Grand Theft Auto V review

Exceptional

by AutoDMC

Grand Theft Auto 5 is not my first Grand Theft Auto, but it's the first one I've completed.  I found the story to be very engaging, and the three characters all horrible people in their own way.  The driving is tight and fun, and I often found myself just stealing a car to go out on a drive, with no need to go on any specific missions.

The checkpointing system is pretty tolerant.  It keeps the difficulty curve for missions where it should be, but doesn't punish you too horribly when you mess up.  This keeps the momentum of the game moving forward in a way that previous installments of the game failed to do.

I love the colors and vibrancy of Los Santos, but felt at times that the depravity of this alternative California was played a little too over the top... almost to a Saints Row level. At those times I felt a little taken out of the universe, but it was all in good fun.

All in all I had fun playing every single mission in the game, and even some of the side content.  I'd recommend going through the campaign without becoming too distracted by the sidequests in order to get the most enjoyment out of the game.  There's always plenty of time available after the campaign to destroy advertisements and get naughty pictures with the paparazzi.