Fans of Grand Theft Auto held high expectations for Grand Theft Auto V. The developer, Rockstar Games, is one of the most accomplished game developers in the world, publishing such games as LA Noire, Red Dead Redemption and the Max Payne series.
GTA V went into production in 2008, right after GTA IV was released. Not only did the game have take five years to create, but the budget of the game was an unprecedented $265 million dollars. GTA V was the most expensive video game ever produced and ran a bigger budget than any Hollywood film (besides Pirates of the Caribbean). What’s even more shocking than putting $265 million dollars into a game is that Rockstar made their money back on pre-orders alone. GTA V grossed $800 million in sales on its first day and over $1 billion by day three. These sales numbers made GTA V the quickest selling entertainment product ever.
The game itself is a masterpiece. Taking place in the city of Los Santos (modeled after Los Angeles) Grand Theft Auto V is different than its predecessors. The player isn’t restricted to only playing as one character. There are three characters you can play through the course of the game. The three characters introduced are Franklin Clinton, Michael De Santa and Trevor Phillips. Franklin is a young African-American male who is trying to find a career that will help him become successful and move away from the ghetto in which he lives. Michael is a wealthy ex-robber who was put into witness protection. Though he is quite wealthy and retired, his family is dysfunctional. Trevor is an ex-Air Force pilot who is a sociopath and terrorizes the trailer park in where he lives.
All of these characters have their own abilities. Franklin is able to slow down time while driving, allowing you to avoid accidents or give you an edge while trying to escape the police. Michael is able to slow down time while in a gunfight, allowing you to strategically pick off enemies while avoiding taking damage. Trevor goes into an overdrive mode, where he inflicts more damage on enemies than he does himself. You are able to switch between any of the three players at any time while you are playing.
Each of these players also have stats that can be upgraded throughout the course of the game. Franklin starts out with better driving numbers, while Trevor has the higher flying stats. Throughout the course of the game, the more you drive, fly, run or shoot, your skills for that activity will be better reflected.
The missions in this game are incredible. Mind you, some of them can get a little repetitive in the beginning. However as the player progresses through the game, they won’t want to put the controller down. There are half a dozen “heists” that the player will take part in through the single player campaign. Robbing jewelry stores, banks and sinking a freighter are just a few of the heists that are the player will run across in the game.
As GTA has done since GTA San Andreas, there are different stores and business that can be interacted with in this game. Tattoo shops, clothes shops and hair stylists are just a few of the local businesses that can be visited in Los Santos. Activities such as shooting pool and darts were available in GTA IV and due to popular demand, remained in GTA V. Bike riding, playing tennis, riding jet skis, hiking and going hunting are all activities that the gamer can choose to explore if they want to take a break from GTA V’s campaign.
The gameplay itself is smooth. The gunplay is extremely refined and feels very similar to the style that Rockstar attacked with Max Payne 3. It is extremely comfortable and allows anyone to pick up a controller and engage some gangbangers. The driving has improved in this game. It no longer feels like there is butter on your wheels like in the previous GTA games. You’re not constantly swerving and trying to control the vehicle at high speeds.
This game is beyond fantastic. It will be in the running for game of the year and has set the bar for any future open world games that have yet to be released. The way sales are going, this game could become one of the highest sold video games ever on a console with Rockstar games expecting as many as 25 million units to be sold. With around 35 hours of gameplay to offer, this game is worth every penny.
Connor Anthony can be reached at connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu