After seeing a movie, I went down to the beach to ride the roller
coaster on the pier and go jet skiing in the ocean. Afterward, I got a
haircut and bought a new suit, and then I returned home to unwind with
some fresh juice and a yoga session in my backyard. Later, I met up with
one of my friends for drinks at a downtown watering hole.
I live in Los Angeles, but I didn't do any of that stuff there. Nah,
it all happened over the past 48 hours while visiting Los Santos, the
virtual seaside metropolis cunningly depicted in "Grand Theft Auto V"
(Rockstar Games, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99). Oh, did I
mention I also committed dozens of felonies?
For the most part, it's illegal business as usual in the latest
edition of "Grand Theft Auto." There are vehicles to swipe, schemes to
plan and banks to rob. Unlike previous installments in the wildly
successful — and violent — M-rated series, "GTA V" centres not just on
one but three criminal protagonists: former partners Michael and Trevor,
and their new protege, Franklin.
Nearly a decade after their last heist went terribly wrong,
middle-aged Michael is living comfortably bored in witness protection in
a ritzy Los Santos mansion, while the unhinged Trevor is dealing meth
and smuggling guns on the outskirts of town in Blaine County. Meanwhile,
Franklin is hustling on the streets as a repo man for an unsavoury car
dealership owner.
The three men and their double- and triple-crossing ventures are
ingeniously interwoven in both the narrative and gameplay of "GTA V,"
which allows players to almost seamlessly switch among Michael, Trevor
and Franklin throughout the proceedings. With the tap of a few buttons,
"GTA V" briskly sweeps across Los Santos from one anti-hero to another.
During missions involving all three dudes, the flip-flopping is key
to avoid getting wasted by the Los Santo Police. For instance, one
particularly high-pressured holdup of an armoured car involves swapping
between Michael and Franklin blasting at waves of cops on the ground,
and Trevor picking them off with a sniper rifle from a rooftop.
It's not so much a gimmick as it is a flawless innovation on the established "GTA" formula.
Besides the usual felonious shenanigans, there are leisurely
diversions spread across Los Santos, including customizing rides,
investing in the stock market, racing jet skis, watching TV, surfing
spoof sites online, playing tennis and patronizing strip clubs.
With an obsessive attention to detail, the city of Los Santos — last
visited in 2004's "GTA: San Andreas" — and its outlying areas feel more
alive than any virtual world I've ever visited. Rockstar Games has
masterfully crafted a stunning make-believe take on modern Southern
California that rivals the dragon-infested realm from "The Elder Scrolls
V: Skyrim."
However, this Los Santos is not a perfect clone of L.A.
The urban areas don't feel quite dense enough when compared with
Liberty City from 2008's "GTA IV." And the rendition of Beverly Hills is
basically across the street from downtown. Also, a few tired L.A.
cliches — plastic surgery, seeking fame — are referenced so frequently
the game almost veers into goofy "Saint's Row" territory.
Fortunately, any shortcomings with "GTA V" feel about as important as
a random stranger crossing the street in Los Santos. Rockstar Games has
created such a fascinating place for Michael, Trevor and Franklin to
explore and wreak havoc, I think you'll want to visit for more than a
weekend. I know I do. Four stars out of four.
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