GTA 5 finally releases onto next-gen consoles on March 15, but after all this time, is Rockstar’s open-world goliath still worthy of your time?
Rockstar Games are in a fascinating place right now. While their output isn’t as prolific as the sixth-generation era of Grand Theft Auto, they have solidified a reputation in delivering exceptionally high-quality products, at the cost of a patient waiting period. Game development at their level isn’t cheap either, with 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2 taking roughly $540 million to become a reality.
Literally costing more to develop than most modern movies, there is an expected pedigree of production value that should come with a Rockstar Games production. GTA 5 may have heaps of awards to fall back on, but is it still worthy of those accolades almost a decade later?
Welcome back to San Andreas, kind of
GTA 5 began to take shape shortly after the release of GTA 4 in 2008, reportedly taking over 1,000 people to bring the HD iteration of Los Santos to life. Coming in cheaper than Red Dead Redemption 2 at $265 million to produce, GTA 5 has gone on to provide Rockstar Games over $6 billion in revenue. The gargantuan nature of this installment was made clear from the announcement trailer too.
Yet, even with all of Rockstar’s mammoth production power and subsequential accolades, GTA 5 often feels like a step back for the franchise, rather than a leap forward. Initial trailers boast the seemingly expansive, living and breathing Los Santos. There is no denying that the debut trailer with Michael’s narration is sensational, but when it comes to the fruit of Rockstar’s labor, there is that special ‘something’ missing in the final game. Scale and scope are the dominating elements weaved into GTA 5’s DNA, but it ironically comes at the sacrifice of Rockstar’s penchant for immersion. The HD-era Los Santos is missing key locations from 2004’s San Andreas, opting for a more realistic approach to the landscape.
It can be a drastically overwhelming sight to take in at first. The recent GTA remasters, despite their buggy state, remind us just how layered the 2004 iteration of Los Santos is. Breaking off into islands and atmospheric biomes, San Andreas in 2004 has a wealth of locations to unearth. It’s all enriched by the fervent GTA community that sought to solve bizarre easter eggs and mythical claims, like Bigfoot or iconic horror villain Leatherface being hidden away somewhere. Every inch of the original San Andreas compels the player to dig into every nook and cranny, in the hope that there is a new story to tell.
Comparatively, GTA 5 lacks that sense of excitement or mystery from an exploration perspective. Rockstar wants to give the player a sensory overload from the get-go, dropping us into this enormous world. GTA 5’s map is gigantic but is bogged down by an extremely bland and generic desert that takes up a large portion of the world. GTA 5 asks the player to drive through endless country roads, uninteresting motorway systems, and baron towns that time forgot. The city itself admittedly features more vibrance and nuance, but somehow feels less interesting to interact with than its predecessor, GTA 4.
All bite and no bark
The scale of GTA 5 feels like a distraction and sadly, it doesn’t mask gameplay that should reflect the same quality of Rockstar gems like Max Payne 3. Using the same in-house engine, RAGE, GTA 5 has understandably tweaked it for usage in an open-world but has lost the pulse-pounding momentum of Max Payne’s gunplay. In a game where open-world chaos and consistent law-breaking is the bread and butter of second-to-second gameplay, the muted combat just shouldn’t exist here.
At the heart of any GTA game is the freedom to create unexpected situations. Yet, when it comes to focusing on the player’s goals within “seamless character switching” missions and morally grey story beats, Rockstar’s grasp of excitement isn’t as sharp as they might think it is. The GTA franchise has always expressed a level of freedom that most open-world rivals can only dream of, but GTA 5 restricts the player’s imagination when it comes to objectives.
There are only a handful of ways that missions can be completed without strictly following Rockstar’s rigid parameters unless you’re intentionally breaking the boundaries of the game for speed-running purposes. Rockstar’s mission design just isn’t in sync with its proposed concept of a huge world. This transposes itself into the multi-character feature of GTA 5 too, as switching between them doesn’t reward the player with any meaningful developments in their lives. GTA 5 is sorely lacking the pseudo-RPG elements that San Andreas embraced so proudly.
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The franchise has always been notable for its uncompromising look at the cities and pop-culture influences it’s using for satire. Wearing the influences of other pop culture products has always been apparent in the series. GTA 3 leaned into 90s era Martin Scorsese, while Vice City was a glorious fusion of De Palma’s Scarface & Carlito’s Way – and, of course, Michael Mann’s Miami Vice.
The notion of the ‘American Dream’ has appeared in numerous GTA games, driving our characters towards their criminal aspirations. GTA 5 has plenty of thrilling set pieces to enjoy, but its shock value tactics seen in missions like ‘By The Book’, can ultimately come across as misguided and hollow. Michael De Santa, the disgruntled family man is essentially Tony Soprano-lite more than anything else, complete with a teenage son unaware of life’s responsibilities. You can add nefarious activities hidden from his family and reluctantly conveying all his problems to a therapist as well. Despite the game’s narrative shortcomings and reductive gameplay choices, GTA 5’s true creative nature is better expressed in the initially-divisive Online component.
8 years of Shark Cards
At the beginning of GTA Online’s lifespan, it was met with an unfavorable reception. Baffling bugs and restrictive progression systems hindered it from taking off. There was a sense it lacked a tangible feeling of direction, especially as promised features like heists and the reintroduction of empire-building took way too long to appear. Rockstar Games has had time to redeem themselves, though. Over the years GTA Online has seen the game evolve into a far more grandiose experience.
But what can players actually get up to outside of the half-baked story? It’s simple: the usage of your imagination returned. GTA Online isn’t afraid to dive headfirst into the more ridiculous aspects of the franchise. DLCs have ranged from including obvious nods to the Batmobile, Jet-Pack heists, and even the arrival of N.W.A legend, Dr. Dre. GTA Online lets you do whatever you want, solo or with friends. Whereas GTA 5’s story required players to hit specific beats for mission completion, GTA Online merely asks you to complete the mission in some shape or form. How you do that is up to you.
Want to drive a Delorean-inspired car with your crew, while evading fire from Jetpack-wielding foes or armored pursuers? All of that is possible, and you can dress up as Oasis’ Liam Gallagher in the process. GTA Online excels with its thrilling brand of unpredictability.
GTA 5 has its fair share of gameplay detriments that stop it from achieving the greatness of previous installments. Despite its hollow narrative and subdued combat, the game’s staying power is extremely unprecedented. It’s not an understatement to say that GTA 5 has become a cultural touchstone for players across the world, defining a key moment in the seventh generation of consoles. In an age where annual game installments tend to rule the landscape, Rockstar’s pivot to focusing on GTA Online has paid off in spades, allowing an eight-year-old game the ability to prosper beyond anyone’s initial expectations.
There are still the uglier shades of live service gaming present in GTA Online, especially when it comes to in-game currency. If you’re willing to look past that and gather up a squad, then that’s all you really need to unlock the hours of carnage that await in the streets of Los Santos.
GTA 5 hasn’t completely stuck the landing in the last eight years, but if GTA Online continues to be full of ridiculous fun going forward, then I don’t mind waiting a bit longer for Rockstar’s next project.
