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Why Grand Theft Auto V Proves That Rockstar Games Is In A League Of Their Own

Spending four years in development and tethered with a reported budget of $265 million, Rockstar’s latest, and arguably greatest entry into the billion-dollar franchise arrived early last week to seemingly unanimous approval.

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Breaking new ground is part and parcel of the studio’s DNA. For example, that record-scratching moment back in 2001 when GTA III introduced the gaming community to a truly immersive 3D environment is emblematic of Rockstar’s trailblazing M.O. And though the evolution of the series hasn’t been as radical since that transition to three dimensions twelve years ago, Grand Theft Auto continues to push the envelope in terms of game design; a feat that is utterly apparent with Grand Theft Auto V.

If the franchise is, at its core, an open-world experience, then GTA V takes the already successful framework to dizzying new heights. Truthfully, much digital ink has been spilled regarding the immense scale of the satirised San Andreas – and deservedly so. The area of Los Santos and Blaine County has been rendered with a precision and level of quality that would only be possible in the twilight years of the current-gen consoles. The hyper-saturated sunsets, the photo-realistic water effects, even the facial animations – which have witnessed a marked improvement since its predecessor – all imbue Grand Theft Auto V with an unparalleled sense of realism. It’s one thing to create to expand the horizons and create a colossal, open-ended world, but to populate that space with interactive NPC’s, random encounters and realistic wildlife is an entirely different feat. Of course, this sense of permanence is a trope that the series has become known for. From the property management in Vice City to the RPG-lite elements of San Andreas, Rockstar have a habit of creating addictively flexible open worlds. In the case of Grand Theft Auto V, though, the studio have doubled down on the granular detail so that every available pixel is put to good use.

Grand Theft Auto V isn’t just huge; it’s alive. So much so, that it feels as though the metropolis of Los Santos and the arid outback of Blaine County have existed long before you started your journey, and will continue to subsist long after you turn off your system. Even as you transition from one character to the next, you would often take control slap-bang in the middle of a situation – or in Trevor’s case, at the bottom of a ditch – which again emphasises that believable, dynamic undertone inherent in GTA V’s world. Its rich depth captures your imagination in such as way that when an in-game mechanic – a phone call, for example – interrupts your progress to direct you towards a mission, it’s almost surprising to realise that this world is – whisper it – a fabrication. Mind you, it’s an overwhelming virtual realm and surveying the world from the peak of Mount Chiliad to the depths of the Pacific Ocean left me with a deep-seated sense of wonder on par with my first experience with The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time on the N64 all those years ago.

An instance that typified this sense of wonder for me was during my exploration of the immense Blaine County. With a rusty BF Injection as my vehicle of choice, I was intent on traversing the rich environment and discovering every available nook and cranny. Given the eccentric nature of GTA, though, I knew this wasn’t going to be your average road trip. Weaving my way along the mountain path, I encountered a group of bikers approaching my dune-buggy at high speed. Granted, there may have been no malicious intent at first, but after clipping one of the motorbikes it wasn’t long before the tranquil wilderness was interrupted with the sound of gunshots. While a spare of the moment clash isn’t exactly remarkable in and of itself, what made it so absorbing was the vivacity of the surrounding environment. A crop-dusting plane gliding overhead, a herd of timid deer skittering from the beaten track towards cover all added a sense of dramatic weight to the impromptu gunfight. It was seamless; an unscripted moment that, for me, perfectly encapsulated the compelling nature of the fictional Los Santos.

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