The fastest-selling video game of all-time comes to PS4 and Xbox One, with a new first person view and amazing new graphics.
GTA V wasn’t just the best-selling game of last year it was also the most critically acclaimed. So for once it’s no criticism of 2014’s poor line-up that the same title is going top reviewer’s charts for two years in a row. Especially as although this is essentially the same game underneath, the various tweaks and extras ensure it’s an even better experience than the first time around.
The first thing we talked about in our original review was the graphics and inevitably it’s the first thing anyone wants to know about with the next gen version as well. The game now runs at 1080p and 30 frames per second but, as with other last gen upgrades like The Last Of Us, the truth is that for much of the time the game doesn’t look much different from how you remember it – even if a side-to-side comparison reveals that it’s your memory at fault, not the amount of work that’s been put into the game.
Some changes are very obvious though: the pedestrian and traffic density has suddenly increased, so that it now resembles the real Los Angeles and not some English village on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The lighting has also got a serious upgrade, and as a result swimming underwater has become mesmerisingly beautiful. Trees and flags now wave realistically in the wind and there’s a subtle depth of field effect that for once in a game looks realistic, rather than just a tech demo. The draw distance in general has also improved, while the texture and object pop-in is greatly reduced.
Obviously future games, made for the ground-up for the new consoles, will be even better but for now this is the best-looking game on the next gen consoles. If not in terms of individual details then certainly in terms of scope. The map is the same as the original version, but with all the new effects the city and hillbilly-filled wilderness are reconfirmed as the most detailed and realistic of any video game ever.
And of course on top of all this is arguably the most significant new feature of the game: an optional first person view, which on the PlayStation 4 you can switch between with a simple press of the touchpad. (When anyone talks to you via your phone that also comes through the DualShock 4’s speaker, which is a great touch.)
Obviously GTA V was never made with first person in mind, and at times its obvious why these sort of open world games never are: you’ve essentially no peripheral vision in first person view (even though you can expand the field of view) and that often makes driving vehicles, or even just navigating narrow corridors on foot, harder than it would be in the third person view. But Rockstar don’t ignore this fact and there’s a host of custom options allowing you to create a hybrid system that switches between third and first person views depending on what you’re doing.
There’s thousands of new animations too, and a specially altered cover system to compensate for the new viewpoint. It all does wonders for the immersion, allowing you an even closer look at the new high res textures and making something as simple as looking at your smartphone a jaw-dropping experience. The feeling of being in a virtual reality is so intense you need no expensive helmet to feel you’ve been transported to some other place.
There are other minor additions and improvements that we’ll get to later but in terms of technical prowess, and the amount of effort put into upgrading the game, GTA V is beyond criticism. When it comes to the gameplay and storytelling though the old issues are still there.
As much as we enjoyed playing the game for a second time we can’t say we were glad to make the acquaintance of any of its characters again. Retired bank robber Michael is the nominal lead, with his return to crime and disintegrating relationship with this family the focus of some Sopranos-inspired plot threads. Franklin is a low level gangster that Michael takes in under his wing, while the revolting Trevor is a psychopathic former colleague with talent as a pilot and part-time serial killer.
The leads certainly have a fair amount of charisma, but if you stop to think about their situations for more than a second they’re in no way sympathetic. The opening few hours are particularly hard to get through, as they focus mostly on Franklin and his loathsome friend Lamar, whose vocabulary consists of roughly a dozen words – all of them offensive. And in the game in general it’s impossible to defend accusations of misogyny, given there are no strong female roles of any kind. In fact there are almost no women in the game at all when you come to think about it.
These complaints aren’t a question of political correctness or prudishness, but of repetition and predictability. GTA V’s biggest failing is that it doesn’t really have an overarching plot. The story meanders along happily enough but it never builds to any point of particular significance, with the last few story missions feeling rushed and contrived.
Repetitive and predictable is the last complaint you could aim at the gameplay though. In previous games you’ve always been able to kill anyone and steal anything but in GTA V you can participate in races on land, sea, or air. You can buy properties and run businesses (from a marijuana shop to gun trafficking). You can learn to play tennis and golf or visit a target range (which increase the role-playing style stats of each character).
There’s a triathlon race to take part in, fairground rides on the pier, various ‘Strangers and Freaks’ to meet (all of which open up their own sub-missions, from acting as a paparazzi to trying to woo a sociopathic fitness freak). In terms of customisations there are multiple chains of clothes shops, tattoo parlours, barber shops, and car custom garages.
What we didn’t realise though is that many of the minor additions in the next gen versions are only for those upgrading from the last gen. That includes the much talked about railgun, a film noir murder mystery quest for Michael, and a photography challenge for Franklin. Upgrading players also get classic vehicles like the Dodo plane and a more manoeuvrable blimp, although we assume these will be available to everyone at some point in the future.
One of the most significant improvements to the original versions of GTA V was the driving and shooting, and naturally that follows for this update as well. The first person view when driving vehicles features unique cockpit views for each, but again the lack of peripheral vision is an issue. And although Rockstar insists the game is running at 30 frames per second it doesn’t feel that smooth when you’re driving from that viewpoint. Although again the obvious solution is that if it’s bothering you you can just switch back and use the third person view instead.
First person combat also has its issues, in that if you use the assisted aiming on its maximum setting it’s now virtually impossible to miss anyone. Rockstar obviously realise this though, and so there’s actually four levels of auto aiming, including one where you get to turn it off completely.
It’s still the case that neither the shooting (and especially not the sloppy melee combat) or the driving are anywhere near as good as a dedicated game, but they’re both vastly better than any previous GTA. And their slightly simplified nature suits the fact that they’re just one part of a much larger puzzle.
One of the most significant extra pieces is GTA Online, which didn’t go live until a couple of weeks after the original version of GTA V. Here though it’s available from day one, and will even let you import your existing character if it’s on the same family of consoles. The last year or so has forced us to make no assumptions about how an online game will run once it’s made public, but all we can say is that it was working perfectly pre-launch; with plenty of other people (presumably fellow journos and testers) driving and shooting and running each other over without a hint of trouble.
It’s always an act of naivety to ascribe generosity to anything a video game publisher does, but it’s not hard to imagine that in other hands GTA Online would have been sold as a separate game – or at least been party to some sort of subscription scheme or more aggressive microtransactions. It is still the same open world environment of course, and the focus on racing and shooting doesn’t necessarily play to the game’s strengths, but it’s still a phenomenal achievement. Even more so now that you can play alongside up to 30 other people – a total even many more focused games can’t match.
Once again GTA Online is essentially the same game as already exists, just with all of the downloadable content included from the start (and some of it migrated into the story campaign, when it comes to weapons and vehicles) and all the new technical improvements. Online heists still aren’t a part of the game, but according to Rockstar adding the long promised feature in a future update is now their number one priority.
Many people already consider GTA V to be the best video gamer ever made, but wherever you stand on that issue this is most certainly the best version of the game. The attention to detail is astonishing, and includes such minute touches as your character’s head bobbing to the music when you turn the radio on and cats that prowl the city streets and mewl at you as you pass.
Whether it’s the best game ever made or not is for you to decide, but this is most definitely the best GTA and the point at which the dream of the perfect crime simulator truly becomes a reality.
In Short: An incredibly ambitious upgrade that not only improves the visuals and gameplay but, through the new first person view, offers a new way to play the best GTA ever.
Pros: Amazing next gen visuals and incredible attention to detail. New first person view works very well and is fully customisable. GTA Online is available from day one and looks just as good.
Cons: The story is as vague and meandering as ever, with not a single virtuous character in the whole cast. Gunplay and driving could still be better, and first person view doesn’t work in every situation.
Score: 10/10
Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One, and PC
Price: £54.99
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Release Date: 18th November 2014 (27/1/15 on PC)
Age Rating: 18
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