Review: Grand Theft Auto V PC

Is there a modern game series that’s more engrained in our cultural lexicon than Grand Theft Auto? While retro properties like Mario and Pac-Man have evolved into symbols of the industry at large, there’s hardly any other post ‘80s series that is not only universally recognized, but so frequently discussed. This is a gaming franchise that has been the focal point of the argument against video game violence, with multiple lawsuits and constant discussions surrounding it throughout the first half of the aughts. This is a series that is known enough to make its title into a verb, with "going Grand Theft Auto on ___" a phrase that’s seeped its way into many a gamer’s vernacular. And, of course, this is a series that’s given new meaning to "hot coffee." Yet through all of the criticism and controversy, it’s managed to not only be one of the best selling franchises of all time, but one of the most critically acclaimed. It’s the game that represents the generational gap, uniting Millennials from all walks of life who've found an aspect to latch onto, while almost everybody else has a hard time understanding why we’d want to commit virtual vehicular homicide. Yet for all the violence of the game (and there is plenty), that’s not what makes us return to Grand Theft Auto; it’s the fact that it’s a virtual world that lets us do what we want -- a mantra the fifth entry into the series takes to heart.

Of course, one of the aspects this series is most renowned for is its music. Vice City sparked a minor resurgence in New Wave, while Grand Theft Auto IV perfectly captured the burgeoning indie scene in Brooklyn at the time. Building off of the presentation and quality of the latter’s soundtrack, V boasts one of the series’ best collections of music. For indie lovers, Radio Broker is replaced by Radio Mirror Park, which features tracks from Twin Shadow, Yeasayer, Health, Neon Indian, The Chain Gang of 1974 and more. The incredible thing is that all of the aforementioned artists are contributing new music to the game and the fact that there’s so many critically revered artists with new music on one channel is astounding. For electronic lovers, there’s Soulwax FM, named after and featuring many remixes from electronic band Soulwax. On the pop side of things, there’s Non-Stop Pop FM which features an excellent blend between current top ten artists like Rhianna, lesser-known ones like Robyn and classic acts like Hall & Oats. Of course, there’s something for everyone with other stations focusing on rap, country, classic rock and more. The amount of care put into curating this soundtrack that could have simply been a collection of random songs is more evidence of how much work goes into even the smallest features of the game.

Of course, the biggest question on many’s mind is whether or not this is a mere gimmick. With the amount of work and customization Rockstar Games philosophy clearly put into it, it’s far from a throwaway feature. Those who tailor the settings to their likings will realistically find a whole new way to experience the title. Some may even prefer many aspects of first-person mode. While I found it agreeable, I still prefer to experience the entire game in third-person, but there’s no denying that gunplay can be more smooth and precise in first-person. However gamers decide to experience it, though, they can be assured it will be in a beautiful setting.

The arguments are there that VR is a powerful piece of narrative device. The people you play as in the Grand Theft Auto series are largely awful people, and seeing the world through their eyes is a breakneck way to deliver that message to players. I could even see it causing emotional scenes, like pulling the trigger on Duck in Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season 1, that much more powerful, but in the case of Grand Theft Auto V, its meaning may take a backseat to just how terrifying the act of killing is.

I want to emphasize that I’m not afraid of this getting into children’s hands. If it does, that’s a failing of parents, not any of the companies related to the game or any of the peripherals used in the video. I am worried about what this might do to a whole era of games that support full virtual reality. What I had once envisioned as a device that would take classrooms to the surface of Mars so their teachers can explain first hand what unimaginable wonders are in our galaxy may in the future be used to simulate weapons to an unprecedented degree of precision.

Rockstar remains one of the classic innovators of gaming, letting loose an expansive, free-form-mission mentality that would pioneer the success of the "open-world" genre. Grand Theft Auto is the crown jewel of that kingdom. It’s an international phenomenon and one of the most important game series of all time. With Grand Theft Auto V , Rockstar made the biggest open world of its kind, but despite its commercial success, the developer is simply giving into its own very hazardous addiction. Grand Theft Auto V simply exacerbated the recurring issue that has been plaguing the series since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , an issue that is continuing to drain the studio’s credibility in making top-shelf open world games.