Untitled-4

Grand Theft Auto is arguably gaming’s great franchise. Since GTA3, nearly every entry has been considered arguably perfect and inarguably important. Grand Theft Auto V came out on September 17th, 2013 and was met with critical acclaim and commercial success. To say the least, it was a hit.

Chances are, you’ve already played it.

Recently, it was released for next generation systems. With a variety of upgrades and a graphical overhaul, is it worth another go-around?

Yes, it definitely is.

What is It?

No matter what aspect of Grand Theft Auto V we are discussing, it is an outstanding game. The driving, the shooting, the controls, the combat, the missions, the design of the world, and the storyline you experience in it — everything is excellent.

There was an old critique of the GTA series that is the measuring stick for reviewing the series. Each individual element of GTA, on its own, would be a bad game. If it was a driving game, it’d be weak. If it was a shooter, it’d be weak. As the list goes on, the former entries were arguably guilty of this.771000462941896849

The response was that synthesized, the total package is good enough to justify its lesser qualities making it a fantastic title in its own right.

GTAV, to be clear, has addressed many of these things. It offers outstanding gameplay on every level and indeed GTA’s best storyline yet. The characters are interesting, endearing, and even frightening at times. That’s what makes the world so believable and also so enjoyable.

Why Should I Care?

If you’ve already played Grand Theft Auto V, you already know it’s a great game. There’s no need to convince you.

grand-theft-auto-v-ps-4-vs-ps-3-3-1280x687If you haven’t played it, go out and buy it right now so you can join the club.

If you’ve played it but are wondering if it’s worth playing again on a next-generation system, this is where you need to listen up.

The graphics, while better, are not so much better that this is the reason to make another purchase. Instead, you should take into account the fact that even on a next-generation system, it’s arguably the best title on the systems.

Most everything remains the same. It has some new goodies, like a first-person mode, the ability to transfer your online character, and other small things but these aren’t really anything particularly great. Not alone or in themselves, anyway.

Rather than worrying about what’s new, ask yourself what you should be playing instead. A good game that is totally new to you, or a game already tried and true but arguably perfect and easily excellent?

You should choose the latter.

What Makes it Worth My Time and Money?

At full retail price, it’s maybe hard to justify if you’ve had your fair share of GTAV.

1410524073-gta-vBut even at full price, it’s so much fun to replay and to experience Los Santos all over again. The mission structure is highly enjoyable and the characters are a lot of fun to see again, this time in full high-definition without graphical limitations.

Honestly, there aren’t great reasons to justify the purchase in and of itself. It’s practically the same game that came out last year. The differences are minor. Yet even with all of this in mind, it’s still the undisputed heavy-weight champion of the genre and most definitely one of the best games on the market. GTA_V_13734068223284

This is a cheer-leading review, urging you to purchase a game you may or may not have played. It is hard to say anything negative about the game because, in my opinion, there’s not a lot negative about it.

It is the perfect opportunity to replay the game, collect all the treasures you may have passed on the first time, and experience the game with crisp updated visuals. This is one of those games you can put a lot of time into and, as many of the holiday titles have disappointed us, it’s easy to recommend this as a safe bet or a sure thing.

Grand Theft Auto V is, simply put, an excellent game. It is worth your time and your money. Even with reservations or qualifications, it is justifiable for the reason you just won’t find much that’s better.

Franklin, Michael, Trevor, and the many other great characters want you back in Los Santos. It’s pure Anarchy.

Join them.

Title:
Grand Theft Auto V
Platform:
Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Publisher:
Rockstar Games
Developer:
Rockstar North, Rockstar London
Genre:
Action
Release Date:
November 18th, 2014
ESRB Rating:
Mature
Developer's Twitter:

Grand Theft Auto is arguably gaming’s great franchise. Since GTA3, nearly every entry has been considered arguably perfect and inarguably important. Grand Theft Auto V came out on September 17th, 2013 and was met with critical acclaim and commercial success….

Untitled-4

Grand Theft Auto is arguably gaming’s great franchise. Since GTA3, nearly every entry has been considered arguably perfect and inarguably important. Grand Theft Auto V came out on September 17th, 2013 and was met with critical acclaim and commercial success. To say the least, it was a hit.

Chances are, you’ve already played it.

Recently, it was released for next generation systems. With a variety of upgrades and a graphical overhaul, is it worth another go-around?

Yes, it definitely is.

What is It?

No matter what aspect of Grand Theft Auto V we are discussing, it is an outstanding game. The driving, the shooting, the controls, the combat, the missions, the design of the world, and the storyline you experience in it — everything is excellent.

There was an old critique of the GTA series that is the measuring stick for reviewing the series. Each individual element of GTA, on its own, would be a bad game. If it was a driving game, it’d be weak. If it was a shooter, it’d be weak. As the list goes on, the former entries were arguably guilty of this.771000462941896849

The response was that synthesized, the total package is good enough to justify its lesser qualities making it a fantastic title in its own right.

GTAV, to be clear, has addressed many of these things. It offers outstanding gameplay on every level and indeed GTA’s best storyline yet. The characters are interesting, endearing, and even frightening at times. That’s what makes the world so believable and also so enjoyable.

Why Should I Care?

If you’ve already played Grand Theft Auto V, you already know it’s a great game. There’s no need to convince you.

grand-theft-auto-v-ps-4-vs-ps-3-3-1280x687If you haven’t played it, go out and buy it right now so you can join the club.

If you’ve played it but are wondering if it’s worth playing again on a next-generation system, this is where you need to listen up.

The graphics, while better, are not so much better that this is the reason to make another purchase. Instead, you should take into account the fact that even on a next-generation system, it’s arguably the best title on the systems.

Most everything remains the same. It has some new goodies, like a first-person mode, the ability to transfer your online character, and other small things but these aren’t really anything particularly great. Not alone or in themselves, anyway.

Rather than worrying about what’s new, ask yourself what you should be playing instead. A good game that is totally new to you, or a game already tried and true but arguably perfect and easily excellent?

You should choose the latter.

What Makes it Worth My Time and Money?

At full retail price, it’s maybe hard to justify if you’ve had your fair share of GTAV.

1410524073-gta-vBut even at full price, it’s so much fun to replay and to experience Los Santos all over again. The mission structure is highly enjoyable and the characters are a lot of fun to see again, this time in full high-definition without graphical limitations.

Honestly, there aren’t great reasons to justify the purchase in and of itself. It’s practically the same game that came out last year. The differences are minor. Yet even with all of this in mind, it’s still the undisputed heavy-weight champion of the genre and most definitely one of the best games on the market. GTA_V_13734068223284

This is a cheer-leading review, urging you to purchase a game you may or may not have played. It is hard to say anything negative about the game because, in my opinion, there’s not a lot negative about it.

It is the perfect opportunity to replay the game, collect all the treasures you may have passed on the first time, and experience the game with crisp updated visuals. This is one of those games you can put a lot of time into and, as many of the holiday titles have disappointed us, it’s easy to recommend this as a safe bet or a sure thing.

Grand Theft Auto V is, simply put, an excellent game. It is worth your time and your money. Even with reservations or qualifications, it is justifiable for the reason you just won’t find much that’s better.

Franklin, Michael, Trevor, and the many other great characters want you back in Los Santos. It’s pure Anarchy.

Join them.

Date published: 11/25/2014
4.5 / 5 stars