GTA V Review
Developer Rockstar
Publisher Take Two
Platform PS3 & Xbox360
Release Date Out Now
GTA releases have transcended the usual excitement around big game launches and become a major global event. The mere mention of anything GTA sends out shockwaves and permeates through every corner of the media. Tabloid newscasters get ready to link it to any big violent story of the week, serious news commentators get ready to question its morals, heck even mums who still call every console a Nintendo know that GTA is coming and it means business.
Serious business in fact, GTA V grossed over $800 dollars in its first day and went on to smash $1.5 the last time I checked making it one of the most successful launches of any product in recent times. Grand Theft Auto first appeared in 1997 as a 2D, top down action adventure game that set a new standard mixing open world free roaming with the “fun” of mindless crimes. It was an instant hit with the fans and went on to spawn ten further installments and four expansions making it and Rockstar household names.
GTA V is by far the best of the lot from a technical standpoint, the city is incredible, a vast sprawling living city in which you are free to wreak havoc. Rockstar have managed to eradicate many of the niggling issues that blighted previous versions too. Things like the driving and combat controls have been refined (not perfected but much improved). The story is complex, fun and engaging, but most importantly mid mission check-points have been added. This simple feature has removed the worst part of any GTA game (having to do the long drive to start the mission over and over again when you fail!)
The big gameplay feature this time is that you now control the lives of three different protagonists rather than just one. Franklin is our first hero, this ex-gang banger is now looking for a much better way of life but still not afraid of getting his hands dirty.
Michael an Ex-con now retired and living the suburban family life, and Trevor…well how to describe Trevor? He is seriously messed up. An ex associate of Michael from “back in the day”, unfortunately Trevor has not had the same level of success as Michael swapping the suburban mansion for a dingy trailer. When he comes on screen he wastes no time in setting the tone for the rest of the game.
All three characters are likable in their own messed up way. It is safe to say that any scene with Trevor in it is never dull that is for sure. Franklin seems to be the main character and probably the most grounded of all three. As the story unfolds each one is introduced to you the player and as their stories intertwine the full extent of GTA’s brilliance is revealed.
Moving between characters is up to the player and you can select to jump from character to character at any stage. Either mid-mission to get a better vantage point or when outside of the normal mission ark you can swap to gain access to a different story line. Each character is still a living entity within the city that will carry on living his life when you are not in control. So when you jump expect to find them in some odd situations in a kind of messed up Quantum leap, Oh Boy!
It’s not GTA without rampant car theft and vehicles play a major role, it is strange then that the cars still don’t handle particularly well, they have vastly improved driving this year but for a game so focused on cars it could still use some more work to stop them feeling like shopping carts on ice.
Equally the combat is a little clunky, a better implemented lock on system does help in shoot outs, but this in turn creates another problem that lets the player depend too heavily on its assistance rather than forcing themselves to get better.
Heists are the main source of wealth gathering; you select your crew, get your vehicles ready and hit up jewelry stores and banks. This is really well implemented and you look forward to your next heist throughout the game. This ill-gotten wealth can be invested in strippers and booze or wasted on sound investments like property. More property unlocks extra missions and so on.
Where GTA comes into its own is the city, it lives and breathes like a real city. Life carries on around you, people head about their business as if you never existed. There is always something to do and never more so than in the online portion of the game.
This section of the game was unlocked around two weeks after the main game did. GTA Online certainly is an ambitious project and one that didn’t get off to the best of starts with many including ourselves struggling to connect and losing characters. Two title updates later and things have started to settle down.
This is not a traditional online multiplayer experience with set matches and pre-defined rounds. You almost start on a single player journey all over again. Your character arrives at Los Santos without a bean in their pocket. After the initial story driven hour introduces you it begins to fade away and you start to experience the online game as it was meant to be.
You are now on your own, free to team up with others. Join with your friends or strangers to take part in any of the three main mission types. Racing missions, traditional shoot outs and the co-operative ones that require a bit more team work and planning.
The more you do the more you rank up and unlock. The higher you get the better the weapons, cars and this in turns unlocks better missions for you and your friends to tackle together.
As you might expect it is an odd place, often filled with not so friendly people so it helps to play with a group who you are friends with when you can.
Overall: Despite the lingering issues around online, driving and combat the overall package is such an enjoyable experience it is hard not to recommend this to everyone. GTA V is not just as a technical marvel but it is an engaging, fun and incredibly enjoyable game.
The game is massive and it offers so much value for money, it looks great, the story is fun and the old favorites like the radio stations are all there. It is GTA to the core, and GTA at its best.
SCORE 4.5/5
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