South Florida is a destination where beach, beaches and beauty are perennial.
A stadium wherein the world's preeminent footballer finds the back of the net to secure victories, wearing flamingo pink.
And a place where a multibillionaire thinks about how to make money from space travel.
Lionel Messi and Jeff Bezos relocated to Miami in 2021, and their presence in the already glittering city lent it an additional sense of glamour.
Yet, there is a sinister aspect to this, a criminal element.
This week saw the unveiling of the trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, providing an opportunity to witness the convergence of these two worlds.
The appearance of this game concluded a 10-year span of minimal activity from Rockstar, the designers of the game, and shattered YouTube records, obtaining 93 million views in one day.
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LeBron James exclaimed in a tweet that the video was "INSANE", and it was the most viewed content - excluding music videos - on the platform in less than 24 hours.
The teaser that lasted 90 seconds verified the game will take place in Vice City, a fictitious version of Miami, and this sparked conversations on the web about how equitable and credible this portrayal was.
It exhibited a diversity of Miami's cultural sights - from those running or relaxing on the beach, sailors enjoying their boating, to the owners of opulent automobiles and those who delight in the bubbling pools atop buildings. The streets were aglow with neon lights and the presence of flamingos.
You can spot flamingos with their characteristic cotton-candy colouring at Hialeah Park Racing and Casino.
However, there was another face of the city evident.
A crocodile silently made its way through a store of convenience, exotic dancers moved provocatively on top of dollar bills, and officers armed with shotguns forcefully burst through a door.
The spectacle of a female gyrating atop a swiftly moving car was bizarre to the point of seeming surreal, but it fit in perfectly with the seemingly accurate figurines of Miami's basketball court, the Kaseya Center, and the wall paintings in the Wynwood district.
This blend of the unthinkable and what was tangible confused the distinction between truth and imagination.
The desired goal of Rockstar, creators of the GTA franchise, was stated by Chris Livingston, senior editor at the prominent gaming magazine PC Gamer.
Mr Livingston informed the BBC that the Grand Theft Auto games are built upon actual United States cities and that the insignificant nuances significantly make these titles come alive.
Much of what is featured in the games is drawn from reality. The creators are from the UK, and so the content reflects their own unique perspective on aspects of American culture.
Mr Livingston referred to the GTA 6 trailer as a "tongue-in-cheek satire" of the worst aspects of American culture.
Folks on the web took no time in indicating the places where scenes featured in the trailer could be found in real life.
For example, an incident involving a woman performing twerking on a car, a furious elderly woman brandishing two hammers, and a criminal exhibiting purple hair and tattoos on his face were all topics that made the news in southern Florida.
Mr Livingston referred to these events as "excellent material" for Rockstar's creators, remarking that it allowed them to add remarkable detail by reflecting "the strange reality of American culture, especially in Florida".
He acknowledged, however, that the increasing absurdity of reality posed a challenge.
Mr. Livingston commented, "When we discuss satirizing American culture, we have to consider just how exaggerated reality has become. Can Rockstar keep up with a culture that has become absurd in its own right?"
Countless people who saw the trailer made remarks about the reappearance of the "Florida Man" meme, which is an expression that has been utilized to cover the craziness often seen in Florida news stories.
Dmitri Williams, a professor at the University of Southern California who focuses on research regarding games, impact, and technology, proclaimed: "It appears as if there is hardly a smidgen of recognition of the actual world around us."
He suggested to the BBC that if they could base things off of pre-existing headlines, it would be easier to start from an area that the public is familiar with, rather than having to create something new from the ground up.
Rockstar excels in beginning with the stereotype.
Mr Williams remarked that, despite excelling at reflecting real-world events, the creators of the game have also had an influence on them.
He stated that the Grand Theft Auto series gave gamers a sense of liberty and lawlessness that deeply moved them, creating a dedicated fanbase.
He said that anything is an option, ranging from grabbing a burger to shooting a police officer and paying for the services of a sex worker.
The unprecedented freedom and violence of earlier GTA games has gained media attention, leading to multiple legal challenges, including a complaint from former first lady Hillary Clinton, and one that went all the way to the Supreme Court.
Despite being accurate, for some GTA 6's portrayal of crime and disorder in Florida was too heavy-handed and one-sided.
Nicole Haboush, TJB Super Yachts' senior charter and sales manager in Palm Beach, stated that she was displeased with the video, saying that it was "kind of shocking" and did not reflect the Miami she had experienced.
Ms Haboush expressed how contrary the people and environment was to those she was used to seeing at occasions such as the Miami Boat Show and Art Basel, where she rubs shoulders with those able to invest as much as $200m (£159m) on a "mega yacht".
She said they try to avoid places that could have theft and violence.
For some, the video was not as unsettling.
"Despite the criticism Florida gets for being eccentric, we absolutely live up to our reputation," Jose Duran, a Miami nightlife and culture journalist, stated to the BBC. "It is safe to say that people here in south Florida are thoroughly looking forward to the future."
For some, it's something to be proud of - oddly enough - to see how wild Florida can be.
Duran declared that the trailer fulfilled expectations for a game based on actions that would never be permissible in reality, such as car theft, homicide, and violence.
He noted that he doesn't take offence to the video, but acknowledged that some people could.
Duran stated that he will be withholding his true opinion until the game's formal launch in 2025.
When the game releases and is available for people to analyze, the narrative will shift.
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