Rockstar Games has finally released Grand Theft Auto V yesterday at 12 a.m. and is now available for purchase worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Xbox.
GTA V can be classified a satire on today’s society that touches bases on all the small things that can be forgotten. It takes on the hardships of life, may they be voluntary or not. The game is set in Los Santos, an assimilation of modern day Southern California. Los Santos is a land where players can live a life of leisure and commit traffic crimes without police intervention.
Fans have waited 4 years for a new game in the series to be released. GTA V and went so far as to stand outside Game Stops everywhere for the midnight release. Many had to endure, or avoid, spoilers posted by those who could not wait. Amazon UK released the game a few days earlier than it was expected to be in stores.
One gamer, Joseph Bernstein, believes that Grand Theft Auto has become part of American culture,” àthis series has, over the past 15 years, become genuine a cultural touchstone,” he said. He even decided to complete all of the game in one sitting. It took him over 30 hours to complete the game with only 57%.
There have been questions as to why the game had to be released right before Sony and Microsoft launch their brand new consoles. Developers are confident that mature, not aging, consoles have are the vehicle to producing games that bring in the most revenue.
“All the best games for a console come out at the end of the life cycleà” said Dan Houser, Vice President of Rockstar according to NBC News.
GTA V has introduced many new features that have never been seen in the past. Usually, games as vast as this one only include one lead character, but GTA V has three men: Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. Each character has a complex background that is revealed as the story progresses. Gamers have the ability to switch between all three characters at any random moment, or when they aren’t busy pulling off major, more organized, heists. There are individual missions, but there are some that allow gamers to interact with the other main characters by calling for “back up”.
Game play has been made to be more fluid and detailed. In a typical GTA environment there are many places to go, but there have been limitations. Swimming has been made possible, as well as parachuting, and speed boating. For those who are fans of Instagram, the game allows the player to take “selfies” on their cell phone.
Like many other games preceding this one, GTA V will be consistently evolving new content via online. On October 1st, Grand Theft Auto Five Online will be released with similar geography and mission based game play features for up to 16 players. There will be new options such as building your on street races, death matches, and even participate in shenanigans created by other online players.
Of course there is always the option for the easily entertained, of running around, getting into trouble with the streets and the laws.
Grand Theft Auto Five now has an app called GTA: The Manual, which is an online manual of the game. It features over 100 pages local activities in Los Santos and Blaine County, game controls, and more. The app is now available of iOS mobile, as well as, tablet and Mac.
The release date for Android and Windows phone or tablet has not yet been released. See a glimpse of game play here: