Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story.[11] Outside of missions, players can freely roam the open world. Composed of the San Andreas open countryside area and the fictional city of Los Santos, the world of Grand Theft Auto V is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series.
The world may be fully explored from the beginning of the game without
restrictions, although story progress unlocks more gameplay content.
Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the world.To accommodate the map's size, the game introduces vehicle types absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV, such as fixed-wing aircraft. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system can be used as assistance against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter will gradually regenerate to its halfway point. Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes. If players commit crimes while playing, law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD). On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum five-star level, efforts by law enforcement to incapacitate players become very aggressive). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. Players arrested or killed by officers during missions may restart from the last checkpoint. The meter enters a cool down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight (as displayed on the mini-map).
The single-player mode lets players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton—criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions. Some missions are completed with only one character and others feature two or three.[22] Throughout single-player, players may switch between the protagonists at will by means of a directional compass on the HUD. The game may switch between characters automatically in single-player missions to complete certain objectives. A character's compass avatar will flash red if he is in danger and needs help, and flash white if he has a strategic advantage.[23] Though players complete missions as any of the three protagonists, the more difficult heist missions require aid from AI-controlled accomplices with unique skill sets, such as computer hacking or driving. If an accomplice survives a successful heist, they take a cut from the cash reward[24] and may be available for later missions with improvements to their unique skills.[25] The game encourages differentiation in heist mission strategies—for example, in a holdup mission, players may either stealthily subdue civilians with an agent or conspicuously storm the venue with guns drawn.[26]
Each character has a set of eight skills that represent their ability
in certain areas such as shooting and driving. Though players improve
characters' skills as they play, each character has a skill with
expertise by default (e.g. Trevor's flying skill).[27]
The eighth "special" skill determines the effectiveness in performing
an ability that is unique to each respective character. Michael enters bullet time
in combat, Franklin slows down time while driving, and Trevor deals
twice as much damage to enemies while taking half as much in combat.[28]
A meter on each character's HUD depletes when an ability is being used
and regenerates when players perform skilful actions (for example, drifting in vehicles as Franklin or pulling off headshots as Michael).[29]
While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as scuba diving underwater or BASE jumping via parachute. Each character has a smartphone for contacting friends, starting activities and accessing an in-game Internet.[30] The Internet lets players trade in stocks via a stock market.[31] Players may purchase properties such as homes and businesses, upgrade the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts, tattoos and jewellery.[32]
Developed in tandem with the single-player mode, the online multiplayer mode Grand Theft Auto Online was conceived as a separate experience to be played in a continually evolving world.[33] Up to 30 players[h] freely roam across a re-creation of the single-player world and enter lobbies to complete jobs (story-driven competitive and cooperative modes).[34] The Content Creator toolset lets players create their own parameters for custom jobs, like racetracks and deathmatch weapon spawn points.[36] Players may band together in organised player teams called crews to complete jobs together. Rockstar Games Social Club extends crews formed in Max Payne 3's multiplayer mode to that of Grand Theft Auto Online. Players can create their own crews and join up to five total. Crews win multiplayer matches to earn experience points and climb online leaderboards.[37]
The personal lives of the protagonists begin to spiral out of control. Trevor's unexpected reappearance results in Michael displaying acts of reckless and erratic behaviour, which prompts his family to leave. Michael's attempts to make something of himself bring him into conflict with Devin Weston, a self-made billionaire venture capitalist and corporate raider who develops a grudge against him and vows revenge. Franklin becomes disturbed by the way Lamar falls under the influence of gangster Harold "Stretch" Joseph, who defected to a rival gang in prison and repeatedly attempts to kill Lamar to prove himself to his new brethren. Trevor's reckless efforts to consolidate his control over various black markets in Blaine County see him waging war against the San Andreas chapter of The Lost outlaw motorcycle club, a number of Latin American street gangs, rival meth dealers, government-sponsored mercenaries and Triad kingpin Wei Cheng.
FIB government agents Dave Norton and Steve Haines contact Michael and demand that he perform a series of operations with Franklin and Trevor to undermine a rival agency, the IAA.[i] Under Haines' direction, they attack an armoured convoy carrying funds intended for the IAA and raid a bank containing the payroll for all corrupt police and public officials in Los Santos. Michael and Trevor perform a job for Madrazo and Trevor demands compensation for their efforts. He kidnaps Madrazo's wife instead, temporarily forcing himself and Michael into hiding. As Haines comes under increasing scrutiny for his methods, he forces them to infiltrate the FIB headquarters and erase any evidence being used against him from their servers. Michael takes the opportunity to wipe any data on his own activities in the process, destroying Haines' leverage over him. After Trevor returns Madrazo's wife, the trio start planning their most daring feat ever: raiding the Union Depository's gold bullion reserve.
After returning to Los Santos, Michael makes amends with his family and they start living together again. Trevor, however, discovers that a former Ludendorff heist accomplice was not in prison as he was led to believe, but killed during the heist and buried in the grave marked for Michael. Trevor's feelings of betrayal cause friction within the group and threaten to undermine their Union Depository plans. When Michael and Norton are caught in a Mexican stand-off between the FIB, IAA and private security firm Merryweather, Trevor aids in their escape, holding that only he has the right to kill Michael. Despite not forgiving Michael, Trevor still wants to perform the Union Depository heist; the duo agree to part ways afterwards.
The Union Depository heist is completed successfully, but Franklin is approached by two parties separately who demand that he kill Trevor or Michael. Haines and Norton contend that Trevor is a liability, and Weston wants retribution for Michael's betrayal. Franklin has three choices: kill Michael, kill Trevor or kill neither and face their enemies together. Should Franklin kill either Michael or Trevor, he ceases contact with the survivor and returns to his old life.[39][40] Should he kill neither, the trio join forces to withstand an onslaught from the FIB and Merryweather before going on to kill Weston, Stretch, Cheng and Haines. With all their enemies disposed, the three cease working together, but remain friends.[41]
The open world's design and in-game render constituted much of the game's early work.[47] The open world was modelled on Southern California and Los Angeles.[48] Key members of the game world production team took field research trips throughout the region and documented their research with photo and video footage.[5] Google Maps projections of Los Angeles were used by the team to help design the road networks of Los Santos.[49][50] To reflect and reproduce the demographic spread of Los Angeles, the developers also studied census data and watched documentaries about the city.[43] The team considered creating the open world the most technically demanding aspect of the game's production.[6]
A fundamental design goal from the outset was to innovate on the core structure of Grand Theft Auto games by giving players control of three lead protagonists instead of one.[47] The idea was first raised during Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's development, but contemporaneous hardware restrictions made it infeasible.[51] Having developed two Grand Theft Auto IV episodic expansion packs featuring new protagonists in 2009, the team wanted to base Grand Theft Auto V around three simultaneously controlled protagonists.[16] The team viewed Grand Theft Auto V as a spiritual successor to many of their previous games (such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3), and designed it to improve upon their gameplay mechanics.[23][52] They sought to improve the action gameplay by refining the shooting mechanics and cover system,[53] and reworked the driving mechanics to correct Grand Theft Auto IV's difficult vehicle controls.[54]
After an audition process, Ned Luke, Shawn "Solo" Fonteno and Steven Ogg were selected to portray Michael, Franklin and Trevor, respectively.[55] Their performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology,[56] but dialogue for scenes with characters seated in vehicles was recorded in studios instead.[57] Grand Theft Auto V is the first entry in the series to feature an original score, which was composed by a team of producers collaborating with each-other over a number of years.[58] Licensed music provided by an in-game radio is also used.[59] The team licensed more than 241 tracks shared between fifteen radio stations, with an additional two stations providing talk radio. Some of the tracks were written specifically for the game, such as rapper and producer Flying Lotus's original work composed for the FlyLo FM radio station he hosts.[7]
Grand Theft Auto V was first announced by Rockstar Games on 25 October 2011.[60] They released its debut trailer one week later,[61] with an official press release acknowledging the game's setting.[62] Journalists noted that the announcement ignited widespread anticipation within the gaming industry, which they owed to the cultural significance of the series.[63][64][65] The game missed its original projected Q2 2013 release date, pushed back to 17 September to allow for further polishing.[66] To spur pre-order game sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to make a special edition with extra in-game features.[67] Rockstar also ran a viral marketing strategy with a website for a fictional religious cult, "The Epsilon Program", that offered users the chance to feature in the game as members of the cult.[68]
Coinciding with the 2014 Valentine's Day, the Valentine's Day Massacre Special update released on 13 February added Bonnie and Clyde-themed content to the game for a limited time until the end of February.[74][75] The Business Update, released on 4 March, added multiple business-themed items to the game.[76] On 11 April, the Capture Creator Update was released that added the ability for players to create their own Capture jobs using the Content Creator.[77] The High Life Update released on 13 May added new vehicles, clothes and weapons. It also added new apartments, the ability to purchase two properties at any one time and the Mental State gameplay statistic that monitors player behaviour in-game.[78] The I'm Not a Hipster Update was released on 17 June and added hipster-themed customisation items, and retro-themed vehicles and weapons.[79][80] The Independence Day Special update was released on 1 July to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day and added patriotic-themed vehicles, weapons and customisation items for a limited time. The patch added new properties to Grand Theft Auto Online and the "On Call Matchmaking" feature that lets player accept a job invite and keep playing until the lobby is full.[81] The San Andreas Flight School Update, released on 19 August 2014, added new features and vehicles related to the in-game flying school.[82]
At E3 2014, a re-release of the game was announced for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This enhanced version of the game features an increased draw distance, finer texture details, denser traffic and enhanced resolution, as well as new wildlife, vegetation and upgraded weather effects.[83] The enhanced version also features more than 100 new songs across the game's radio stations.[35] Players are able to transfer characters and progression of Grand Theft Auto Online
from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 over to the new platforms.
Additionally, the Windows version features a replay editor that lets
players create video clips of their gameplay.[83] The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are scheduled to launch on 18 November 2014.[35] The PC version, initially scheduled for simultaneous release with the console versions[83], was delayed to 27 January 2015. According to Rockstar, the game required extra development time for polish.[84]
Grand Theft Auto V was released to critical acclaim.[97] Metacritic, which assigns a normalised
rating in the 0–100 range, calculated an average score of 97 out of
100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 50 reviews for the
PlayStation 3 version and 58 reviews for the Xbox 360 version.[87][88] It is the fifth-highest rated game on Metacritic, tied with a number of other games.[k] GameRankings assigned it an average review score of 97% based on 34 reviews for the PlayStation 3 version,[85] and 96% based on 40 reviews for the Xbox 360 version.[86] It is also one of the highest-rated games on GameRankings.[l] Reviewers liked the multiple lead character formula,[100][91][93] heist mission design[101][102][103] and presentation,[20][95][104] but did not agree on the quality of the story and characters.[90][94][96][105] Keza MacDonald of IGN called Grand Theft Auto V "one of the very best video games ever made",[93] and Play considered it "generation-defining" and "exceptional".[95] Edge wrote that it is a "remarkable achievement" in open world design and storytelling,[106] while the Daily Telegraph declared it a "colossal feat of technical engineering".[107]
Reviewers praised the character switching mechanic. Jeff Bakalar of CNET felt that the game encouraged players to engage with all three characters.[108] Edge found that switching players was helpful for avoiding long travel times to mission start points.[100] Character switching was considered to improve the pace of action sequences as well, and Matt Bertz of Game Informer noted that players are kept "in the thick of the action" during shootouts.[91] Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer wrote that switching added a tactical element to shootouts since characters set up in strategic outposts would result in fewer "shooting gallery" situations than previous installments.[90] IGN's MacDonald similarly felt that the feature gave players more choice in their approach and made missions less predictable.[93]
Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb considered the heist missions a welcome deviation from the typical missions structure of the series.[101] Eurogamer's Bramwell felt that the heists felt like "blockbuster set-pieces",[90] and Carolyn Petit of GameSpot cited the 1995 film Heat as a stylistic influence on their design.[92] Xav de Matos of Joystiq felt creativity and methodical approaches were encouraged.[94] Chris Plante of Polygon likened rapid character switching during heist missions to "film editing, with the player serving as editor, switching rapidly to the most interesting perspective for any moment".[102] Andy Kelly of Computer and Video Games felt that overall mission design was more diverse than and lacked the escort errands of its predecessors.[103]
The game's technical advancements were commended by many reviewers, with Edge directing praise at the graphical fidelity and absence of load screens.[100] Play further complimented the draw distances as well as the weather and lighting systems.[95] Eurogamer's Bramwell considered the lighting system to be the game's biggest advancement.[44] Mikel Reparaz of Official Xbox Magazine
thought that the game was "probably the Xbox 360's greatest technical
achievement", and was surprised that the open world was possible to
render on the console.[105]
Reviewers lauded the open world's design, some further complimenting
the game for streamlining the geography of Los Angeles into a
well-designed city space.[20][90] Brandon Jones of GameTrailers considered the emulation of Los Angeles authentic, and felt the open world is "full of voice and personality".[109] IGN and PlayStation Official Magazine (OPM) made favourable comparisons were made between Los Santos and Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City.[93][104] Reparez felt Los Santos surpassed the "grey and gritty" Liberty City.[105] Many praised the world as a satire of contemporary American culture[20][90][93][94][103]—Joel Gregory of OPM opined that "the scathing social commentary is, of course, present and correct".[104]
Reviewers praised the sound design. Jim Sterling of Destructoid called it "impeccable" and praised the actors' performances, the original soundtrack and the use of licensed music.[20] IGN and Giant Bomb also commended the licensed music selection and felt that the original score enhanced dramatic tension during missions.[93][101] GameSpot's Petit wrote that the score "lends missions more cinematic flavour".[92] Edge said that the licensed music enhanced the city's "already remarkable sense of space" and that the original score improved the atmosphere of the gameplay. They summarised the game as "a compendium of everything Rockstar has learnt about the power of game music in the past decade".[110]
Many reviewers found the land-based vehicles more responsive and easier to control than in previous games.[106][92][95][104][105] "Cars have a proper sense of weight, while retaining the agility necessary for navigating through traffic at high speeds", Bertz of Game Informer explained.[91] In addition to the vehicle handling, most reviewers noted the shooting mechanics were tighter than they had been in previous games,[91][92][93] but Destructoid's Sterling felt that in spite of the improvements, auto-aim was "twitchy and unreliable", and cover mechanics "still come off as dated and unwieldy".[20] Some reviewers felt the game solved a continual problem by adding mid-mission checkpoints.[90][93][107]
The story and characters—particularly Trevor—polarised reviewers. Some felt that the narrative was not as well-written as previous Rockstar games and cited the plot strengths of Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption.[90][91][94][105] Other reviewers felt that having multiple lead protagonists with contrasting personalities gave the narrative tighter pacing.[20][100][93][102] Hollander Cooper of GamesRadar thought that the game negated inconsistencies in the story of previous entries, whose single lead protagonists had muddled morality.[111] GameSpot's Petit considered Trevor in particular a "truly horrible, terrifying, psychotic human being—and a terrific character".[92] Bramwell found Trevor "shallow and unconvincing", and felt that his eccentricities hurt the narrative and overshadowed Michael and Franklin's character development.[90] Joystiq's de Matos faulted the protagonists' lack of likability, and found the ambivalence between Michael and Trevor a tired plot device as their conflict grew into a "seemingly endless cycle".[94] Greg Tito of The Escapist had difficulty connecting with the characters' emotions since they acted out of greed with no sense of morality and thus gave players little reason to support them.[96]
Grand Theft Auto Online launched on 1 October 2013, two weeks after the release of Grand Theft Auto V.[122]
Many players reported that they had difficulties connecting to the
game's servers and the Social Club web service, and others further
reported that the game would freeze while loading early missions.[123][124] Rockstar released a technical patch on 5 October in an effort to resolve the issues.[125] The microtransaction system, which allows players to purchase game content using real money, was also suspended as a fail-safe.[126]
Problems persisted the second week following launch, and some players
reported their player-character progress as having disappeared.[127]
Another technical patch was released on 10 October combating the
issues, and players experiencing issues were told not to recreate their
multiplayer avatars.[128]
As recompense for the technical issues, Rockstar offered a stimulus of
GTA $500,000 (in-game currency) to the accounts of all players connected
to Online since launch.[129] Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, stated that by February 2014, 70 percent of players with Internet access had played Grand Theft Auto Online, and that the game's microtransactions system was the largest contributor to the company's digital revenue since the launch of Grand Theft Auto Online.[130]
Because of the widespread technical issues present at launch, many reviewers bemoaned their experience with Grand Theft Auto Online.[118][121] Chris Carter of Destructoid criticised the "messy launch" and felt that Rockstar should have delayed it.[116] IGN's MacDonald considered her initial play sessions in Grand Theft Auto Online "disastrous",[131] and Liam Martin of Digital Spy reported glitches including loss of his character data. While generally praising the scope of the experience, he considered Grand Theft Auto Online underwhelming as beholden to pre-launch anticipation let down by its technical issues.[120] The character creation system was panned by critics, who felt that the system only produced unattractive avatars.[116][120][121][131] MacDonald of IGN noted an "addictive rhythm" to character progression and was enthusiastic about some of the job missions, although most eventually became monotonous.[131] GameSpot's Petit agreed with MacDonald, writing that "early on, your mission options are dominated by bland last team standing deathmatches".[118] However, reviewers generally recognised the open-ended exploration and dynamic content as the strength of Grand Theft Auto Online.[118][120][131] Jon Denton of VideoGamer.com was particularly enthusiastic, and wrote that the "endlessness" of the gameplay made up for the technical issues.[119]
In the United Kingdom, the game became the fastest-selling game of all time, selling more than 2.25 million copies in five days. This broke the record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops at two million copies over the same period. It also broke the day one record by selling 1.57 million copies and generating £65 million.[144] In two weeks, the game sold more than 2.6 million copies and generated £90 million, which accounted for 52% of games sold September 2013.[145] After three weeks on sale, it beat the lifetime sales of Grand Theft Auto IV in the United Kingdom.[146] In its fourth week, it became the fastest-selling title to break the three million barrier in the UK, thus overtaking lifetime sales of Black Ops II.[147] The game was similarly successful in North America: Grand Theft Auto V was the best selling game in September, representing over 50% of software sales[148] and boosting overall software sales by 52% compared to September 2012.[149]
Various in-game elements were recognised with awards. Two characters, Trevor Philips and Lamar Davis, received numerous nominations for Best Character, and Lamar won the award from Giant Bomb.[166] The music also received awards from Spike VGX,[157] Hardcore Gamer[167] and The Daily Telegraph.[168] Grand Theft Auto Online won Best Multiplayer from GameTrailers[169] and BAFTA,[165] and Best Xbox 360 Multiplayer from IGN.[170] Online was also nominated for Biggest Disappointment by Game Revolution[171] and Hardcore Gamer.[172] Grand Theft Auto V won Best Technical Achievement in the Telegraph Video Game Awards,[168] and Best Technology at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards.[173] The graphical and artistic design also received awards from IGN,[174] The Daily Telegraph[168] and BAFTA,[165] and a nomination at the Game Developers Choice Awards.[173]
Grand Theft Auto V also received numerous other awards. It was awarded the title of Most Immersive Game at the Inside Gaming Awards.[156] The general public also voted for the game to receive some accolades, such as the User Choice Award at the PlayStation Awards 2013,[175] and the Community Choice award from Destructoid.[176] Grand Theft Auto V received the Platinum Award at the PlayStation Awards,[175] and was named the Best British Game from BAFTA.[165] At IGN's Best of 2013 Awards, it received multiple wins, including Best Xbox 360 Graphics,[174] Best Xbox 360 Sound,[177] and Best Action Game on Xbox 360,[162] PlayStation 3[178] and overall.[179]
![A man is strapped to an overturned chair with a cloth concealing his face. Player character Trevor stands over him with a canister, about to pour water on his face. A text prompt in the upper left-hand corner reads "Hold [left stick] to pour water."](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vUwfFy-w3fPEyN-3RDmq3X5IgZv4TqjdrIzFAf7SpGEMAlTky6ICEkdfVblt4vkDSoKArXG1DbBlWLFNgObQ3_khIXWrn01Sh4kzrF6BoKjN5LsLlc-jPgX88m7VQhkB3uusMuoT4q2X5d99NtCfzwiYETz8Uteinph3L_Lo6G4b1WKS1QF4PTcCujJ3vwdFkGP-66fm9-86UfWZWcT5RWGOdlhacc_ivm-rA0=s0-d)
The mission "By the Book" generated controversy from reviewers and commentators for its depiction of torture.
In the mission, Trevor interrogates a man, Mr K, to extract information
about an Azerbaijani fugitive who poses a threat to the FIB. Trevor
uses torture equipment on the restrained man, which players select from a
table. Once Mr K provides the FIB with the information, Trevor is asked
to kill him, but instead drives him to the airport, providing him an
opportunity to escape. While driving Mr K, Trevor monologues about the
ineffectiveness of torture, pointing out Mr K's readiness to supply the
FIB with the information without being tortured, and expressing that
torture is used as a power play "to assert ourselves".[180]
Reviewers echoed that while the mission served as political commentary on the use of torture by the United States government, its use of torture was in poor taste. GameSpot's Petit felt that placing the torture scene in context with the monologue created a hypocrisy in the mission's function as a commentary device,[92] and IGN's MacDonald felt it "pushed the boundaries of taste".[93] In an editorial, Bramwell discussed whether the political commentary was overshadowed by the violent content, comparing the mission to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's "No Russian" controversy. He considered the sequence lacking enough context to justify its violence and summarised its function as "flawed".[181] Keith Best of Freedom from Torture said the torturer role-play "crossed a line". British Labour Party MP Keith Vaz expressed concern that underage players could be exposed to the mission.[182] Tom Chick defended the torture sequence, and wrote that unlike the "No Russian" mission or the 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty, the underlying political commentary on torture in "By the Book" necessitated the violent content.[38]
Petit of GameSpot's comments and the backlash against them prompted a wider discussion about the role of women in Grand Theft Auto V and the gaming community's defensiveness towards criticism.[187][188] Rob Fahey of GamesIndustry.biz
felt that debate about games' thematic concerns could become
stigmatised if gamers opposed criticism, writing, "This isn't just about
women—it's robbing every single one of us of the opportunity to have
intelligent, interesting discussions about how our medium deals
with..... complex topics..... It's frustrating, it's stupid, and it's
downright boring—and it risks making our games stupid and boring too".[189] Journalist Tom Bissell
agreed with Petit's "defensible position", and wrote that gamers
respond to game criticism more aggressively than fans of other
entertainment mediums.[190] Sam Houser, Rockstar Games co-founder, felt that the development team sometimes overlooked their portrayal of women in Grand Theft Auto games, but that the weight towards male characters "fit with the story we wanted to tell".[191]
In January 2014, Computer and Video Games ranked Grand Theft Auto V fourth on their "Games of the Generation 20-1" list. Editor Rob Crossley said that for the first time, Rockstar created an open world that is "utterly beautiful". He found that the game did away with the repetitive mission design of Grand Theft Auto IV and focused instead on fun gameplay.[203] In May, IGN ranked the game eighth on their list of the "Top 100 Games of a Generation" and called it a "huge, raucous, and wildly ambitious bridge towards the [eighth] generation of console gaming".[204] The next month, the game placed at number three on IGN's list of the "Games of a Generation: Your Top 100" as voted by readers of the site.[205] In August, Game Informer ranked the game third on their "Top 10 Action Games Of The Generation" list. They compared the game's quality to that of its predecessor, but thought that its ensemble character set-up, varied missions and multiplayer superseded Grand Theft Auto IV's placement on the list. They wrote of the story's absurd drama and the open world's vastness, and did not "regret a single second" spent playing the game.[206] That same month, Empire ranked Grand Theft Auto V eight on their list of "The 100 Greatest Video Games Of All Time" as voted by readers of the magazine.[207] The game placed at number five on Good Game's list of the "Top 100 Games" as voted by viewers of the show.
Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the world.To accommodate the map's size, the game introduces vehicle types absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV, such as fixed-wing aircraft. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system can be used as assistance against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter will gradually regenerate to its halfway point. Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes. If players commit crimes while playing, law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD). On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum five-star level, efforts by law enforcement to incapacitate players become very aggressive). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. Players arrested or killed by officers during missions may restart from the last checkpoint. The meter enters a cool down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight (as displayed on the mini-map).
The single-player mode lets players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton—criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions. Some missions are completed with only one character and others feature two or three.[22] Throughout single-player, players may switch between the protagonists at will by means of a directional compass on the HUD. The game may switch between characters automatically in single-player missions to complete certain objectives. A character's compass avatar will flash red if he is in danger and needs help, and flash white if he has a strategic advantage.[23] Though players complete missions as any of the three protagonists, the more difficult heist missions require aid from AI-controlled accomplices with unique skill sets, such as computer hacking or driving. If an accomplice survives a successful heist, they take a cut from the cash reward[24] and may be available for later missions with improvements to their unique skills.[25] The game encourages differentiation in heist mission strategies—for example, in a holdup mission, players may either stealthily subdue civilians with an agent or conspicuously storm the venue with guns drawn.[26]
Players may take cover behind objects during firefights to avoid taking damage from enemies
While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as scuba diving underwater or BASE jumping via parachute. Each character has a smartphone for contacting friends, starting activities and accessing an in-game Internet.[30] The Internet lets players trade in stocks via a stock market.[31] Players may purchase properties such as homes and businesses, upgrade the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts, tattoos and jewellery.[32]
Developed in tandem with the single-player mode, the online multiplayer mode Grand Theft Auto Online was conceived as a separate experience to be played in a continually evolving world.[33] Up to 30 players[h] freely roam across a re-creation of the single-player world and enter lobbies to complete jobs (story-driven competitive and cooperative modes).[34] The Content Creator toolset lets players create their own parameters for custom jobs, like racetracks and deathmatch weapon spawn points.[36] Players may band together in organised player teams called crews to complete jobs together. Rockstar Games Social Club extends crews formed in Max Payne 3's multiplayer mode to that of Grand Theft Auto Online. Players can create their own crews and join up to five total. Crews win multiplayer matches to earn experience points and climb online leaderboards.[37]
Plot
See also: List of Grand Theft Auto V characters
Nine years after a botched robbery in Ludendorff, North Yankton, that
left two of his accomplices dead and forced a third into hiding, former
bank robber Michael Townley is living under witness protection with his family in Los Santos, San Andreas, under the alias Michael De Santa. Franklin Clinton, who works as a repo man
for a car dealership alongside his best friend Lamar Davis, is asked to
reclaim a car from Michael's twenty-year-old son Jimmy, who is overdue
on his loan payment. Correctly deducing that his son is about to become a
victim of credit fraud,
Michael confronts Franklin and orders him to crash the car through the
dealership. Franklin is fired, but he and Michael become friends. When
Michael discovers his wife Amanda in bed with her tennis coach, he and
Franklin chase the man to a mansion, which Michael destroys out of
anger. The mansion's owner, Mexican drug lord Martin Madrazo, demands
compensation, so Michael and Franklin perform a jewellery shop heist to
pay their debt. Michael's sole surviving partner in the Ludendorff
robbery, Trevor Philips, hears of the jewellery heist and realises that Michael's death was faked and that the heist was his handiwork. The two reunite after Trevor tracks Michael down in Los Santos.The personal lives of the protagonists begin to spiral out of control. Trevor's unexpected reappearance results in Michael displaying acts of reckless and erratic behaviour, which prompts his family to leave. Michael's attempts to make something of himself bring him into conflict with Devin Weston, a self-made billionaire venture capitalist and corporate raider who develops a grudge against him and vows revenge. Franklin becomes disturbed by the way Lamar falls under the influence of gangster Harold "Stretch" Joseph, who defected to a rival gang in prison and repeatedly attempts to kill Lamar to prove himself to his new brethren. Trevor's reckless efforts to consolidate his control over various black markets in Blaine County see him waging war against the San Andreas chapter of The Lost outlaw motorcycle club, a number of Latin American street gangs, rival meth dealers, government-sponsored mercenaries and Triad kingpin Wei Cheng.
FIB government agents Dave Norton and Steve Haines contact Michael and demand that he perform a series of operations with Franklin and Trevor to undermine a rival agency, the IAA.[i] Under Haines' direction, they attack an armoured convoy carrying funds intended for the IAA and raid a bank containing the payroll for all corrupt police and public officials in Los Santos. Michael and Trevor perform a job for Madrazo and Trevor demands compensation for their efforts. He kidnaps Madrazo's wife instead, temporarily forcing himself and Michael into hiding. As Haines comes under increasing scrutiny for his methods, he forces them to infiltrate the FIB headquarters and erase any evidence being used against him from their servers. Michael takes the opportunity to wipe any data on his own activities in the process, destroying Haines' leverage over him. After Trevor returns Madrazo's wife, the trio start planning their most daring feat ever: raiding the Union Depository's gold bullion reserve.
After returning to Los Santos, Michael makes amends with his family and they start living together again. Trevor, however, discovers that a former Ludendorff heist accomplice was not in prison as he was led to believe, but killed during the heist and buried in the grave marked for Michael. Trevor's feelings of betrayal cause friction within the group and threaten to undermine their Union Depository plans. When Michael and Norton are caught in a Mexican stand-off between the FIB, IAA and private security firm Merryweather, Trevor aids in their escape, holding that only he has the right to kill Michael. Despite not forgiving Michael, Trevor still wants to perform the Union Depository heist; the duo agree to part ways afterwards.
The Union Depository heist is completed successfully, but Franklin is approached by two parties separately who demand that he kill Trevor or Michael. Haines and Norton contend that Trevor is a liability, and Weston wants retribution for Michael's betrayal. Franklin has three choices: kill Michael, kill Trevor or kill neither and face their enemies together. Should Franklin kill either Michael or Trevor, he ceases contact with the survivor and returns to his old life.[39][40] Should he kill neither, the trio join forces to withstand an onslaught from the FIB and Merryweather before going on to kill Weston, Stretch, Cheng and Haines. With all their enemies disposed, the three cease working together, but remain friends.[41]
Production
Development
Main article: Development of Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar North began to develop Grand Theft Auto V in 2009, following the release of Grand Theft Auto IV.[6]
Development was conducted by a team of more than 1,000 people,
including Rockstar North's core team and staff from parent company Rockstar Games's studios around the world.[42] The game runs on the proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), which was overhauled for the game to improve its draw distance rendering capabilities.[43] The Euphoria and Bullet software handle additional animation and rendering tasks.[44] Having become familiar with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
hardware over time, Rockstar found they were able to push the graphical
capabilities of the consoles further than in previous games.[5]
Analyst estimations place the game's combined development and marketing
budget at more than £170 million (US $265 million), which would make it
the most expensive game ever made at that time.[45][j]The open world's design and in-game render constituted much of the game's early work.[47] The open world was modelled on Southern California and Los Angeles.[48] Key members of the game world production team took field research trips throughout the region and documented their research with photo and video footage.[5] Google Maps projections of Los Angeles were used by the team to help design the road networks of Los Santos.[49][50] To reflect and reproduce the demographic spread of Los Angeles, the developers also studied census data and watched documentaries about the city.[43] The team considered creating the open world the most technically demanding aspect of the game's production.[6]
A fundamental design goal from the outset was to innovate on the core structure of Grand Theft Auto games by giving players control of three lead protagonists instead of one.[47] The idea was first raised during Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's development, but contemporaneous hardware restrictions made it infeasible.[51] Having developed two Grand Theft Auto IV episodic expansion packs featuring new protagonists in 2009, the team wanted to base Grand Theft Auto V around three simultaneously controlled protagonists.[16] The team viewed Grand Theft Auto V as a spiritual successor to many of their previous games (such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3), and designed it to improve upon their gameplay mechanics.[23][52] They sought to improve the action gameplay by refining the shooting mechanics and cover system,[53] and reworked the driving mechanics to correct Grand Theft Auto IV's difficult vehicle controls.[54]
After an audition process, Ned Luke, Shawn "Solo" Fonteno and Steven Ogg were selected to portray Michael, Franklin and Trevor, respectively.[55] Their performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology,[56] but dialogue for scenes with characters seated in vehicles was recorded in studios instead.[57] Grand Theft Auto V is the first entry in the series to feature an original score, which was composed by a team of producers collaborating with each-other over a number of years.[58] Licensed music provided by an in-game radio is also used.[59] The team licensed more than 241 tracks shared between fifteen radio stations, with an additional two stations providing talk radio. Some of the tracks were written specifically for the game, such as rapper and producer Flying Lotus's original work composed for the FlyLo FM radio station he hosts.[7]
Grand Theft Auto V was first announced by Rockstar Games on 25 October 2011.[60] They released its debut trailer one week later,[61] with an official press release acknowledging the game's setting.[62] Journalists noted that the announcement ignited widespread anticipation within the gaming industry, which they owed to the cultural significance of the series.[63][64][65] The game missed its original projected Q2 2013 release date, pushed back to 17 September to allow for further polishing.[66] To spur pre-order game sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to make a special edition with extra in-game features.[67] Rockstar also ran a viral marketing strategy with a website for a fictional religious cult, "The Epsilon Program", that offered users the chance to feature in the game as members of the cult.[68]
Additional content
Post-release content is continually added to Grand Theft Auto Online and the single-player mode of Grand Theft Auto V through free title updates. The Beach Bum Update, released on 19 November 2013, added more beach-themed jobs and customisation content for players.[69] In December, Rockstar announced that they plan to release downloadable content in 2014 that expands the single-player mode and creates new story for the lead characters.[70] The Deathmatch & Race Creators update was released on 11 December and lets players create their own deathmatches and races.[71] The Capture Update was released on 17 December and adds a new team-based capture the flag mode called Capture.[72] On 24 December, the Holiday Gifts update added Christmas themed items to the online mode. It also gave players discounts on in-game vehicles, weapons, apartments and other items. The items and discounts were available until 5 January 2014. The update also added snowfall to the game world during Christmas.[73]Coinciding with the 2014 Valentine's Day, the Valentine's Day Massacre Special update released on 13 February added Bonnie and Clyde-themed content to the game for a limited time until the end of February.[74][75] The Business Update, released on 4 March, added multiple business-themed items to the game.[76] On 11 April, the Capture Creator Update was released that added the ability for players to create their own Capture jobs using the Content Creator.[77] The High Life Update released on 13 May added new vehicles, clothes and weapons. It also added new apartments, the ability to purchase two properties at any one time and the Mental State gameplay statistic that monitors player behaviour in-game.[78] The I'm Not a Hipster Update was released on 17 June and added hipster-themed customisation items, and retro-themed vehicles and weapons.[79][80] The Independence Day Special update was released on 1 July to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day and added patriotic-themed vehicles, weapons and customisation items for a limited time. The patch added new properties to Grand Theft Auto Online and the "On Call Matchmaking" feature that lets player accept a job invite and keep playing until the lobby is full.[81] The San Andreas Flight School Update, released on 19 August 2014, added new features and vehicles related to the in-game flying school.[82]
Enhanced re-release
A comparison of the PlayStation 4
(left) and PlayStation 3 (right) versions of the game. The enhanced
re-release features greater draw distances and higher-resolution
textures than the original versions.
Reception
Critical response
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Reviewers praised the character switching mechanic. Jeff Bakalar of CNET felt that the game encouraged players to engage with all three characters.[108] Edge found that switching players was helpful for avoiding long travel times to mission start points.[100] Character switching was considered to improve the pace of action sequences as well, and Matt Bertz of Game Informer noted that players are kept "in the thick of the action" during shootouts.[91] Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer wrote that switching added a tactical element to shootouts since characters set up in strategic outposts would result in fewer "shooting gallery" situations than previous installments.[90] IGN's MacDonald similarly felt that the feature gave players more choice in their approach and made missions less predictable.[93]
Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb considered the heist missions a welcome deviation from the typical missions structure of the series.[101] Eurogamer's Bramwell felt that the heists felt like "blockbuster set-pieces",[90] and Carolyn Petit of GameSpot cited the 1995 film Heat as a stylistic influence on their design.[92] Xav de Matos of Joystiq felt creativity and methodical approaches were encouraged.[94] Chris Plante of Polygon likened rapid character switching during heist missions to "film editing, with the player serving as editor, switching rapidly to the most interesting perspective for any moment".[102] Andy Kelly of Computer and Video Games felt that overall mission design was more diverse than and lacked the escort errands of its predecessors.[103]
Los Santos, the city featured in the game's open world. Reviewers
praised its design and similarity to Los Angeles. The departure from Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City was well received.
Reviewers praised the sound design. Jim Sterling of Destructoid called it "impeccable" and praised the actors' performances, the original soundtrack and the use of licensed music.[20] IGN and Giant Bomb also commended the licensed music selection and felt that the original score enhanced dramatic tension during missions.[93][101] GameSpot's Petit wrote that the score "lends missions more cinematic flavour".[92] Edge said that the licensed music enhanced the city's "already remarkable sense of space" and that the original score improved the atmosphere of the gameplay. They summarised the game as "a compendium of everything Rockstar has learnt about the power of game music in the past decade".[110]
Many reviewers found the land-based vehicles more responsive and easier to control than in previous games.[106][92][95][104][105] "Cars have a proper sense of weight, while retaining the agility necessary for navigating through traffic at high speeds", Bertz of Game Informer explained.[91] In addition to the vehicle handling, most reviewers noted the shooting mechanics were tighter than they had been in previous games,[91][92][93] but Destructoid's Sterling felt that in spite of the improvements, auto-aim was "twitchy and unreliable", and cover mechanics "still come off as dated and unwieldy".[20] Some reviewers felt the game solved a continual problem by adding mid-mission checkpoints.[90][93][107]
The story and characters—particularly Trevor—polarised reviewers. Some felt that the narrative was not as well-written as previous Rockstar games and cited the plot strengths of Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption.[90][91][94][105] Other reviewers felt that having multiple lead protagonists with contrasting personalities gave the narrative tighter pacing.[20][100][93][102] Hollander Cooper of GamesRadar thought that the game negated inconsistencies in the story of previous entries, whose single lead protagonists had muddled morality.[111] GameSpot's Petit considered Trevor in particular a "truly horrible, terrifying, psychotic human being—and a terrific character".[92] Bramwell found Trevor "shallow and unconvincing", and felt that his eccentricities hurt the narrative and overshadowed Michael and Franklin's character development.[90] Joystiq's de Matos faulted the protagonists' lack of likability, and found the ambivalence between Michael and Trevor a tired plot device as their conflict grew into a "seemingly endless cycle".[94] Greg Tito of The Escapist had difficulty connecting with the characters' emotions since they acted out of greed with no sense of morality and thus gave players little reason to support them.[96]
Multiplayer launch
Main article: Grand Theft Auto Online
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Because of the widespread technical issues present at launch, many reviewers bemoaned their experience with Grand Theft Auto Online.[118][121] Chris Carter of Destructoid criticised the "messy launch" and felt that Rockstar should have delayed it.[116] IGN's MacDonald considered her initial play sessions in Grand Theft Auto Online "disastrous",[131] and Liam Martin of Digital Spy reported glitches including loss of his character data. While generally praising the scope of the experience, he considered Grand Theft Auto Online underwhelming as beholden to pre-launch anticipation let down by its technical issues.[120] The character creation system was panned by critics, who felt that the system only produced unattractive avatars.[116][120][121][131] MacDonald of IGN noted an "addictive rhythm" to character progression and was enthusiastic about some of the job missions, although most eventually became monotonous.[131] GameSpot's Petit agreed with MacDonald, writing that "early on, your mission options are dominated by bland last team standing deathmatches".[118] However, reviewers generally recognised the open-ended exploration and dynamic content as the strength of Grand Theft Auto Online.[118][120][131] Jon Denton of VideoGamer.com was particularly enthusiastic, and wrote that the "endlessness" of the gameplay made up for the technical issues.[119]
Sales
Within twenty-four hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto V generated more than $800 million in worldwide revenue, equating to approximately 11.21 million copies sold for Take Two.[132][n] The numbers nearly doubled analysts' expectations for the title.[134][135] Three days after release, the game had surpassed one billion dollars in sales, making it the fastest selling entertainment product in history.[136][o] Six weeks after its release, Rockstar had shipped nearly 29 million copies of the game to retailers, exceeding the lifetime figures of Grand Theft Auto IV.[138] On 7 October 2013, the game became the best-selling digital release on PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3, breaking the previous record set by The Last of Us, though numerical sales figures were not disclosed.[139][140] It broke seven Guinness World Records on 8 October: best-selling video game in 24 hours, best-selling action-adventure video game in 24 hours, highest grossing video game in 24 hours, fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion, fastest video game to gross $1 billion, highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours, and most viewed trailer for an action-adventure video game.[9] A digital version was released on 18 October for the Xbox 360,[141] which went on to become the highest grossing day-one and week-one release on Xbox Live.[142] As of August 2014, the game has sold-in over 34 million units to retailers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[143]In the United Kingdom, the game became the fastest-selling game of all time, selling more than 2.25 million copies in five days. This broke the record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops at two million copies over the same period. It also broke the day one record by selling 1.57 million copies and generating £65 million.[144] In two weeks, the game sold more than 2.6 million copies and generated £90 million, which accounted for 52% of games sold September 2013.[145] After three weeks on sale, it beat the lifetime sales of Grand Theft Auto IV in the United Kingdom.[146] In its fourth week, it became the fastest-selling title to break the three million barrier in the UK, thus overtaking lifetime sales of Black Ops II.[147] The game was similarly successful in North America: Grand Theft Auto V was the best selling game in September, representing over 50% of software sales[148] and boosting overall software sales by 52% compared to September 2012.[149]
Awards
Main article: List of accolades received by Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V received multiple nominations and awards from gaming publications. Prior to its release, it received Most Anticipated Game at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards.[63] The game was review aggregators Metacritic and GameRankings' highest rated for the year 2013.[150][151] The game appeared on several year-end lists of the best games of 2013, receiving wins from independent journalist Tom Chick,[152] CNET,[153] Edge,[154] the 31st Golden Joystick Awards,[155] the 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards[156] the Spike VGX 2013 Awards,[157] Slant Magazine[158] and Time.[159] It was also named the Best Xbox Game by Canada.com,[160] GameSpot,[161] and IGN,[162] and the Best Multiplatform Game by Destructoid.[163] Rockstar Games and Rockstar North won Best Studio and Best Developer from Edge,[164] and the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award at the 10th British Academy Video Games Awards.[165]Various in-game elements were recognised with awards. Two characters, Trevor Philips and Lamar Davis, received numerous nominations for Best Character, and Lamar won the award from Giant Bomb.[166] The music also received awards from Spike VGX,[157] Hardcore Gamer[167] and The Daily Telegraph.[168] Grand Theft Auto Online won Best Multiplayer from GameTrailers[169] and BAFTA,[165] and Best Xbox 360 Multiplayer from IGN.[170] Online was also nominated for Biggest Disappointment by Game Revolution[171] and Hardcore Gamer.[172] Grand Theft Auto V won Best Technical Achievement in the Telegraph Video Game Awards,[168] and Best Technology at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards.[173] The graphical and artistic design also received awards from IGN,[174] The Daily Telegraph[168] and BAFTA,[165] and a nomination at the Game Developers Choice Awards.[173]
Grand Theft Auto V also received numerous other awards. It was awarded the title of Most Immersive Game at the Inside Gaming Awards.[156] The general public also voted for the game to receive some accolades, such as the User Choice Award at the PlayStation Awards 2013,[175] and the Community Choice award from Destructoid.[176] Grand Theft Auto V received the Platinum Award at the PlayStation Awards,[175] and was named the Best British Game from BAFTA.[165] At IGN's Best of 2013 Awards, it received multiple wins, including Best Xbox 360 Graphics,[174] Best Xbox 360 Sound,[177] and Best Action Game on Xbox 360,[162] PlayStation 3[178] and overall.[179]
Controversies
Depiction of torture
The mission "By the Book" involves a sequence wherein players use torture techniques including waterboarding
to interrogate a man. The sequence ignited debate among journalists,
who noted the mission's function as political commentary. Some felt that
the use of torture was in poor taste, but others felt that it was
necessary for the sequence's purpose.
Reviewers echoed that while the mission served as political commentary on the use of torture by the United States government, its use of torture was in poor taste. GameSpot's Petit felt that placing the torture scene in context with the monologue created a hypocrisy in the mission's function as a commentary device,[92] and IGN's MacDonald felt it "pushed the boundaries of taste".[93] In an editorial, Bramwell discussed whether the political commentary was overshadowed by the violent content, comparing the mission to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's "No Russian" controversy. He considered the sequence lacking enough context to justify its violence and summarised its function as "flawed".[181] Keith Best of Freedom from Torture said the torturer role-play "crossed a line". British Labour Party MP Keith Vaz expressed concern that underage players could be exposed to the mission.[182] Tom Chick defended the torture sequence, and wrote that unlike the "No Russian" mission or the 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty, the underlying political commentary on torture in "By the Book" necessitated the violent content.[38]
Accusations of sexism
Some reviewers concluded that the game's depiction of women is misogynistic. In her review, Petit of GameSpot observed misogynistic undertones in the treatment of women as "strippers, prostitutes, long-suffering wives, humourless girlfriends and goofy, new-age feminists", and felt that the satirical representation of misogyny legitimises it.[92] Her review was met with backlash as users responded with 20,000 largely negative comments on the webpage and a Change.org petition for her firing.[183] Similarly, Plante of Polygon felt that the supporting female characters were constructed on stereotypes, and wrote that the game's "treatment of women is a relic from the current generation".[102] Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times considered the satirical portrayals of women uncreative, and added that violent and sexist themes hurt the game experience.[184] Edge noted that while "every female in the game exists solely to be sneered, leered or laughed at", it treated its all-male lead characters in a similar vein through their stereotyped tendencies towards violence.[106] Dave Cook of VG247 reinforced the sentiment that the female characters were constructed on stereotypes in an editorial: "They're either there to be rescued, shouted at, fucked, to be seen fucking, put up with, killed, heard prattling away like dullards on their mobile phones or shopping".[185]
But is their [critics'] argument that in a game about gangsters and
thugs and street life, there are prostitutes and strippers—that that is
inappropriate? I don't think we revel in the mistreatment of women at
all. I just think in the world we're representing, in Grand Theft Auto, that it's appropriate.
“
”
Dan Houser, Rockstar head writer and VP for creative, The New York Times, 9 November 2012[186]
Legal actions
In October 2013, hip-hop artist Daz Dillinger issued a cease-and-desist letter to Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive for allegedly using two of his songs without authorisation.[192][p] American television personality Karen Gravano of the reality television programme Mob Wives filed suit against Rockstar Games in February 2014 in allegation that a character in the game is based on her likeness and story and was depicted without her consent.[193][q] Rockstar filed to dismiss Gravano's lawsuit in April, and stated that the allegations are foreclosed by the First Amendment.[194] In July, actress Lindsay Lohan also filed a lawsuit, claiming elements in the game were influenced by her image, voice and clothing line without permission.[195] Rockstar responded in court papers that sought a dismissal of the case, saying that the case was frivolous and filed for publicity purposes.[196]Legacy
Critics concurred that Grand Theft Auto V was one of the best games of the seventh generation era of video game consoles,[31] and a great closing title before the emergence of the eighth generation.[197][198] Plante of Polygon observed that the game would be "a bridge between games' present and the future", and declared it "the closure of this generation, and the benchmark for the next".[102] VideoGamer.com's Simon Miller considered it "the ultimate swansong for this console cycle" that would "cast a long shadow over the next".[199] Three days after its release, the game ranked second on IGN's list of "The Top 25 Xbox 360 Games". Editor Ryan McCaffrey considered that the scale and detail of the open world succeeded the majority of other Xbox 360 games. He wrote that the game is "a triumph both for gamers and for the medium itself, and it deserves its runaway success".[200] Hardcore Gamer placed it at number three on their "Top 100 Games of the Generation" list. They cited the game's improved shooting and driving mechanics over its predecessors. They also considered that the multiple protagonist design "was a welcome change of pace" and could become a benchmark for the eighth generation of gaming.[201] In December 2013, Telegraph listed Grand Theft Auto V among their "50 best games of the console generation". They called it a "cultural behemoth" and wrote that it "will be Rockstar's lasting legacy".[202]In January 2014, Computer and Video Games ranked Grand Theft Auto V fourth on their "Games of the Generation 20-1" list. Editor Rob Crossley said that for the first time, Rockstar created an open world that is "utterly beautiful". He found that the game did away with the repetitive mission design of Grand Theft Auto IV and focused instead on fun gameplay.[203] In May, IGN ranked the game eighth on their list of the "Top 100 Games of a Generation" and called it a "huge, raucous, and wildly ambitious bridge towards the [eighth] generation of console gaming".[204] The next month, the game placed at number three on IGN's list of the "Games of a Generation: Your Top 100" as voted by readers of the site.[205] In August, Game Informer ranked the game third on their "Top 10 Action Games Of The Generation" list. They compared the game's quality to that of its predecessor, but thought that its ensemble character set-up, varied missions and multiplayer superseded Grand Theft Auto IV's placement on the list. They wrote of the story's absurd drama and the open world's vastness, and did not "regret a single second" spent playing the game.[206] That same month, Empire ranked Grand Theft Auto V eight on their list of "The 100 Greatest Video Games Of All Time" as voted by readers of the magazine.[207] The game placed at number five on Good Game's list of the "Top 100 Games" as voted by viewers of the show.
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