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GTA V on Xbox One needs no introduction. The best-selling game of 2013 finally lands on next-gen consoles and, if for some reason, you missed out on last year’s PS3/X360 versions, then stop reading now. Just go buy the game, its good! In fact it’s the best of its genre.
For those who partook in last year’s outing on previous-gen consoles, is it worth while returning? Well that depends. If you sold your PS3 or Xbox 360 to buy your next-gen console before you finished GTA V, and have been yearning for more Trevor, then this is a superior experience in every way. There’s all the downloadable content released so far, new vehicles and a sprinkling of extra missions such as Michael solving a murder mystery. If you’re transferring your save games from your last-gen version, then it’s had a new lick of 1080p paint and the visuals are gorgeous with more detailed textures and further draw distances with far less pop up and no vanishing roads which would occur on the PS3 or Xbox 360.
There’s no getting away from the fact that the main story of this game has already been around for a year though and most people will have played it. Certainly the new first-person mode (shown below) helps as the game feels totally different, so die-hard fans may want to buy it again to experience the new view. But for those who put hours and hours into this game already, the new additions may not be enough to pay the entrance fee to play once again. Especially with other titles vying for your attention during the Christmas release period blitz.
Graphically, there have been comparisons between Xbox one and PS4 versions, with the results favouring the latter, and it’s true, the Ps4 does look marginally better. There’s some lighting effects and extra detail in the foliage, for example (around 6:30 in the video below). The differences must be the concessions to get it running at 1080p on Xbox one. Whether you blame the developer or Microsoft’s hardware for this is ultimately futile – there’s not enough difference to go rushing out to buy a PS4 if you already own an Xbox One anyway. In fairness, the graphics look great on either console. The frame rate is smooth and the new first-person mode is a hoot – pedestrians look particularly disturbing as they fly up and over your bonnet! The driving controls can feel a little twitchy in first-person mode, but I did find myself crashing less when barrelling at full pelt around the streets of Los Santos. Delicate reverse parking manoeuvres in this mode are not recommended!
The default first-person button lay out will feel alien to those coming from the likes of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.Using B to reload and X to jump made for some annoying mistakes during the heat of a firefight, but the controls are editable to an extent and you can even have separate controls for third person from first person.
It’s a shame there’s no story mode co-op in the next-gen release. That would have been another reason for people to purchase this game again. To relive the story with friends in co-op, would have made re-treading the missions far more fun and worthwhile. The Halo Master Chief Collection ended up in my Xbox one for that exact reason – to play through all four games in co-op with my mates.
Go to page 2 for more thoughts on the game including online multiplayer.
Online count is up from 16 to 30, but my experience wasn’t hitch-free.
I regularly faced connection issues and having to wait to connect again was overly long adding to the frustration. A patch was released on November 22nd, and this update does appear to have fixed the disconnect issues as I was able to play online with out issue after the patch.
Talking of online, for those new to the franchise, the tutorial isn’t well what you’d actually call a tutorial, it’s more of an initiation and can be bewildering to start. Not everyone will have a grumpy teenager to hand (like I was fortunate – or unfortunate – to have) to point out what you need to be doing and what to avoid. Red dots on the maps are bad, and if you’re a noob you’re going to be a fresh meat target to kill for easyXP. There are a number of modes such as death match, races, heists and all are fun once you get the hang of them.
So depending on which camp you fall into depends on whether you will want to purchase the GTA V again. I never finished the game originally, despite owning it on both PS3 & Xbox 360, but I wanted the prettier, definitive version. I’ll probably buy go for the PC version when released, too. That’s if I have a 4K setup…
As for me, it’s just one of them games you want to have in your collection for when your online pals, on whichever format you’re on, say “You got GTA V?”
Important info:
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Players: single player campaign, multiplayer: 2-30
- HDTV options: 720p/1080i/1080p
- Dolby Digital 5.1 sound: Yes
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GRAPHICS SOUND GAMEPLAY POTENTIAL |
10 9 10 9 |
| OVERALL | 9.5 |
I’m all about the Games and Gadgets. Rumoured to have been born with a mobile phone in his hand. (It’s not true. It was a Gameboy) You want to know more about my business? You better invest in it then hadn’t you.
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