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Some more observations and differences:
- I love the way you can run up to people and punch them in the street. After you’ve done this to the first one, some of the others are going to leg it if they think they’re next, so as you chase up to them and are within a reasonable distance, pressing ‘punch’ (R2) while running will make your character lurch forward just enough to strike them. (add video of Franklin being a complete…)
- I like that the police are shown as just one car with a directional ‘view’ in front of them which shows what they can see, rather than making the whole area a big circle you need to escape from, as per the previous entries in the series.
- As taxis pull up, it is possible to hail one, but everyone knows you’re just going to nick any car you want. Then again, you can take one and skip the ride part of it (paying a slightly higher cost, albeit nothing to worry about) so you can effectively teleport there.
- You can train Chop the dog via the iFruit app (available now for iPhone, but not yet on my Android), and in the game, itself, you can even *play* as Chop, chasing after a bad guy.
- I’ve still do to more in it, such as entering Franklin in races and going hunting with Trevor, although while I’ve taken Michael for a game of golf, it was while it was raining and it somehow didn’t put him off!
- You can also do some of the usual things in GTA games, such as going to sleep to save the game and advance time, using Quick Save on your phone to… well, quickly save. And watch TV back home, and in Franklin’s case, you can smoke some weed at the same time. However, this, like being in Niko’s apartment in GTA IV, and CJ’s games console in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, these are a once or twice novelty and not something you’ll do regularly.
Now some gripes:
GTA III was the first 3D game in the series.
GTA IV took the 3D into high-defintion.
GTA V feels more like… GTA 4.1
So…
- Yes, there’s a greater draw distance on the game, this time round, and the visuals are improved, but it feels more like another game in the GTA IV series rather than something brand new, despite the inclusion of three fully-playable characters rather than just one.
- I can’t press ‘circle’ to centre the view ahead while driving, whereas I could press a similar button on the Xbox 360 in GTA 4 to do exactly that, and same again with GTA III on the PS2. The only equivalent is to switch to a rear view first. You can do this by pressing R3. However, it takes about half-a-second to react rather than show you instantly, so that’s rather annoying.
- There’s a funfair in Los Santos, and it was a laugh to ride the rollercoaster “Leviathan”, but at $15, it’s quite overpriced for the average rickety ride. That said, only that and the ferris wheel seem to be playable. Which is a shame.
- Overall, it feels very samey, but then when GTA VI comes along, do they chaange what works dramatically – and leave it to go all Hitman Absolution, which was an abomination, taking over the final scene from some levels rather than letting you work out how to cap the bad guys… or just play it safe and keep it the same again?
Finally, my review has gone live on October 1st, the day of the launch of Grand Theft Auto Online. I don’t have any form of paid-for online gaming service, so I don’t know if I will be able to take part, although a quick google shows that I will. However, either way, this is a 16-strong multiplayer free-roam experience in the world of the single-player setting.
Players will be able to join up to rob banks, race against each other and so on. You’ll even be able to create a crew with some homies and go sort out some paper, innit. Those who did this during Rockstar’s May Payne 3 will find their crews transfer to this title, courtesy of the Rockstar Games Social Club connecting the multiplayer experiences together. Each player can join up to 5 crews or create their own. Success brings you experience points, and what do points make? …. No, not prizes, it means you can progress in online leaderboards.
More info about the GTA Online can be found here.
Visit my DVDfeverGames Youtube channel for many more gaming videos.
Important info:
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Players: single player campaign, multiplayer: 2-16
- HDTV options: 720p
- Dolby Digital 5.1 sound: Yes
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GRAPHICS SOUND GAMEPLAY ENJOYMENT |
10 10 9 8 |
| OVERALL | 9 |
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.