Grand Theft Auto V: New Gameplay and Screens Winning Me Over
Yesterday Rockstar pried open the seal on their upcoming mega-blockbuster, GTAV.
Now, I’ll be honest with you since I like the cut of your jib: I’ve fallen out of love with this crime-centric, do-anything-you-want open worlder in recent years. I was there for GTA in its top-down days when vehicular manslaughter meant flattening tiny sprites. And I was right there in its golden age when Rockstar brought the concept to the three-dimensional plane and, soon after, worldwide infamy.
But this generation GTAIV – and its DLC extensions – failed to win me over. It could’ve been the open-world genre had become commonplace by then, with some direct rivals owning better ideas than Rockstar’s once untouchable franchise. It could’ve been the disconnect between me and the surly war veteran I controlled, Niko Bellic, as he begrudgingly (if not reluctantly) submerged himself in a life of petty crime.
But GTAV…The initial story trailers have all kept the status quo – violent, comical characters engaging in capers that satirize pop culture and society. Pretty standard fare for this series. But then there’s this goddamn gameplay trailer which has me sold on the game ten times over. The notion of switching between three separate characters on the fly is exciting on paper, but watching it implemented seamlessly into the flow of an action thick mission glued my eyes to the screen. For a “Do Anything” series, there’s always been a forced rigidity as soon as you picked up a mission. Effortless, real-time character swapping looks to body this complaint head-on.
My other perpetual bone to pick with these games, the combat, has also been banged out and shaped into a beastlier form, perhaps borrowing from the publisher’s experience on Max Payne 3 (kudos on the weapon wheel, Rockstar). Throw in a gigantic Los Santos with more depth and opportunities for interaction than this franchise has ever seen, mix that up with a slew of customization for your trio and the vehicles they acquire (see: steal), and layer it all with Rockstar’s now unmistakeably signature style. When September 17th rolls around, I doubt there’ll be any hesitation in the nerve bundles between my brain and wallet.