Grand Theft Auto V Review.

Genre: Third-Person Action

Systems: Xbox 360, PS3

Developer: Rockstar North

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Multiplayer: Yes (16 online, 1 offline)

Rating: Mature

Release Date: September 17, 2013



Editor's Note: This review is based off the Xbox 360 version.

+

• The city of Los Santos is a well-realized world that truly feels alive.
• Interesting characters that remain engaging throughout the duration of the narrative, especially the unpredictable nature of Trevor.
• An amazing amount of detail. Everything, from the various animations of the characters, to the amount of dialogue present in the game, is simply incredible.
• A well-told story that, while somewhat predictable, is an enjoyable romp that successfully satirizes American politics and lifestyles.
• The heist missions are thoroughly fun and entertaining. They also contain some of the tensest and most nail-biting moments in the game.
• The three-character switching mechanic between Michael, Trevor, and Franklin provides for enjoyable variables in specific missions and in simply roaming around the game world.
• A fantastic ambient soundtrack.
• Terrific voice acting and believable performances from the main cast.
• The game provides the player with one giant canvas that is great to muck about in. There are countless expansive vistas and secrets to seek out.
• In the end, the gameplay is simply fun. There are many different tools of destruction at your disposal, and all the various details present in the game world go a long way in creating an absolutely absorbing experience. The whole is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

—

• The missions, themselves, can sometimes feel rather limited in their freedom and scope, especially when juxtaposed against the open-world aspect of the game. Slightly deviating from where the game exactly wants you to go or do usually results in an immediate game over.
• Franklin is a severely underutilized character, especially in relation to the main story.
• Many of the side activities lack rewards or significant incentives to fully partake in them.
• Targeting can still be problematic from time to time, as can the controls themselves. Running with the A-button being held makes aiming with the right analog stick somewhat cumbersome.
• Some of the humor falls flat and is a bit on-the-nose.
• Not enough heist missions, which translates into a rather pointless leveling up system for your crew that feels incomplete.

Overall: Great

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