Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar Game’s
latest entry in the GTA series. This time around there are two HUGE additions.
You can play as three different characters and while there was online
multiplayer in GTA IV, it is nowhere near extensive as it is in GTA V. First,
the characters are Franklin, Trevor, and Michael. Franklin lives where CJ from GTA
San Andreas lived. He is essentially a gangster, with a lot of heart just
trying to get out of “the life” and work his way up in the world. Trevor is a
deranged, psychopathic, drug dealer/addict-redneck who will annihilate anyone
who stands in his way. Michael is a retired bank robber under “witness
protection.” He has a wife and family, though they NEVER seem to get along. He’s
tired of the retired life and is anxious to get back into the robbery business.
Once all have been played as for the first
time by progressing through the story mode, each character can be switched to
at a moment’s notice by holding down on the d-pad and selecting one using the
analog stick. This is particularly useful during combat when a character
reaches critical health and is pinned down. You can switch to another character
and save that other character. Each character has his own story and each is
intriguing. Trevor might be the most fun to play as because of his never-ending
back and forth emotional state. He either wants to kill everybody around him,
or he whines about how his parents were never there for him and that he could really
use some company.
While playing as three characters is an
enormously cool twist to GTA V, let’s discuss the biggest addition; GTA Online.
Once you launch GTA Online for the first time, it’s time to create your
character. You can select what your parents looked like altering your
appearance and change a few different body characteristics before jumping into
online. Other traits of your player’s appearance can be customized by visiting businesses
around Los Santos. The entire game map is available to the player online. When
you first start, it will seem daunting because of how little you have. However,
it’s easier than you think to work your way up through the ranks. I would
recommend playing missions with friends and starting a crew to earn bigger cash
rewards for completing missions. With just a bit of grinding, you’ll have a
luxury apartment with a ten car garage and an inventory chock-full of weapons.
Online runs quite well and lag is a rare occurrence. Missions are greatly
varied ranging from skydiving and dirt bike races to stealing drugs and
assassinating a target, etc. Teams can even compete in death matches. When
playing online though, it’s best to run around Los Santos with a friend and if
not, watch your back. Other unsavory players around Los Santos will try to
kill you, and some are relentless. If you get sick of it or you just don’t want
to fight back, a passive mode can be enabled, disabling other players from
attacking you. These unsavory players are marked with a red circle that varies
in brightness based on the player’s mental state. (Effected by people they've
killed, etc.) When GTA V first launched on last-gen, Rockstar had promised heists for GTA Online. It's been a while, but they are finally coming to online early 2015.
Another big addition to GTA V on next-gen
is the option to switch to first person. First person is both a joy and a
curse. It creates an incredibly immersive experience during gun fights and driving,
turning them into even more adrenaline fueled sequences. While turned on though, your
field of view is severely impaired making it easier to be killed or crash your
car. Flying a plane or helicopter is practically impossible. One of the most
exciting things you can do in first person is go skydiving.
Graphically, comparing the next-gen
versions of GTA V to the last-gen, the improvements are certainly noticeable,
while others are more “behind the scenes.” More radio tracks have been added,
reflections can be seen in puddles and the back of cars, plus weather
conditions are even more detailed. I assume that the character models have been improved, though it would take a deeper view and critique to really judge them. Lighting is more dynamic and draw distance has been increased as well.
GTA V’s story is riveting because it weaves the three characters together while still managing
excellently to keep them individualized at the same time. Side missions include “Strangers
and Freaks”; missions where you meet strangers or freaks and carry out missions
for them, races, and even specific side missions assigned to some of the characters.
Grand Theft Auto V is a top-notch entry in the Rockstar Games’ series.
With so many amazing additions, it's hard to comprehend how they could improve on a possible sequel.
PROS:
-
Three
different, detailed characters
-
GTA
Online
-
First
person
-
Improved
graphics
CONS:
-
Certain
unsavory online players
Final Score:
9.5/10
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