This permanence seeps between Grand Theft Auto V‘s three-tier character system, too. For example, after I escaped the gang of bikers and customised the aforementioned BF Injection to my heart’s desire – slick paint job, chrome alloys…you know, the usual – I decided to switch characters. Satisfied with my playtime with the balding lunatic, I hopped into Franklin’s aspiring shoes in south Los Santos to go about my business. However, a few minutes later, sirens pierced the urban lull like a pin to a balloon and a very familiar looking BF Injection roared past my street pursued by half a dozen police cars. It took me a while to catch up to the modified dune-buggy, but it was in fact Trevor Philips in the driving seat, simply going about his extravagant hobby of antagonising the local police force. It was an unexpected continuity that I couldn’t help but smile at, and it’s this attention to detail that is instrumental in Rockstar’s world-building process; a verisimilitude that positions the studio alongside the likes of Bethesda in crafting open world experiences.
The trifecta of Michael, Trevor and Franklin exists in a persistent, dynamic world; the kind that elicits moments of awe such as these on a regular basis. Though many would argue that the graphical advancement since GTA IV isn’t as ground-breaking as Rockstar would have you believe, for me, it’s the technical minutia that really enforces the level of engagement within Grand Theft Auto V. The devil, as they say, is in the details. From the enhanced driving to the game’s extensive draw distance – which is a marvel in and of itself, with blimps casting shadows on the ground from 20,000 feet – the latest entry in the blockbuster franchise feels like a true advancement in every sense and, ultimately, the product of a philosophy which spans half a decade.
Rockstar’s in-house game engine RAGE – which the studio have been utilising since their departure from Criterion’s RenderWare in 2006 – has evolved from its focus on the Midnight Club series at Rockstar San Diego to become the developer’s flagship engine. Outside of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, RAGE has been responsible for games such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3, which were developed and published by Rockstar in 2010 and 2012, respectively. What many GTA fans don’t realise, however, is the profound influence that each of these titles had on the studio’s latest property. From the precise shooting mechanics of Max Payne 3 to Red Dead Redemption’s dynamic score – which would permeate any given scenario on the American frontier to crank up the tension – Rockstar have harnessed the finest components from their catalogue of games and assembled them under Grand Theft Auto V’s glossy aesthetic.
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