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Grand Theft Auto V | Xbox One

1/1/2016

 
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It's not often that working and socialising allow the time to play games these days, unlike at university where Mass Effect was played instead of completing a weeks 'revision'.

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by Tom Berry

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​@TBezza

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Developer: Rockstar
Publisher: Rockstar
Players: 1+

As everyone knows, Grand Theft Auto V was originally released back in September 2013, so it takes a certain amount of confidence to suggest to you that giving up the little free time you have to play the updated re-release of one of the best selling, critically acclaimed games of all time is not only a good idea, but an essential one.

Grand Theft Auto V tells the tale of Franklin, an up and coming gangster who meets Michael, an ex bank robber whose life of retirement ultimately lands the pair in trouble and attracts the attention of corrupt federal agents and Michael's ex-partner in crime, the psychotically unhinged Trevor. All three characters are forced to perform various heists for money, people and desired goods before deciding on one last job to bow out to.

Throughout the game each character is given their own series of personal story missions that enable you to get to know them on a more personal level and in time even come to care for them. 
As each story progresses, they ultimately overlap with each of the other characters. It works beautifully and allows the entire campaign to stand out as one of the best in the series.

Grand Theft Auto 
is a series that has always had another character in the form of the game world, with Rockstar Games crafting immensely detailed worlds time and time again. GTA V is no exception, it offers a world bigger than the largest GTA game; San Andreas, the previous game; GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption put together with room to spare. It is split up into a massive, incredibly detailed fictional version of LA, a picturesque countryside with mountains to climb, a desolate desert area littered with towns and the ocean, whose floor is completely mapped and filled with secrets. All of them are treated to HD textures, better lighting and other effects that make GTA V the prettiest game on current consoles.

The inhabitants of the world are treated to extra definition which allows you to sometimes forget you're playing a game due to the immersion created through watching the most mundane of activities- bin men go about their daily routine and you can cheerfully stalk them to find out just how detailed the game gets - spoilers - very detailed. Even toying with pedestrians can be a game of its own, chucking coffee cups at them a personal highlight, and the physics allow for lots of fun with road 'accidents' or first person stab-athons, which are incredibly fun and ridiculously brutal, probably a good time to remind you that the game is strictly for adults I hear there is even a strip club somewhere in the game. I wouldn't know anything about that though.....
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In GTA V the shooting, driving and walking physics have been improved from GTA IV and are incredibly simple to use and feel just right, though walking around can still take some getting used to thanks to the natural motion physics. The next generation version includes a fully functional and game changing first-person viewpoint that effectively overrides any perceived faults in movement by emulating the controls of first person shooter games. Everything works smoothly, and you notice much more detail within the game, even the simple act of walking down the street makes it a more personal world, with a completely different feeling. Replaying missions offers a new challenge to veterans of the third person view, whilst driving with more limited views and more realistic damage can lead speeding to be fatal sometimes.

It is probably fair to say the new viewpoint is a feasible selling point for the game for customers who bought the original release in 2013. Along with a new viewpoint Rockstar Games have included new missions, challenges, vehicles and... well lots of random stuff like Peyote plants that send you on hallucinogenic trips where you control a cat. All of these are great additions but are not going to persuade you to part with your cash.
...it's GTA V with plenty of new features to keep fans entertained and blow the socks off newcomers... phenomenal
It's worth noting GTA V has a vast amount of talent powering it as well. All the main performances are believable and probably better than in some films. Then you have the 17 radio stations with likeable hosts, an eclectic and quality selection of tracks providing around 240 songs, with over 100 new tracks added compared to the previous version. To put that into context; that's more extra tracks than most games entire soundtracks. It's not all good news, one of those is The Backstreet Boys. The original score is fantastic too, setting the mood in quieter moments or during missions, with extra music done for the update too.

So it's all good gravy then, right? Well, there is still the problem of overzealous police, to the point that you're questioning why the real police aren't this good. It can be incredibly difficult to survive after a pedestrian ran into your car, but somehow it's your fault and instead of a warning the police try to arrest you or even shoot you. Then you decide to lob some C4 at them for the cheek of it and before you know it the army are after you, who are both accurate and efficient. We’ve all been there. In GTA V it can be quite hard to survive at times and might be a little frustrating for some if you don't like being arrested  even simply trying to lose the police can be fatal (or maybe it's just me).

You would be forgiven for thinking the only way to have possibly made GTA V better is by having a new character with a new story to explore the world with, or a new perhaps a new area altogether. As it is though, this is not merely an updated version of Grand Theft Auto V, with plenty of new additions to the already sizeable content, and the new First Person viewpoint, there is more than enough here to keep returning fans entertained and blow the socks off newcomers, which is phenomenal really when you stop to think about it. This does, however, beg the question of just what Rockstar Games can do in the future. Have they set the bar too high for themselves?


Pros
  • Best looking game on xbox one, runs like a dream to boot
  • Well structured, interesting narrative
  • Lots to do, down to just walking about - all fun


Cons
  • Police are unrealistically good at their jobs
  • Ruins enjoyment of other games
  • Makes thinking up cons difficult


Score 10/10
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