Shared Criminal Universe

A modern day Earth setting for a crime oriented open world game series, inspired by similar games such as Grand Theft Auto and the first two Saints Row games.   The aim of this hypothetical game franchise is to provide players with a fun and engaging 'rise to power' crime boss story, while also creating satisfying action moments, engaging character arcs and some slightly wacky open-world antics to contrast with the more sobering moments in the story.   This universe is shared between myself and my friend Rick, who is also slating ideas for an open world crime game more in tune with Sleeping Dogs. Sharing this universe ensures that we maintain a consistent set of rules for the universe while also allowing us to work together to create backstory and a interconnected internal mythology.   The core story that I will be developing revolves around an unnamed, faceless, genderless protagonist rising to power as a major criminal leader in a city that is definitely not Chicago (it's a semi-Chicago based fictional city, also taking some stylistic pointers from New York, Boston, and Detroit).