* Number of Players: 1
Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a former street gangster, now looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.
Grand Theft Auto V is the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar Games has yet created, and takes full advantage of every ounce of processing power available in the current generation of consoles. In order to provide the best possible experience for such a massive and detailed world, the game will have installation requirements on the PlayStation(R)3 system.
Grand Theft Auto V ships on one disc and will install content as soon as you insert the game. The install is roughly 8GB, and players will be able to play as soon as the install is complete.
List Price: $ 59.99 PRICE: $ 39.96 Customer Reviews
276 of 313 people found the following review helpful A PERFECT CRIME SAGA AND SO MUCH MORE - AN IN DEPTH REVIEW, September 18, 2013 By (Raleigh, NC) -
= FUN: THIS REVIEW IS FROM: GRAND THEFT AUTO V - PLAYSTATION 3 (VIDEO GAME) **UPDATE**: The online is still being fixed and there are still frustrations, but I can finally provide insight into playing (not-so-nice) with others.
From the time I've started this game till now, I have enjoyed every single second of my journey. This is easily the game of the year, if not the decade. It is stunning graphically, pushing the PS3 to it's limits, and the world is seamless. If Rockstar never made another Grand Theft Auto, this could easily be the Magnum Opus of the series.
**SUMMARY**
Graphics: 5/5 - The game looks gorgeous. Rockstar truly captured the feel of Southern California and made each location look unique and believable. Cars, characters, waves, the city; it's truly amazing.
Audio: 5/5 - Every sound helps make the city feel alive. From the sound of foot steps to the hum of an engine, the acting and the audio is top notch.
Gameplay: 5/5 - The improvements are immediately noticeable. Any issues with previous iterations of Grand Theft Auto should be satisfied; the controls are tight and everything feels fluid and seamless. It's a joy to drive, run, shoot, and travel around Los Santos. Those with gripes about GTA IV: this plays and feels much better, cars handle much better. You will not be disappointed.
Story: 5/5 - One word - incredible. Since the moment I turned the game on I was engrossed with each character and wanting to find out what happens next to our intrepid anti-heroes/criminal upstarts. This is a crime saga that will not disappoint and the characters help to give the story depth and meaning. The only real drawback is that the story moves fast and is over quickly.
Online: 3/5 - Online is fantastic and fun, but there are some major frustrations too. Other players will mercilessly hunt you down and kill you - over and over again. You lose money each time you die, and players have become creative to bypass certain things like Passive Mode. When you do find a group of players who aren't simply looking to cause mayhem and grief, the missions range from fun to extremely frustrating. The ability to free roam with up to 16 other players is great, but Rockstar needs to make some changes in order to give the online portion long-term success.
Overall: 5/5 - This is the game to own, regardless of what system you have. With limitless replayability, a vast, realistic world to explore, so many things to do, and a AAA story, this belongs in the library of every gamer who does not mind an adult story and content. If you enjoyed the other GTA titles, or you enjoy the action and gripping story of games like Uncharted, Assassin's Creed and/or Red Dead Redemption then get this game.
**IN-DEPTH REVIEW**
Beginning:
When starting on the PS3 for the first time, expect a 10 to 15 minute install; story mode takes another 5 minutes to load. Once that is through, the game thrusts you into a heist as you learn the basic controls, most of which feel similar to GTA IV. You are also shown a new gameplay mechanic -- switching characters on the fly. To do this, press and hold the down d-pad button, then with the right stick select the character in the wheel that pops up you want to control. After the introduction, there are some cutscenes as the player is shown a little bit of Los Santos. Once the scene is over, the player is left with a mission for Franklin. Finish the mission, and the world is yours to explore.
Story:
Welcome to Los Santos, with all the glitz and glamor you've come to expect, but corruption and crime runs rampant under the surface. Our -ahem- heroes are Michael, a retired bank robber; Franklin, a repo man trying to do right and make his way up in the world; and Trevor, an unhinged, unpredictable maniac who used to run robberies with Michael. Michael is living the rich life with his dysfunctional family. Trevor is running repo jobs with his friend for a shady car salesman. Trevor is living in trailer park and causing mayhem trying to make some money. Each character is distinct, unique and and extremely interesting. You'll want to spend time with all three. The dialogue is well written and I found myself waiting to finish a mission or move into the highlighted spot until the characters were finished talking so I didn't miss anything.
Gameplay:
There are numerous improvements and upgrades to the classic Grand Theft Auto, all of which help makes a satisfying experience:
If you fail a section of a mission 3 times, can fast forward to next checkpoint - but don't have to. If there was a frustrating aspect, like having to place first in a race to advance the story, now you can skip the frustration and move the story along; you can go back and finish it later, or not at all.
Special Abilities and Character Switching:
Each character has a special ability used by pressing L3 + R3. As Michael,... HELP OTHER CUSTOMERS FIND THE MOST HELPFUL REVIEWS Was this review helpful to you? |
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES EVER MADE!, December 16, 2013 By - AMAZON VERIFIED PURCHASE() THIS REVIEW IS FROM: GRAND THEFT AUTO V - PLAYSTATION 3 (VIDEO GAME) Rockstar have raised the gold standard for the sandbox genre to seemingly unattainable heights for not just their competitors, but even themselves.
Topping Red Dead Redemption was always going to prove to be a mighty feat with unreasonable fan expectations, but Rockstar didn't just admit defeat and nonchalantly pump out another entry into the cultural phenomenon that is Grand Theft Auto, they took this as a challenge and delivered on unearthly expectations and hype.
After spending roughly 50 hours in Los Santos and Blaine County, I come to you writing this review with my own sky high expectations blown out of the water. For some additional perspective, I'm nowhere near ready to satisfyingly shelve the game and prepare for new releases or consoles as there's still so much more exhilarating content to experience. Simply put, Grand Theft Auto V will go down in the history books as a landmark in gaming and one of the very best games ever created.
Ambition and originality highlight the adventure in a myriad of ways but most notably with the enormous undertaking of crafting a game with roughly 100 hours of content around not one, but three unique and distinct protagonists with their own intertwining life issues. Michael is a retired professional thief stuck in a midlife crisis constantly at odds with his family, Franklin works a dead end job repossessing vehicles whilst desperately struggling to escape the urban lifestyle, and finally, there's Trevor who is pleasantly psychotic and amongst being the most colorful character in the game, he's also one of the most entertaining characters in all of gaming embodying everything the GTA franchise is about.
I'm not going to delve too far into the plot because how everything unfolds; even from the very beginning is one of the most fascinating aspects of the game. All you really need to know is that you will be flipping between this criminal band of heroes in a series of elaborate missions and dangerous heists that feel ripped out of a movie to ultimately get rich and exercise some personal demons.
Among these intriguing central themes are much more riveting plot points that touch upon everything from dysfunctional families, celebrity sycophancy, government morality, feminism, social media, torture, and overall brilliant satire of modern America. Every single scene, mission, and character is just ripe with provocative social commentary in traditional GTA comedic fashion, but this time around it's relevant and intelligently nailed to a point that directly speaks to the player. These are all things you naturally would not expect from a GTA game but surprisingly they exist and greatly add to what is probably one of the most compelling narratives in all of gaming.
Everything is also heightened from the fact that GTA V is just so damn fun to play. Shooting has received a drastic cosmetic overhaul taking cues from both Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3, complete with helpful cover and a weapon wheel. You can also toggle multiple aiming settings that include a traditional aiming system allowing you to flip between softly locked on targets. Fundamental control schemes aren't all the upgrades though as you can now shoot gasoline in the environment to ignite a fire which hopefully leads to an explosion.
Seamlessly switching between Michael, Franklin, and Trevor during frenetic firefights can not only prove to be advantageous but also cinematically intense. The most well-known example of this is sniping as Franklin while Michael snatches a hostage whilst rappelling down a towering corporate building but without spoiling anything, this highly touted feature is executed remarkably well.
Each protagonist is also given a special ability that suits their personality and role in a completely new feature to the franchise. Michael can slow down time in a firefight similar to Max Payne in his franchise but without all the stylistic John Woo inspired diving. Trevor can enter a state of berserk granted with the buff of dishing out double damage and having all damage taken halved. Franklin's ability goes in a different direction allowing him to slow down time while driving.
All of these special abilities are highly useful and can be taken advantage of when in a pinch; in some ways they almost make the combat too easy especially considering the ability gauges recharge fairly quickly and your health already will always regenerate to halfway when nearly dead. Nevertheless, it's an awesome feature and anything that mixes Max Payne into GTA can't be a bad thing.
Driving was given a lot of flak in GTA IV as the cars essentially felt like you were skating on ice so Rockstar dialed the unwaveringly required precision back a notch so that every method of transportation is more user friendly and accessible but doesn't play... HELP OTHER CUSTOMERS FIND THE MOST HELPFUL REVIEWS Was this review helpful to you? |
142 of 190 people found the following review helpful THE ONE YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR (NO SPOILERS), September 17, 2013 By -
= FUN: THIS REVIEW IS FROM: GRAND THEFT AUTO V - PLAYSTATION 3 (VIDEO GAME) If you have ever enjoyed a GTA in the past you will enjoy this one. ( review edited/updated 9/24)
If you have ever stopped playing GTA due to some frustrating flaws then you may be pleasantly surprised by the changes this time around.
After playing part four there were a few things that turned me off and reduced my playtime. I am so excited to share that two of my main frustrations have been fixed.
If you have been following the media and the leaks on this game than you know it's beautiful and you have a good ideas as to wether or not its something you want to play.
Things I didn't know before:
- Probably the single most impressive thing to me that wasn't bragged about is that when you start this game up it will load up your new session. After this you most likely won't see a loading screen again without restarting the game. The world is huge and I have no idea how they have accomplished this.
- You will no longer have to drive from your house to the starting point if a mission over and over again each time you fail it. This will save you a large amount of frustration. There is a lot of content here so there is no need for you to waste time with repetition.
- You can now completely skip a portion of the mission. If you fail three times then you will be given the option to jump past a portion of the mission and move forward. There is a point penalty but I can be worth it if it saves you from pulling out all of your hair.
Most noticeable improvement.
- the cars drive excellently. GTAIV had the cars feeling as if they have four wheel drive while on ice. The cars this time around have a really nice weight to them. It's hard not to feel like you are in a solid racing game while driving around the beautiful city.
Bugs/issues
So far I have not experienced any of the bugs that other people have mentioned on here. The game has not frozen at all for me. In previous games I feel like I used to get trapped when trying to enter cars but so far I have had no issues.
Graphics
This game is absolutely stunning. There is so much detail and you really feel that the city is alive. Ever area seems detailed and important. One thing to note is that if you live or have lived in LA you will feel that you are right at home. They have been able to perfectly condense the city in order for you to recognize your surroundings.
One thing to note is that it is hard to feel sometimes that the game is running completely smoothly. At times the system seems to chug a bit. There are odd little pauses and sometimes textures load a little but blurry for a moment. I want to say that this is not a Viking but rather more of a symptom of this game being designed for more advanced hardware . The hope here is that they are planning for ps4/Xbox one versions but so far there isn't a formal plan announced.
One area where the graphics are behind the earlier games is with the car destruction. It is far less realistic looking but with all of the other advancements that are found here you won't miss it.
More to come
This game has a multiplayer portion that isn't available yet. Rockstar has stated that it should be working in early October. There are a lot of promises for the online portion and when that comes out it should be the icing on the cake. 0 HELP OTHER CUSTOMERS FIND THE MOST HELPFUL REVIEWS Was this review helpful to you? |
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