Grand Theft Auto V (2013) Review

It has been over 10 years since Grand Theft Auto V was released and it has seen many remasters and re-releases since then. The trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was released recently so it inspired me to go back and once again play GTA V and see how I found it all these years later. So I have completed the main story and done the majority of the side missions so it is time to review GTA 5. The premise of the game sees 3 criminal brought together in their aims of survival, progress & hitting the biggest score ever. 

Characters

The first character we meet is Franklin Clinton played by Shawn Fonteno. Franklin is a local gang member who is down on his luck and not achieving the success he wants. Franklin is a really cool character, we see his progression throughout the game from local hood to leading big heists. He is really funny and his dynamic as the new member of this friendship group is handled really well. 

The second playable character is Michael De Santa played by Ned Luke. Personally, Michael is my favourite of the characters, he is super flawed but it is cool seeing this older criminal who has clearly done well and lives a kind of Soprano life style. His past transgressions come back to haunt him but Michael goes through a journey of trying to better himself and it is well realised. 

The final playable character is Trevor Phillips played by Steven Ogg. This is probably the most memorable character in the game, he is pretty crazy and is the character you use when you are in the GTA mentality of causing chaos. Though, Trevor clearly has a soft side and you see how he has true loyalty to the people that he works with. 

There are so many characters you meet in this game that it would take hours to discuss them all, but everybody is fantastic in their roles. The characters you are meant to like are well realised and the characters you are meant to dislike come across as bad guys. 

Story 

The story is a bit of a mixed bag. I really liked the characters individual stories and how it progresses throughout the game, the three work together really well and the huge amount of dialogue really fleshes them out. But the actual story isn't really fleshed out that much, so much crazy stuff is happening that it becomes a bit weary and non-important. The game has three endings but that kind of feels like window dressing as two of them suck and I would estimate that around 90% of players will pick the same ending. 

Side Content

There is so much side content in this game, I mean hours and hours of content and with any game like this that makes it a mixed bag. Some are really fun such as Trevor going on his Rampages or Franklin doing Assassinations for Lester. But there are some really dull ones, mainly the fetch quests that are never a priority. Also, Michael has a lack of side content which is a shame because it means you probably spend the least amount of time with him. 

Gameplay

The gameplay is great. The gunplay is a lot of fun and the amount of weapons that can be used manages to keep it varied enough to keep it entertaining. There is plenty of variety in the things that you can do such as flying, driving and fighting and for the most part it still holds up well. The activities such as darts and golf also feels good and it is a fun thing to do when you aren't shooting people. 

Graphics

As, I have mentioned this game has been re-mastered a few times and it looks great. Los Santos is incredibly vibrant and it clashes well for when you visit San Andreas and it is really dull but gritty and it really fits Trevor's character. 

Overall

Overall, Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most influential games to ever exist and it is a really great game. It still stands up to to date and though it isn't the best Rockstar game, it is still a really great experience. 

Rating - 8/10