide assortment of cheats that only make the game more fun. Between the main series and spin-offs, there's a code for almost everything you would want to do. You can change the weather, spawn vehicles, adjust the Earth's gravity, become completely irresistible to the ladies, trigger drunk mode and, yes, even drive a flying car.

These cheat codes, which are too numerous to list in a single video, are a cornerstone of the Grand Theft Auto experience. Who has time to play through a twenty hour story when you can spawn a tank and go on a murderous rampage? Forget the rules, because this is a sandbox where you can do anything you want.

And that's ultimately what Rockstar Games understand about modern video games. Sure, it's fun to run around a large open world, but the goal is to feel like you can do whatever you want. These cheat codes go a long way to turn you into an indestructible killing machine that always drives the best car. The developers understand that these codes aren't a necessity like cheat in the past, but rather a luxury that turns the game into something more, something better.

This is the one thing many modern games are missing. Just because we no longer need a 30 lives code, that doesn't mean that you can't completely alter the experience through clever cheat codes. And I'm not talking about extras you unlock through hours of collecting hidden treasure, but real codes you can punch in the moment you start the game. Look, I'm not going to tell you that the Grand Theft Auto series has sold a quarter of a billion units on cheat codes alone, but they have certainly helped the games become the juggernaut they are today.

As far as I'm concerned, cheat codes don't need to go the way of the floppy disc. It's time for the biggest game developers to take a page out of Rockstar's playbook and bring back cheat codes. We may not be getting flying cars, time travel or hoverboards any time soon, but I refuse to live in a world where cheats disappear entirely.