I understand, the whole point of GTA is that you have the freedom to do whatever the hell you want. But I think it'd be more intense if "responsibility" was added to the game, in the sense that all your actions have consequences that will come back at you later on.
For instance, if I murder a guy off the street, the cops will eventually track me down for that murder and it'll stay in my rap sheet for the rest of the game. I can still do it if I want, but it'll just be harder for me to sneak by the police.
It would be awesome if your goal in the game became how to avoid getting caught for your crimes on a grander scale. At the moment, if you get caught or killed, the game just restarts. What if there were courts and juries and prisons in the game, wherein if you get caught, you go through the legal process? That would make committing crimes feel more real and meaningful and not just random crap.