Grand Theft Auto V Review – Well Worth The Wait

Grand Theft Auto V has to be by far one of the biggest releases this year. In fact, arguably just as big as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch in the coming months and definitely bigger than the yearly installments of Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty and Battlefield.  Rockstar Games KNOWS they made September 17^th, for one year only, Christmas for gamers.

After taking a deep dive into what Grand Theft Auto V had to offer, my mind is literally blown on the excitement, the replay value, the unprecedented amount of jaw dropping activities and moments set in place for your personal entertainment.

The introduction of Michael, Trevor and Franklin are seamless. The game slowly transitions between each character allowing you get a small glimpse of their individual backstories before tossing them all together.

Michael has it all, but isn’t happy with how it’s all going. He has a son that’s all about the lazy life, playing video games, kind of like us today, a daughter that wants to fit into high-end side of the social world, no matter what it takes, and a wife that’s just about “open” to anyone.  Michael is ready to go beyond his normal activities and revisit the yesteryears of robbing banks and such. The safe road isn’t quite his street. Franklin is a gangster that wants the finer things in life. To his crew and his family Franklin talks the talk, but acts more like a sellout trying to leave the hood that raised him.

Then you have Trevor. Trevor is well, Trevor. The guy that you wish you could hit with a brick, wipe his memory of you and disappear.  He’s the sadistic guy of the bunch. If you aren’t trying to live on the edge, Trevor is that man that will push you there! Holding down the d-pad allows you to switch between the characters. It’s by far one amazing mechanic that works well and gives you some of the best options available while tackling situations throughout gameplay.

On the character hub you’ll notice under the pictures there are missions that can be done, with a number displaying exactly how many, including special missions like “Strangers and Freaks.” In some cases you will be required to follow a particular order as some of the missions can once be started by a particular player.

It’s genuinely epic when you get to string all three players together for missions and heists. Michael and Trevor can handle everything on ground while Franklin handles a vantage point to make sure everything goes to plan. It’s a well thought out process that makes the gameplay in Grand Theft Auto V phenomenal.

Each character has individual upgradable skill sets as special abilities. While Michael and Trevor can slow down time or take less damage, Franklin can slow down his focus in a vehicle while maintaining his speed in real time.

Bank heist, as previously mentioned, is the forefront of the excitement in Grand Theft Auto V. Compared to other games that simply involves you driving to an ideal spot; GTA V involves a detailed plan. Who are the right people for the job? What kind of cut do you want to pay your people? What method do you prefer? Even Trevor has choices to make!

When I did one job, I paid top dollar for all but one person. It took a few days to get everything required for the heist in various locations of Los Santos. While everyone held their end, that one person died in the middle of the heist and proving to be a prime example of “you get what you pay for.” The decisions you decide literally affects the results.

There are so many ways to get around in GTA V. You can get around in cars, planes, parachutes and more. One stroke of success here is the mechanics between each vehicle. An average vehicle doesn’t operate as smooth as a sports car. A boat doesn’t move as simplistic as a plane. Every mechanical difference between vehicles is almost as realistic as can be.

The police are a bit more laid back in GTA V, which by all means isn’t a bad thing. If you can recall in GTA IV, just stealing a car alerted the police faster than All Star can realize you lost possession.  But you can now sneak through alleys, hide under bridges and more to evade the police and lose the tails more efficiently.

One feature that’s cool as hell is the Snapmatic. Snapmatic is a special online feature that allows you to take pictures in the world of Grand Theft Auto, as a regular cam or self-portrait, and send them to friends online or upload them to the online servers on Rockstar’s website.

There is truly hours upon hours of gameplay to the story of Grand Theft Auto V. Even upon completion the streets never sleep.  And who said that Rockstar didn’t have a huge and bizarre personality? Aliens in Grand Theft Auto? Yes! Looks like there’s a couple “Saint’s” in Los Santos.

Wanting to just kill time you can play tennis, go swimming, buy stock and watch the cash flow to buy garages, safe houses, properties, create your own business and more. You can once again, as introduced in IV, call contacts to hang out, visit the strip club and much more as the night lights brighten the city. Rockstar has made the world as real as it could possibly be.

This game is amazing! Grand Theft Auto is as smooth as butter in terms to graphics; a current-gen game with a next-gen spirit deep inside! I don’t even think next-gen will have a game near this magnitude for quite some time.

There is a lot of controls to remember between, driving, flying, swimming and more. However once you begin to master the controls and enjoy the high replay ability that it delivers, you’ll be feeling like a pro in no time.

There’s so many elements that string along the audio in GTA V. It’s really awesome to sit back and drive and listen to all the music that Los Santos has to offer. There are even talk shows and cartoons around the clock to relax the mind. And then there’s the voices of are star characters. Each environmental background was impeccable. The citizens as well blended just as well.

A big budget game that manages to spend every penny flawlessly is rare. But it’s something about Rockstar Games that defines perfection with every single title they launch. There’s no need to question why all gamers alike respect the brand. The fluidity of GTA V speaks for itself. Keep in mind, we’ve only covered the offline portion of GTA V as Grand Theft Auto online will soon take the grand stage.

Gameplay: 5/5

Visuals: 5/5

Controls: 5/5

Audio: 5/5

Replayability: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5