Grand Theft Auto V Review

Welcome back to Los Santos. Home of the rich, the poor, the famous, the wicked and everyone else in-between.

Treading on the busy sands of Vespucci beach, the celebrity-focused lanes of Vinewood, the Sandy Shores desert, and the socially dilapidated neighborhoods of Los Santos, Rockstar is back with its newest installment to the infamous franchise, Grand Theft Auto.

Enter Grand Theft Auto V. 

This newest GTA drops players into the vast, pseudo-Californian world of San Andreas. Though a digital replica in its landscape, GTAV's satire bleeds the essence of what composes modern American culture. San Andreas is a towering monolith of celebrity obsession, capitalistic narcissism,  internet culture, and government corruption to name just a few of the lingering themes. It borders the pastiche, but as every Grand Theft Auto game before, it is bathed in extreme parody. 

This humor alongside Rockstar's expertise  deliver the entity of San Andreas. Rockstar crafts a living and beautiful world players can easily immerse themselves into. Desert highways are vast, craggy mountain regions are filled with hikers, wildlife and anyone looking to get lost and Los Santos is a breathing reflection of contemporary L.A. Rockstar, after only five years since the last installment, really shows what their efforts are capable of. GTAV looks stunning. The graphics aren't the best around, but Rockstar completely nails the aesthetic of San Andreas. The Los Santos tenements look lived in, the beaches are crisp galleries of sand and ocean, and the underwater flora and fauna are some of the best around. 

However, Even with the mandatory install for console versions, textures and objects sometimes can't keep up with the player. But considering the scope of the game world and the technical limitations of current consoles, it's easily forgivable. Again, San Andreas is massive and it's amazing there are no load screens throughout the adventure.

The soundtrack, like San Andreas itself, is varied and vibrant, catering to over a dozen stations ranging from rap, reggae, pop, alternative, jazz and even punk music. On top that, the denizens of San Andreas believably go about their daily lives. Cruising through the city, you will see npcs practicing yoga, going to local coffee shops, talking on their cell phones and so much more.

The voice work of these npcs, and from everyone else for that matter, will further draw players into the world. It is synonymous with the excellent writing Rockstar is known for. If San Andreas initially drew people to the world, the atmosphere will tether those players to this game for a very long time. From Los Santos to  Blaine County, San Andreas is as a well developed a character as the main protagonists.  

For the first time in the series, the narrative spans across three central characters: Franklin, an ambitious ne'er-do-well vying to leave the pyramid scheme of the gangster life, Michael, a rich retiree already bored of retirement and the incessant nagging of his family, and Trevor...

Well Trevor is a grenade in a hand basket ready to explode in all directions at any moment. Similar to Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, each character has personal stats that upgrade over the course of the game. For example, running, swimming or biking can increase stamina, while fighting or playing tennis will increase strength. Ultimately, the difference between Mike, Trevor and Frank revolve around their base skills: Michael is better at handling firearms, Franklin is a pro when it revolves around cars, and Trevor has a strong affinity for helicopters and planes.

Their uniqueness does not end there as all three characters have a special ability. Another new addition to hte franchise. As gunfights or car chases grow in chaos, both Michael and Franklin can slow things down to give players the edge. Mike, much like Max Payne, can use bullet-time to paint and mow-down all the enemies in front of him. And when inside of a car, franklin can weave through streets and traffic with the utmost ease. Last but not least, there is Trevor's  rage ability. 

If Trevor seems to be a special case of manic and sociopathic tendencies, it's simply because he embodies those ideals. And, ya know what? So does his special ability. Trevor's rage makes the unpredictable psychopath almost invulnerable. Bullets, rockets, grenades, and car crashes are nothing but flesh wounds for the raging Trevor. 

Having three central characters with different stats and different abilities changes Grand Theft Auto  into something more than its predecessors. The copy and paste formula of open world mayhem is reassessed through Franklin, Trevor and Michael's diversity. Their abilities are a welcome change that spell fun for an already excellent franchise. Not to mention, having three central protagonists, playable at almost any time, allows a deep and constantly changing narrative. Sharing an affinity for danger and profit, the trio of malcontent's criminal proclivities eventually draw them to one another. 

In Rockstar fashion, Grand Theft Auto V tells a lengthy story. Spanning over 50 hours, GTAV is an action-packed, yet well-paced narrative surrounding ambition, greed, loyalty and violence set loose upon San Andreas. Each mission is not only fun and varied, but essential as they expand and develop the personalities of the troublesome trio. We find what drives and motivates these characters as well as what pisses them off. And boy, no one should ever piss off Trevor. 

Thankfully when things go awry and the shit hits the fan, Grand Theft Auto V's controls are tight and responsive in all aspects. The driving is the smoothest it's ever been within a GTA game. Helicopters and planes remain a fun and often destructive mode of transportation. and water- vehicles ably glide through the turbulence of the rivers and oceans. The twitch-flick auto-aim of GTAIV returns but is better polished and tweaked, adding real weight to the guns and to combat. It's easy to see Grand Theft Auto V as a very ambitious game. Luckily for GTA fans and players looking to jump into the series, this game delivers above and beyond. 

The graphics are fantastic working in perfect cohesion along side an amazing atmosphere, voice work and soundtrack.The open-world truly feels open to exploration and adventure. The combat, driving, and flying mechanics are precisely tuned. The narrative is well-paced, yet intense and gripping throughout the campaign. And the choice to disseminate San Andreas among three central characters with different abilities and stats was a brilliant addition as it allows for a shifting, dynamic narrative and different play-styles.  

GTAV's layers of depth create such a rich ambiance. San Andreas is easily one of the most realized worlds of this year, sharing the limelight with Bioshock Infinite's Columbia and the American wasteland in The Last of Us. Grand Theft Auto V is bound to keep you playing for hours upon hours as this latest game is the best in the franchise and a strong contender for game of the year.

Grand Theft Auto V gets 5 outta 5.