"GTA V is the game that once again sets a new benchmark in excellence"
Grand Theft Auto is a title that everyone knows. It’s the name of a series of games that helped define a generation, and in the 12 years since the third core game in the series helped push gaming into a larger spotlight.
Gaming has changed though. It’s been five years since GTA IV burst onto the scene, and in that gap between major GTA sequels, the genre has evolved. GTA V proves that it has what it takes to not only still be relevant , but to take survival of the fittest to a new level. It’s the kind of game that knows it comes from an older generation.
Set back in sunny Los Santos, GTA V takes place across three distinct characters and storylines. Michael is your former career criminal who cut a deal to save his own skin and that of his family, living a high life of luxury that has brought him nothing but pain.
Franklin is your thug from the hood, but a man with his eye on becoming more than just a standard-dealing hoodlum stuck in the ghettos amongst friends and family who embarrass him more than anything else.
And then there’s Trevor.
While Michael and Franklin are pretty much believable characters stuck in a rut in life, Trevor is an unstable force of nature with a quick temper, drug habit and sociopathic tendencies that would make Jack the Ripper look like a saint in comparison.
What Rockstar has managed to do is to make three characters who are clearly distinctive personalities. You can see this when you do something as switch between them. Michael may be getting a crap cup of coffee, or Franklin may be walking his dog. Trevor will most likely be sleeping off a hangover of note and wondering why he just woke up wearing a skirt.
So what has really changed in the years between GTA IV and V, is driving a car is now no longer a labour worthy of Hercules himself. Handling has been massively improved, but to a degree that tows a fine line between arcade physics and realism.
Missions are also now graded as players work their way through them. Finishing a level without hitting any of the goals available will earn you a bronze medal, while going back to get those extra headshots and timely exits nets you silver and gold medals. It’s a great way to keep players coming back, to tackle those challenges. Challenges which Rockstar is even kind enough to allow you to choose to skip, should you fail over and over again.
Graphically, GTA V is pushing it.The game looks fantastic, and for the most part, is firing on all cylinders. Facial ticks, animation, consistently smooth frame rates and some phenomenal environmental effects are all present and pushing the PS3 and Xbox 360 to their limits.
Despite all these accomplishments and additions though, GTA V isn’t a huge leap forward for Rockstar. Instead, it’s an evolution of all their previous work, all combined into one sandbox experience on a massive scale. But it’s a satisfying path that the franchise has taken, kicking other genre games off the throne that it helped build.
Joshua Bamback
(Source ref: Lazygamer.net)
