S&S Review: Grand Theft Auto 5

Title: Grand Theft Auto 5
Format: PS3(reviewed), Xbox 360
Release Date:  September 17, 2013
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M

Grand Theft Auto 5 is finally here, and it's everything I had hoped for in a sequel.  Rockstar has come along way since GTA 4, with Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 under their belt, this proves to be their best release this generation.
Story and Presentation:
Grand Theft Auto 5's narrative is strong, and with three main characters this time around, the series introduces a whole new dynamic in storytelling.  The game stars Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, each of them with their own seperate backgrounds.  The way each protagonist is brought together works perfectly, and the interactions are even better.  What makes the game's narrative so strong is that, each character could star in his own game, and I would be fine with that.  Trevor ended up being my favorite out of the three, he was just so brilliantly written that I couldn't help smiling every time I controlled him.    You get all of your outrageous side characters as well, that is a staple in a GTA game, and there are just as wacky and hilarious as ever.  I wrote about how funny Saints Row IV was, but GTA V at times is equally hilarious.  All of this is backed up with strong performances from a deep cast of characters.  Michael, Franklin and Trevor are voiced perfectly, and when you first start seeing these characters start intermingling with each other, it's just magic.  Visually, the game is simply a marvel to experience.  Sure the huge open world is beautiful, but it's also incredibly dense with detail.  I could gush about the amount of little details I noticed while driving around for hours, it's just simply astounding that this is running on a current gen system. The soundtrack is huge, and it's filled with all kinds of music.  You're sure to find something you like in no time.  The humorous talk shows are back, but there's only one that's a dedicated talk show, which is odd.  There's always been multiple talk shows in past GTA games.  But that's really the only thing I can nitpick about on the game's incredible scope and presentation.
Core Gameplay:The differences between GTA IV and GTA V are night and day.  The first big improvement I noticed was the driving.  I had a pretty big problem with the driving in the last game, but GTA V feels so much tighter.  Another problem I had with GTA IV was the clunky shooting mechanics.  The overall cover based shooting feels a lot more fluid than before.  You won't be helplessly attempting to hide behind a wall while getting shot at by gang members anymore, that's an annoyance of the past.  Rockstar also brought back the full weapon wheel, which gives you access to every weapon you purchase.  The mission structure hasn't changed dramatically, you still receive missions from enemies and friends alike.   But this time around, the game revolves around Heists.  Instead of earning big money from several missions, the heists will net you your biggest earnings.  Probably the biggest addition is the implementation of character switching.  I wasn't sure if it would work, but it actually makes the game that much more engaging.  Each character has their own specific special ability, and depending on the situation, one specific character will fair better than the other two.
There's not as much downtime anymore during missions, seeing as how you'll be switching between characters constantly during the bigger missions.  The main story isn't as long as GTA IV, but it's still a really long game.  If you want to go straight through, it'll take about 25 hours to finish,  but there's so many activities and hobbies to take part in.  You can play tennis, golf, help strangers from robbers, and a lot more.  Sure the sporting isn't perfect, it's just nice to have it included.  Overall, this game is just a blast to play, pure and simple.
Final Thoughts: After a myriad of delays, GTA V was everything I had hoped for.  Rockstar has clearly learned from games like Red Dead and Max Payne, and they've brought the best mechanics into GTA V, while still adding unique elements.  This is easily one of my favorite games of the year, and we've still hadn't gotten into GTA Online yet, which arrives next week.
S&S Rating: 9.5/10 @whatsPlay