Game review – GTA V

Rockstar North’s recent title “Grand Theft Auto V” made an amazing $800 (£494) million in one day. After purchasing the game, I feel that they deserve the money they made. The games graphics have come a long way since the previous “Grand Theft Auto IV”. Instead of the old, dark and slightly depressing look, the game is now full of vibrant and eye catching colours. Rockstar North, the Edinburgh-based company have made Grand Theft Auto 3, 4 and 5

by Cameron Douglas

Grand Theft Auto V takes place in the city of “Los Santos”, a very obvious take on Los Angeles. Without making the city exactly like L.A, they have a few unique features such as the “Vinewood” sign (which replaces the Hollywood sign).

The map is over double the size of Grand Theft Auto IV, giving the player a vast landscape to explore and discover. Within the city of Los Santos, the user can interact with characters that have little, if anything, to do with the story. These characters give the player side-missions that give the player a short and fun experience. For example you may help Francis’s cousin (one of the characters) by towing a car. This may not sound very amusing, but some of the dialogue that the character’s girlfriend says made me, and my friends, laugh.

I have only played a small part of the single player so far, but from this short experience I have found that, unlike most games with a multiplayer, Rockstar North have made an excellent job of keeping you playing single player, and not leaving you waiting for your friends to come on and play the multiplayer with you. Within in the single player, you can switch between three different characters, Francis, Michael and Trevor. Each of these playable characters have their own special abilities.

Jake Henderson, a pupil at Craigmount who regularly plays GTA V said:-“Good game all around. The feature of  three playable characters was brilliant. The story mode was brilliant from the first mission, to the last. All round, it was a good game.”

The multiplayer can be described in one word alone… Perfect. This multiplayer experience allows you to race, complete missions, complete skydiving challenges and complete jobs, such as robbing shops with your friends and strangers. I could only really find one flaw with the multiplayer, which was how easy it is to make money, from each shop heist you make about $1,500. Compared to the price of a car and modifying this, it’s not easy.

Nathan Whitelaw (16), a player of GTA V (Grand Theft Auto V) said:-“It is a very enjoyable experience, but they need to add more to it. It’s getting boring.”

Sandy Irvine (15) said:-“GTA online is the most realistic experience you could have, if you want to be a thug!”

The entire Grand Theft Auto franchise is highly controversial. Many people feel that the player has too much free scope, with the option of shooting innocent people, police and shop vendors meaning that a lot of parents are still hesitant to let their children play the game.