Grand Theft Auto V

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Grand Theft Auto V review
Johnathan Irwin

Review

Worth the wait?

Back To San Andreas, What's Old (But Still Awesome) And What's New (cntd.)


One thing exclusive to the PC version is the Rockstar Editor, which provides an in-game way of making your own videos. Whether stylish clips of your stunts, or little mini-movies, you have pretty free reign over camera angles, on screen characters, and even text and audio. I did play around with it a bit, and it's pretty solid especially when you need that perfect angle for an awesome moment. However, if you're like myself and you find yourself addicted to the first person mode which I'll talk about in a moment, you won't have as much creative freedom while editing.

The Golden Ticket: A Different Point Of View


The addition of a first person mode combined with just how good the game can look this time around makes it feel like an entirely new game. I was doing the same missions, driving some of the same cars that I had before, and through the same locations, but with this change it was an all-new adventure, and now the only way I can reasonably see playing future GTA titles. I can't go back.

When I saw that first person was coming to the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V, I was both curious and skeptical. These have always been third person affairs ever since the series made the three dimensional jump with Grand Theft Auto 3. From the start with the PC version I immediately switched to first person and never looked back. Rather than simply feeling tacked on, it opened up a new depth to the game I never would've expected and found myself appreciating fine details I may have missed otherwise. Whether it's a peaceful drive, or the middle of a fire fight, I felt a whole new connection to the world I was playing in. The same ways I could get immersed into an Elder Scrolls or Deus Ex title was now happening with what has long been touted as a criminal sandbox, and it became much more of a crime drama for me. A simple change of view changed my entire play style.

Rather than being over eager and gung-ho, I found myself approaching the single player with the same sort of tactics I would apply online. For me, this first person mode combined with the beautiful visuals that the PC version can offer is indeed what sets it leagues above what I've played previously on the 360 version. Will this be the selling point for Playstation 4 and Xbox One players? Perhaps not. But if you've been playing the last gen versions as long as I have, then you'll more than likely have the same reaction to it once you play it.

The Big One


Though it should've come out ages ago, and PC gamers have every right to feel like they were put on the backburner, Rockstar North has tried to make sure that Grand Theft Auto V for PC is the ultimate version. If you ask me overall, they've succeeded. However, due to time itself it's also lost just as much as it has gained. It's still an amazingly fun title, and every bit as addictive as the first time I played it. But, unlike the first time, I also know that when the time comes for me to put it down I won't have much of a problem to do so. Congratulations are in order for making this an amazing addition to a PC gamer's library, but the time we spent waiting and lack of more PC version exclusives mar what is otherwise pure gold.

9.5

fun score

Pros

As Fun As It Was In 2013, First Person Adds New Lair Of Gameplay, Rockstar Editor Useful For Making Videos, Beautiful Graphics

Cons

Feels Like We Should've Gotten More After Such A Long Wait, Lack Of PC Exclusive Content.