Grand Theft Auto V review

With an impressive record of being the most profitable media ever produced, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) continues to maintain its dominant position. Garnering over $6 billion in revenue for Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games, the game's appeal has made it so widespread that its sales possibly outmatch combined PlayStation 4 and Xbox One ownerships. This review is set to reassess the game's robustness in the current gaming ecosystem, with a focus on Story Mode.

Escalating Thrills: The Gameplay

The allure of GTA V primarily lies in its gameplay. Even as the game sees a decade since its inception, its well-conceived and polished gameplay still enthuses players. Despite the lingering aversion some players might have for the flying segments, the game shines in various other areas. The exhilarating feel of swift driving, the simplistic yet erratic combat, and the ensuing chaos perfectly encapsulate what Rockstar aimed for with GTA V. 

An Underrated Narrative: The Game's Plot

While its infamous Online mode might dwarf the single-player narrative, the game's story must not be overlooked. The story, featuring three flawed yet distinctive protagonists, has an element of satirical charm. Like watching a train wreck unfold, players are drawn into the engaging spectacle of bad choices escalating until the inevitable explosion, where the protagonists must confront their actions.

Feeling the Breeze of Los Santos: The Open-World Experience

Even after almost ten years, few games match the sheer scale of Los Santos' ambition to create an open-world experience. Los Santos feels very much alive, with each protagonist growing into a three-dimensional character, bringing the world to unparalleled realism. The city of Los Santos, with its detail and activity, easily contends against most modern city representations in video games.

Interesting facts about Grand Theft Auto V

• Grand Theft Auto V's estimated development cost was $265 Million, making it one of the most expensive games in history. 
• The game broke industry sales records by earning $1 billion within the first three days of its release.
• GTA V is set in Los Santos, a city based in Los Angeles, and its surrounding hills, countryside, and beaches. It's the largest and most detailed world Rockstar Games has ever created.
• GTA V's narrative can switch between three characters, a first for the series. These characters, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, each have unique backgrounds, personalities, and skills.
• In 2013, the game won numerous awards, including Game of the Year, from various gaming publications and award shows.
• Every actor or actress in Grand Theft Auto V had to go through full motion capture for their roles, where their facial expressions were collated onto the characters they were playing.
• GTA V includes a fully operational stock market that reacts to players' in-game actions. Shares can rise and fall based on the missions the players choose to complete.
• The game includes hundreds of different types of wildlife, including deer and sharks, and the player can even play as them through a special collectible.
• The game's script is 10,000 pages long. When all dialogue, including alternate dialogue routes and random pedestrian dialogue, is included, the script's size dramatically escalates.
• GTA V's map is 49 square miles, larger than the maps of Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto IV combined. Players can explore urban areas, suburban neighborhoods, mountain ranges, beaches, forests, and underwater environments.

Age in the Detail: Evaluating the Graphics

The enhancements brought to the latest versions of the game confer a smooth gameplay experience, especially on next-gen consoles supporting 4K and ray tracing. However, there are visible signs of aging in the game's graphics. While Los Santos remains visually appealing, the character models betray their years, with expressions falling short of today's gaming standards.

Final Verdict: The Legacy and Future of GTA

Despite its age, the all-encompassing experience GTA V offers indisputably renders it a masterpiece in gaming history. Yet, its abrupt narrative conclusion ties to one of its shortcomings, cutting the tension built throughout. Regardless, Grand Theft Auto V remains a touchpoint of excellence for open-world gaming.