Or so one of the many billboards throughout this vast land reads. One of GTA 5's huge strengths is all in the little things: the overheard cellphone calls on the street, the radio ads, the talk shows, the TV stuff, the movies, and of course, the spot-on commentary about where our society seems to be headed in many different directions. From the bizarre 'legalize marijuana' hallucination/alien abduction sequences to the radio ads for the blu light vapor cigarette, you can tell that the amount of effort that went into the humor and fresh takes on some old ideas. Even Weazel news has it's Fox News similarities("Confirming Your Prejudices"); the computer 'finger' that guides you around all the PC's are no longer the index finger, but the middle one instead. And I have never had a mission before where I had to block all the porn spam on a "co-worker's" computer. And, as alluded to before, everyone on the street is generally talking on their cell, which is just like every day nowadays. So those are obviously just handful of many brilliant 'background' things you have to notice and seek out; but they are everywhere, and top notch at that. Laughs can be rare in games sometimes, and in many cases these things are funnier than some of the dialog in this game. Anyways...
On a personal note, the exploding 'cell phone' assassination early in the game was the most surprising moment(a very current day way to go I would imagine...), but there are many moments close behind; the frantic switching between characters under gunfire can also prove to be challenging(if not frustrating at first...), but certainly adds to the tension and difficulty. Luckily the save points are fairly forgiving too if you fail at a certain point during a mission. You almost always end up where you messed up(or outside the hospital after putting a sticky bomb on a car at a busy intersection, blowing yourself and about a dozen cars up...).
The cell phone is the greatest 'non weapon' addition, w/it's quick save to the cab rides; def a time saver, and some of the character's voicemail messages are pretty funny, esp. Lester's...
Lets face it, it is hard to do an open world game and make it fresh, let alone present a whole bunch of new additions, characters, locations, and risks of all kinds that work together, esp. if it is a sequel to a much loved franchise. To be honest, while I enjoyed GTA 4, I thought it was a little too slow and not as involving for whatever reason. This game, with it's 3 characters you can switch between, keeps you more than busy in a fun way. Yes, there are those kinda dumb at this point 'drive me here' type of missions, but new gamers need them, and there aren't too many of them; some even give you the choice to help or not, which can be welcome at times. I guess one of the strong suits of this game too is that is very accessible to 'newer' gamers. And the option of skipping certain missions(and returning to them later)is a great addition just for replaying missions whether you skipped them or not. And the new takes on somewhat standard(now, anyways...)crime scenarios from robberies to taking out motorcycle gangs, are surprisingly fresh. Whether recruiting gang folk or casing the places to be robbed, you feel you are playing the familiar yet w/a level of thought-out, creative, and sometimes surprising results. You have to actually work and plan for most of your crimes
The writing is hit and miss as far as the dialog goes(some of the better stuff reminds me of a Tarantino style...), but the story overall keeps things moving nicely, and the options for how certain things can be approached keeps things fresh. there is def a learning curve--as w/most games--w/the controller and all, but once you get that familiarized it all works quite well; stick w/it and it will be worth your time(it may take a little while, but not that much!); the cars even improve as your driving skills do, and certain cars obviously run just a little better than others. The variety of styles of the cars reminded me of Vice City(in a good way...)...
The locations are well detailed, from the waves as you ride the jet ski's to just the sidewalk pavement when it is raining. Again, half of the fun of this game is just doing nothing but checking things out.
The characters are solid, and there are many; but the main ones make things work pretty well too, and are def varied in their types of behavior. Trevor is always entertaining. He reminds me of someone out of "Breaking bad". Franklin def recalls CJ from "San Andreas". which is kind of cool; Plus I am sure there are 10,000 other nods and similarities I'm not getting.
It is a hard game to review as there is so much to comment on. I def enjoyed some missions more than others, and the ending I got wasn't all that shocking, but it is one of the longer sandbox games that actually warrants another replay or 2(if not more by many I'm sure...). I was not disappointed by anything really; but while I will say that I have enjoyed the radio music and actually picked up on a few artists I was unaware of that I liked, it would still be nice to create your own station and download your own music. And if that is the worse complaint your can have for this game, I guess you're pretty lucky anyways!
Expect the 'GTA familiar' improved in every way, and then some. And then 'more some'.
Grand Theft Auto V - PlayStation 3
4.6
| 8,982 ratingsPrice: 24.99
Last update: 01-08-2025
About this item
The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail.
Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.
Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the dynamic and ever-evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players.
Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.
Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the dynamic and ever-evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players.
Product information
Number of Players | Single Player |
---|---|
Publication Date | September 17, 2013 |
Computer Platform | PlayStation 3 |
Global Trade Identification Number | 00710425471278, 00710425471254 |
UPC | 710425471254 710425471278 |
Compatible Video Game Console Models | Sony PlayStation 3 CECH-4012C |
ASIN | B0050SXKU4 |
Release date | September 17, 2013 |
Customer Reviews |
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars
(8,981)
4.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #4,661 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #11 in PlayStation 3 Games |
Product Dimensions | 0.6 x 5.3 x 6.7 inches; 3.52 ounces |
Type of item | Video Game |
Rated | Mature |
Item model number | 47125 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Item Weight | 3.52 ounces |
Manufacturer | Rockstar Games |
Date First Available | October 25, 2011 |