Pros & Cons
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- 1080p graphics.
- New first-person mode.
- Exclusive rewards for double-dippers.
- New animations and audio tracks.
- Cross-platform and cross-gen saves.
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- A full-price release.
Grand Theft Auto V ($59.99), originally released in September 2013, may have been the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360's last true blockbuster release. The title generated an astounding $1 billion dollars in just three days for developer Rockstar Games, and it managed to collect multiple awards, including the PCMag Editors' Choice. Now the game of gangsters, glamour, and glitz makes the jump to the PlayStation 4($499.00 at Amazon), with numerous enhancements in place that may tempt you to purchase this new version. This next generation of Grand Theft Auto V is also available for Xbox One($200.00 at eBay) and comes to the PC on January 27, 2015.
A West Side Story
If you want the low-down on GTA V's story, check out our review of the PlayStation 3 version; the story remains the same. That said, Rockstar Gamer has given you the opportunity to experience this twisted take on the American dream from a first-person point of view—a first for the series.
This shift to the FPS viewpoint demanded other gameplay changes, too. There's now a first-person cover system, a new targeting system (complete with its own user-adjustable aim sensitivity), thousands of new animations, and much more. Thankfully, you can switch between first- and third-person views without dipping into menus; the change is just a button press away.
Audio-Visual Upgrades
The Grand Theft Auto games are as famous for their stellar soundtracks—a mix of popular and obscure music, and original, celebrity-voiced talk radio and commercial skits—as they are for their violence. The radio stations feature more than 150 new songs and talk radio tracks from the likes of Big Boy, Danny McBride, and JB Smoove.
GTA V's audio additions are impressive, but so are the new graphics. In fact, there are too many graphical changes to list. Besides running at 30 frames-per-second at 1080p resolution (the PS3 version ran at 720p, 30 fps), Grand Theft Auto V has added increased draw distance, better player-character textures, new land and sea animals, enhanced facial animation, and improved weather effects. It also has triple the number of light sources.
GTA Online and Upgrade Exclusives
GTA Online, the multiplayer component that features thieves battling other thieves, sees improvements, too. Besides the numerous vehicles, weapons, apartments, and character-tweaking options, GTA Online now has a 30-person player count (plus two spectators), handy cross-gen and cross-platform saves, and more than 150 new props for creators.
Rockstar Games has made certain to take care of the gamers who helped the company amass big profits last year. Grand Theft Auto V for next-gen consoles has exclusive items and modes that are only available to players willing to double-dip. There's a new murder mystery with gritty noir-like visual filters, a wildlife photography challenge, stock car races, and much more.
Keep an eye out for our full Grand Theft Auto V review, coming soon.