Grand Theft Auto V was first released in 2013 for that PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 console, nearly a decade ago at this point. The game would be a gigantic success when it first launched, but I don’t think anybody might have ever foreseen that the game wouldn't only be relevant in 2022, but also be probably the most popular games available on the market across all platforms. The prosperity of Grand Theft Auto V and it is online companion (that has largely become the main focus for Rockstar) cannot be overstated, but going on its fourth rerelease, the sport currently exists inside a much different space than it did all those years ago.
The last time players were forced to pay for GTA V and GTA Online again was in 2022 once the game hit PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, that have been the cutting-edge next-gen consoles at the time. PC players could hit the streets of Los Santos just a few months later at the begining of 2022, however the game has solely existed for the reason that form to this day. There was never upgrading for the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, the sport never got any new content outside of online updates, and countless games have come and gone meanwhile.
With this rerelease, dubbed “expanded that has been enhanced,” GTA V and GTA Online are finally playable at modern resolutions and framerates on consoles. Those standard of living features that other games received throughout the tail end of the last generation like faster framerates, sharper resolutions, frustration-free multiplayer, and more are finally available on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S version of the sport, but are all these improvements worth a paid upgrade that could perfectly are just free?
Grand Theft Auto V
While the single-player portion of Grand Theft Auto V continues to be entirely neglected since its original release, you may still find a fair number of people who have still not experienced the game’s story believe it or not. Despite GTA V being nearly a decade old, some people is going to be jumping into the shoes of Franklin, Michael, and Trevor for that first-time with this PS5 and Xbox Series X|S rerelease, and thankfully, the sport looks and runs better than ever.
There are several graphics modes to select from now. The Fidelity mode offers a native 4K resolution at 30 FPS with ray-tracing (only for shadows), the Performance mode offers 60 FPS at an upscaled 4K resolution, and also the Performance RT mode offers a combination of the two. The 3 modes are great, but Performance mode is definitely the very best of the bunch since the ray-traced shadows in the Fidelity mode are fairly disappointing. There aren’t any major graphical overhauls of any kind though, also it still just appears like a touched-up form of the PS4/Xbox One version for the most part.
There are some other next-gen enhancements like DualSense controller support on PS5, increased loading times, and some other bells and whistles, and it’s nice to finally play GTA V at something better than 1080p/30 FPS on the console. The problem is, the sport isn't quite as “expanded and enhanced” as it could have been, especially as a paid product.
This would’ve been an ideal opportunity to add some new single-player happy to the game, maybe reworking some existing online heists as story mode missions or something like that, but sadly, GTA V’s single-player story has not been changed whatsoever.
However, the campaign is still just like it was in 2013, so it’s a remarkably enjoyable experience. Its writing doesn’t come anywhere near the highs of Red Dead Redemption 2 though, and it’s very easy to see how far Rockstar originates within the narrative department since this game’s initial release. What was cutting-edge satire in 2013 now feels a little tired, but many from the major themes still hold true and the three protagonists are wonderful characters to follow. They are beloved characters for any reason, and also the story continues to be a blast of back-to-back Hollywood references from beginning to end.
Also, Los Santos is an incredible open-world to understand more about, arguably one of the best and many detailed ever created. There’s plenty of side happy to tackle from triathlons to tennis matches, and also the environments are gorgeous and varied. Weaving in and out of traffic while blasting radio stations station of your choice is still an unmatched feeling, and striking the highway to go to the wide-open Blaine County is a lovely change of pace from the city streets. It’s GTA V. It’s good. Everyone knows it’s good.
Grand Theft Auto Online
While this release still says “Grand Theft Auto V” around the box, we all know the storyline mode isn’t the primary draw here. Grand Theft Auto Online has cannibalized its single-player counterpart to the point where it presently has a standalone version, and that is exactly why 90% of people will pick this next-gen port up. While GTA Online was slated to be a huge deal right from the start, even before the original launch of GTA V, nobody on the planet could have predicted how successful it might end up being.
A free tacked-on multiplayer mode from 2013 has now grown into one of the most profitable and influential games ever, and it’s still going strong in 2022 without any signs of slowing down. With that in mind, GTA Online’s systems and infrastructure weren't made up of this degree of success in your mind, and also the game can feel these limitations still today. A dreadful lobby system, insane load times, huge griefing problems, connection issues, grinding worries, plus much more plague GTA Online, and this update aims to treat a minimum of a few of them.
The resolution and framerate enhancements continue to be contained in GTA Online, so players can finally experience 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The system’s SSDs also help with loading times, although you’ll still be checking sky for quite a while when attemping to find a lobby. GTA Online’s onboarding has been overhauled though, so beginners will be able to select a starting business and get a lump sum of cash to lessen early game grinding. The game’s menus have also received some work, which makes it much easier to find jobs and heists.
All in all, these minor steps significantly help in making GTA Online feel a lot more like a contemporary release, however the game feels archaic compared to multiplayer releases from the current decade. The sport needs a bigger overhaul, one which can make more types of content enjoyable, worthwhile, and accessible. Heists and businesses are still the main attractions here. Playing jobs and missions still seems like putting things off unless they’re the featured weekly ones with bonus payouts, but even then, you could you need to be grinding Cayo Perico to earn some easy cash. Whenever you pair by using the connection issues and lobby system problems, it’s not worth bothering with many from the game’s available content.
Still, there’s grounds why GTA Online is still going strong ten years later even with all of these issues. It’s this type of strong online game in nearly every regard. Driving around and just screwing around with friends is fun, and heists remain probably the most engaging co-op content available on the market right now. Using the latest heists offering different methods of approachability and scaling to smaller groups, it’s clear the best is yet in the future. The same goes with the latest updates, that offer much more story content for solo players and supply exciting collaborations with people like Dr. Dre.
There’s just so much content available, even when it’s not all just like the premier things. You can play games at the casino, you can immerse yourself within an underground racing scene, you can play player-created jobs and do custom races floating above the city, you are able to rob the casino listed earlier, and a whole lot. It’s an open-world playground in every feeling of the word, and its strengths are the only explanations why it had been able to survive with as many backend issues because it has.
This rerelease doesn’t remedy every issue with GTA Online. The game will probably have these issues well into the current generation. It does bring console players right using the PC experience, however, and it makes the game at least a little more accessible and stops it from wasting a lot of your time and effort. This might have and really should happen to be a free upgrade, but thankfully, it’s not top dollar. Whether you’re an experienced player or just jumping set for the first time, this version of GTA Online is great. Oh yeah, and Grand Theft Auto V is included, too I suppose.
