GTA 5 Review

In an era when video game budgets have skyrocketed and scale has become the de facto standard, the idea of a huge open world full of adventures no longer inspires awe as it did in the days of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Did Grand Theft Auto 5 manage to maintain its high standard of quality against renowned competitors? Read our review to find out!

If you love video games, you know the Grand Theft Auto series. Even if you know nothing about video games at all, there’s more than a zero chance that you’ve at least heard of Grand Theft Auto in passing!

For many years, this game has been the “bad girl” of the video game market, and to its credit, it still is. Only GTA can spark such heated debates and sharp criticism while never losing the love of its fans, which is always expressed by the loud ringing of cash from sales.

Like Skyrim from The Elder Scrolls V or Columbia from BioShock Infinite, Los Santos and its surroundings—familiar to us from GTA: San Andreas—are among the most detailed, diverse, interesting, and visually striking worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring.

Yes, during the first load you might be scared off by missing textures and blurry images, but despite this, you’ll constantly find yourself stopping to take in the sights along your path. In this regard, Rockstar’s designers have done an excellent job. Los Santos perfectly conveys all the traits of a modern metropolis: you’ll see both the poor residents of the ghettos and the homeless, as well as the corporate elite in expensive business suits, athletes, artists, and every other imaginable type of person.

Despite all this, GTA 5 tells the story not of one, not two, but three criminals whose paths cross in Los Santos. Here, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor will pull off a series of spectacular crimes that will not only line their pockets and solve important problems, but also turn them into close friends and the best partners in crime. Although, of course, that depends on how lucky they get.

More than any other game in the series, GTA 5 emphasizes the story of its main antiheroes, while greatly downplaying the importance of secondary characters. No more goofy crime bosses with their own storylines or neighborhood disputes escalating into shootouts across the whole city.

On the contrary, now you yourself are both the story and the side events all in one. The writers skillfully shift the focus between Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, telling the story of each individually as well as the trio as a whole. Over time, you become invested in their problems and realize that the protagonists’ desires are grounded in reality and have genuine depth. After all, each of them is trying to achieve the “American dream,” whether that means a happy family life or fast cars and big houses.

However, this doesn’t mean that everything in GTA 5 has suddenly become too serious. On the contrary, the game entertains you in every way it can (just look at the main characters’ dialogues): Franklin, constantly burdened by his idiot friends; Michael, desperate about his lost dreams; and Trevor, a psychopath oblivious to his own issues—each of them is shown from both their good and bad sides. In a way, the story of GTA 5 is more of a tragicomedy, and definitely not the bleak, depressing, and gray-toned narrative of Grand Theft Auto 4.

For example, Michael, a retired bank robber, is trying to adjust to family life with a wife, daughter, and son who all hate him. As the story unfolds, he tries to leave his old ways behind, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s still a criminal to the core, and he’s not one to feel too much regret about it.

Meanwhile, Franklin can only dream of living like Michael. He’s a small-time gangster, desperately looking for ways to make money, buy a big house and lots of sports cars, and get rid of his ridiculous friends. But fate can be kind, and he meets people like Trevor and Michael—without whom he could never have changed his former life. Thanks to his drive, he manages to get to grips with all the ins and outs of the criminal world.

And then there’s Trevor. A killer, drug addict, psychopath, and Vietnam War veteran, completely consumed by bloodlust and his own impulsive desires. Trevor never changes, and his actions can sometimes really make your blood run cold. At other times, he can seem much more likable and even friendly. You could say the writers used his character to convey the very essence of GTA—a world that’s brutal and ruthless, but at the same time fun and full of energy.

Rockstar’s game designers made a very bold move when they introduced this trio, but in the end, it was completely justified. Even the most die-hard skeptics will agree once they’ve finished the main storyline. If an engaging plot is one side of the coin, then...

...the other side is the gameplay, with the jewel in its crown being the character-switching camera. Thanks to this feature, the developers achieved not only a more cinematic gameplay experience, but also allowed for convenient switching between characters—except during certain missions.

The switching process itself is surprisingly fast, and at any moment you can change the camera, for example, from Michael to Trevor. While you’re playing as one of the trio, the other two are busy with their own activities or traveling around the city. The moments when you switch characters and get a glimpse into their lives are a real delight. It’s funny to see Franklin walking his dog or Michael sitting through a family argument with a blank expression. And switching to Trevor is always an adventure—what’s he up to this time, shooting up drugs or causing chaos in a bar with other patrons?

No matter which character you like best, in free roam mode you can still freely interact with the world around you—get into shootouts, race with the police, or run over pedestrians just for fun. On the other hand, the game also features a number of unique missions and tasks dedicated specifically to each character. Franklin is more often involved in car theft, Michael constantly has to deal with disputes within the criminal underworld or his own family, and Trevor causes chaos and carnage wherever he goes. The success of each mission depends on how quickly you complete it and whether you fulfill the optional objectives. If you want, you can always replay any quest at any time.

You’ll also enjoy how some missions affect the rest of the world. For example, assassinating the CEO of a pharmaceutical company will cause its stock to drop, which is great news for anyone who invested in its competitor. On the other hand, you can take advantage of the chaos and buy up shares at a low price to sell them later for a profit.

And of course, besides all these missions, there’s a huge number of activities you can take part in, depending on the character you’re currently playing as. These include diving, rock climbing, yoga, motocross, and street racing, in addition to the more traditional tennis, golf, or even just watching TV, walking the dog, and visiting strip clubs—where you can even pinch the strippers for some extra fun.

Trevor, for example, can go hunting and sell the meat from the animals he kills. The city is full of opportunities to start your own business, in addition to the stock market mentioned earlier. All the money you earn can be spent on buying property in Los Santos, unlocking a helipad, docks for pleasure boats, or new garage spaces for your cars.

If the main and side missions aren’t enough for you, know that random events happen all over Los Santos throughout the day. For example, you might see someone snatch a lady’s purse right in front of you, or witness a store robbery. You can choose to get involved in these events or ignore them. Either way, these random missions make GTA 5’s gameplay feel almost indistinguishable from real life.

However, completing missions alone or as a trio isn’t all Rockstar has prepared for you. In some quests, you’ll need to choose partners from outside the main trio. You can hire dumb muscle to cause chaos and create a distraction, or high-class hackers to disable security systems and crack safes in seconds. The choice of partners, their equipment, and gear is entirely up to you. Keep in mind, though, that the less skilled your helpers are, the more problems you might face due to their mistakes. On the other hand, an experienced team will demand much higher pay for their services.

GTA 5 also introduced RPG elements. Each character has unique stats and abilities available only to them. You can improve these by engaging in activities related to those skills. For example, the more you focus on physical activities, the more your stamina increases, and the more you drive, the better your driving skill becomes. Upgrading these stats has a real impact on the game, letting you handle vehicles better or run for longer.

Who knows what situation you’ll find yourself in and which skills will save your mission, so each main character has a unique ability. Michael can slow down time during shootouts, Franklin does the same while driving, and Trevor greatly increases his damage and defense in rage mode.

The clunky shooting system has also been improved. Auto-aim can be a nuisance at times, but it helps keep gunfights within reasonable time limits. This issue is especially relevant for console players, as joysticks are not the most convenient for fast-paced games (at least for beginners). The weapon wheel makes it easy to access the huge arsenal available in the game. Each weapon also has its own characteristics, so you’ll never confuse an SMG with an assault rifle.

GTA 5 also improved car movement physics. You can feel it when driving with a joystick. The controls are much smoother and better than in the fourth game, and cars no longer slide across the asphalt like they’re on ice. Parachute jumps and races are now far more enjoyable than before.

You can even notice the difference in handling—sports cars are harder to control, but much faster than regular vehicles. The mechanics of racing with cops on your tail and evading them have also improved. Here, Rockstar borrowed the idea from Need for Speed: you just need to lose the police and hide in a dark corner. It’s much better than it was in GTA 4.

However, the developers didn’t have enough time to improve the handling of planes and helicopters. You’ll have to get used to it, and until then, expect some struggles.

The visual effects in GTA 5 are somewhat better than in GTA 4, but not enough to forgive the poor textures and drops in performance. Rockstar’s specialists certainly squeezed everything they could out of the current generation consoles, but these systems are already nearing the end of their life cycle, and you can’t expect better results from them. Overall, we’re waiting for the PC release to truly appreciate the graphics.

As expected, the sound designers have done an impeccable job, as always. Every action by the characters is accompanied by excellent music—some of the best in the industry.

Original tracks during missions add a sense of tension, while in free roam mode, the many radio stations will delight you with fantastic music.

The hallmarks of the entire GTA series are an engaging world, a captivating story, diverse gameplay, plenty of explosions and special effects, and a cinematic feel. All of this is brilliantly implemented and wrapped up in a shiny package. All you have to do is unwrap it.