Game Review: Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)
I’m positive that everyone has played a game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise at one point or at least heard of it. Since it resurgence in 2001 with Grand Theft Auto 3, it has changed the scope of the gaming industry with its mature themes and open world gameplay. Essentially what I’m trying to say is that GTA has let the world know “Hey, video games aren’t just for kids anymore”. It’s exactly like you’re watching a Crime Thriller film except you’re in control of the character’s actions. We’ve seen several prequels/sequels of the franchise since its inception and they’ve all been great. Fast forward to 2013 and Rockstar Games has given us the next entry in the series: Grand Theft Auto V! Let’s see how this one stacks up.
The Gameplay:
Gameplay is pretty much what you would expect from your usual GTA game but with vast improvements. The biggest thing that has been added is the ability to change out between 
3 different characters (Michael, Franklin and Trevor). The change between the 3 is pretty seamless and can be done at pretty much anytime (unless you have a wanted level of any kind). Each one has a “special ability” (don’t worry, it’s not of the superpower kind. It’s strictly for gameplay.) that can be used in different situations. They include slowing down time during gunfights, slowing down time while driving and taking less damage during fights. The sandbox aspect of the game is better than ever and the map itself is probably one of the biggest that I’ve encountered in a game in a while. I purposely took a break from going forward with any missions and just explored around. I ran through the city, drove down the freeway, ended up running through the desert, climbed a huge rock formation, slid down, got on a boat, wrecked the boat, climbed another rock formation then accidentally fell down and died. When I looked at the clock, roughly 90 minutes had passed so this is definitely a game that you will be immersed in. There is just so much to do that will keep you entertained days and days. Even after completing the main game there’s still the usual mayhem that can be caused just for the fun of it. The AI for the police force has gotten waaaaaay better than I remember. Their methods of stopping the character as soon as the develop a wanted level were impressive. 
They would block me in and if I maneuvered away they would continuously attempt to block me again. The roadblocks they set are more extensive than I remember and took me down on numerous occasions. The missions have gotten bigger and better than anything I’ve played in GTA before. Missions now are more complex and are layered in a way where you could have multiple small missions that need to be done in order to complete a bigger mission. In addition, your missions can now consist of using 1 or all of the characters and switching between them to complete your goal which is a fantastically entertaining feature.
The Story:
The writing for the games have gotten better and better over the years and with GTAV it really shows. With the addition of the 3 characters comes a storyline that weaves them all together in a way that makes it extremely exciting and practically cinematic to see play out. The characters in the game have so much more personality and complexity than before and the writers have taken the time to introduce each one in a fashion that doesn’t feel rushed. You have Michael who is a retired ex-con that gets pulled back into the business again due to certain circumstances. Franklin is a street hustler looking to up his game and make some serious money. Trevor is probably my favorite because he’s so volatile. He’s a maniacal guy that is just looking for a high and the next big score.
The Controls:
There are quite a bit of buttons to remember for certain action in GTAV but if you take five minutes of your time to check what each button does and if you’ve played any past GTA game then you’ll quickly remember them with little to no problem. The movements of the characters are much more natural than before 
and the fluidity of each one is nothing short of amazing. Hand to hand combat has improved greatly. You can throw a couple of punches to knock a person down and when you hit the action button again you automatically throw a stomp straight to the head of your opponent. Vehicle handling is another fantastic improvement. The driving mechanics seem to be a bit more reality based in the sense that your driving and speed all depend on the type of vehicle you have and terrain you’re driving on. For example, if you’re driving through the desert then you’ll get better and handling and traction if you use a Dune Buggy rather than a compact car. It’s the little things like that, that get me excited for the future of gaming and Grand Theft Auto.
