Fans of the
Grand Theft Auto series can breath a sigh of relief this morning. The verdict of country's critics is unanimous –
GTA 5 lives up to the hype.
Praise for the game, released today, can be found in all quarters: from broadsheet to tabloids, digital blogs to gaming websites.
The Mirror's Dan Silver captures the mood of most critics. "As we stand on the cusp of a new era in console gaming,
GTA V isn’t just the greatest entry in one of its great series, it’s also one of the entire medium’s most accomplished and amazing achievements to date," he says.
"Stick a fork in this generation: it’s done."
Top of the list of standout features praised by reviewers is the design of Los Santos, the city which gamers inhabit in
GTA 5.
"It’s a world that feels genuinely alive, more so than any of the previous games," according to The Independent's Simon Rice.
"The pure richness in detail make roaming
Los Santos almost as rewarding as any structured mission."
Digital Spy's Liam Martin strikes a similar note. "The city of
Los Santos and its surrounding countryside is among the most diverse, interesting and visually striking virtual environments that I've ever had the pleasure of exploring," he says.
Martin also has praise for one of the game's big new features – the ability to switch between three characters mid-mission. He calls it "one of
GTA 5's best additions" which gives the missions "greater focus and makes them feel more cinematic".
Now Gamer's Adam Barnes agrees, calling the innovation
GTA 5's "big selling point". "The switching mechanic works surprisingly well," he says.
"Though it’ll take up to 30 seconds to switch, it does so almost seamlessly, hiding its loading behind a Google Earth style zoom-in, zoom-out function. It’s all very slick."
Complaints from the critics are restricted largely to smaller details. In an otherwise positive review, the Guardian's Keith Stuart criticises the portrayal of women.
"Women are, once again, relegated to supporting roles as unfaithful wives, hookers and weirdos. The one successful female character in the story is suspected of just wanting to screw her boss," he says.
Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer praises the dark humour running through the game – what he calls "Rockstar's trademark cynicism".
He writes: "
GTA 5 is spoiled for choice and the gag writers go for the jugular, skewering TV talent contests, self-help gurus, social media, internet trolls, political hypocrites and our obsession with sex, sex, sex. You can't go half a block without walking into a punch line."
It is that same satirical humour that the Guardian's Stuart returns to his review. In particular he enjoys the game's fake social network Lifeinvader, a "spot on amalgam of Facebook, Apple and Google".
"The staff all wear cargo shorts, whine on about organic lactose-free dairy products and treat their CEO with religious deference," he says.
The game, Stuart concludes, is a "
monstrous parody of modern life" and "ridiculous fun".
