The best GTA ever, and the perfect end to a console generation

and this is not just a clumsy, empty phrase or a modest attempt to find any title for the review, but it is actually like that.
Good thing the game (and the onslaught of many new game releases) and has come to the market before the new console before the game Autumn. So the player has more time to enjoy this epic. And the time you need! (Actually, one would have to take at least three weeks of vacation, rather four.).

But first things first: Every now and then I'll compare in the following review GTA V with other open-world games. Of course with the direct predecessors GTA IV, GTA San Andreas (due to the location), as well as other published by Rockstar titles (Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3).
Why is it in my eyes by far the best GTA ever? Because it is breaking new ground (mission design, weapon upgrades, the three protagonists, animals and much more.) Without losing the core of itself Austobens in the virtual world or the Rockstar typical humor and perfectly balanced character drawing negligible.

The game world: A MONSTER GAME NAME GTA

You thought then that GTA San Andreas on the PlayStation 2 had a huge game world? You were blown away as you're riding on horseback through the endless landscapes and prairies of Red Dead Redemption? Then hold on tight: The game world in GTA V is greater than that of GTA San Andreas, GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption together! Even in a jet plane will take a while until you reach the end of the world! Now large is not as good. But here already. In GTA IV, the game world was at the end of the Suburbs of New York to end. No nature, no wild, gray concrete buildings and dreary suburb just flair. In GTA V nature strikes back, if one can put it that way. Rivers, mountains and valleys, lakes, forests, coasts, desert-like landscapes and much more., All is now back. To further the incredible size of the map is to illustrate the following words. In Blaine County, there is a lake, which is the size of Manhattan from GTA IV and this lake affects not even gigantic in the whole map section. Everything is freely accessible from the outset. However, one has only to Nebel on the map dissolve (similar to strategy games), by entering the appropriate areas.

As an innovation Rockstar now also presents us with a vivid world, because here finally the fauna is present. Seems to be a trend to be (Far Cry 3, Red Dead Redemption), the one now following there. Power but fun to hunt the animals or just to watch them as they chase each other or to exploit kloppen.
Big-city flair you have of course. This time again Los Santos that as any die-hard fan now knows, is the virtual version of Los Angeles. There is nothing to complain about. Whether Hollywood, Santa Monica Beach, Beverly Hills, Downtown; everything was available and really good reality modeled (I was last year for a few weeks in Los Angeles and imagining to be able to assess the reasonably).
Thus, there arises the familiar (GTA San Andreas, only better and more detailed) symbiosis of Großtadtjungel (Los Santos) and idyllic landscape (Blaine County).

The protagonists and story: The robbers dysfunctional trio

You control this time not just one person, but three. This is a real renewal for GTA conditions and by the character of diversity arise different possibilities of identification with the characters who each still have a special move that are not entirely irrelevant to the main missions; These are:
- Michael, a mid-forties, former, and now wealthy gangsters and family man who in the mountains of the Hollywood Hills has a nice property. But from the desolate family life he has had enough and wants to again enter right into the business. SPECIAL MOVE: slow motion when rumba preparers as Deadeye so.
- Franklin, an African American, who ekes out in Downtown LS with drugs and arms stores and other relatively smaller jobs. The character who most likely, does not remember because of skin color, to CJ from San Andreas. SPECIAL MOVE: Slow Motion feature while driving (in heavy traffic during the flight or during the race not unimportant).
- Trevor, a completely crazed Hillybilly (hillbilly), which is either angry or high. In most cases, but both at the same time. SPECIAL MOVE: Rage, Trevor goes mad and can strike down multiple enemies using fists or bludgeoning quickly and effectively, better armor. Already a legendary game character that allows ample WTF- moments.
All protagonists meet during the game and their individual and starkly differing histories and lifestyles merge. Really, very well done. You run and move also character specific. Together they perform a variety of main missions (for me the highlight of the game). Not much more I do not really want spoilers of the story. Except that she is accustomed seasoned with black humor, violence and drama and attracts me personally more than the typical GTA from rags to riches stories in Gangstermillieu.

The Missions

FINALLY been revised mission design sense. Mainly through the robbery missions of gangster trio. Your plans a robbery (different henchmen at different prices, with different features can be selected during the preparation), escape and getaway car and of course the procedure (Baller I'm all about the pile or I throw first tear gas, etc. in the building? Need I a sniper? I block a side street with a previously stolen bus? etc). Different tactics are possible, and the mission will run always different from. But the best part: The missions can always be re-played (on the phone look). Try other approaches. A replay value in the current game. Fantastic. It never gets boring. During the missions can and must sometimes you between the three protagonists switch back and forth, so that a mission succeeds. You can also communicate with each other, so call the friend to firefight or wave, because you do not get along alone. The game is acting dynamically that is, if you're on the go with Michael to place a bomb, but you realize that Trevor is attacked, her switcht on Trevor to, makes the opponent cold and during which Michael placed the bomb. So he is not just stupid around in the area, because you have changed the character.
All this has me a little reminiscent of the bank robbery and subsequent escape through the underground shafts in GTA IV. Here's just much, much more sophisticated and exciting. This gives the game definitely a due Ocean Eleven feeling. The missions themselves are also incredibly varied: The Quad heat, off opponents by Sniper, cut off by helicopter. All this during a single mission.

The health regeneration system (what a word ;-)) was also revised. The health fills halfway automatically. For more you need as usual health packs.

In addition to the robbery missions and single missions with character X, there are also countless side missions and races who follow all the usual principle. There is really never, ever boring.
(Pull people from a burning car wreck, people who dig their own grave out of their misery and free sooo much more) Also spontaneous side quests and bounty missions such as in Red Dead Redepmtion there again.

Total emissions from all difficulty are heavier than before. But still fair and feasible! (If you versiebt a mission three times in a row, one may skip). The checkpoints are were also set fair.

The story takes a lot earlier than usual ride on, and the missions are action-packed from the start. I found it in other GTA titles at the beginning always a bit naff when you get too slowly introduced to the history and travels to person Y by X vehicle and had to hand over the subject of Z. And then again a mission according to this principle, and then eineDas however seems to be due to the story, because here, unlike else, the characters have long been living in Los Santos and the principle of the rookies in the big wide world fell.

OUTSIDE THE MISSIONS

Exploring the game world is as always with GTA the second heart is. That's great that you can switch between the three protagonists back and forth easily and quickly.
An example: You're on the go with Michael, which flips a beer just at the Santa Monica Pier while enjoying the ocean views. To dreary? Then over to Franklin, who was trying to explain to a prostitute. No Lust? Let's see what Trevor drives so. Ear condemned the bangs just in beach buggy through the desert and is tempted by the cops to bring down. I'll get him out of it! Or you do not! This increases the feeling of freedom and enormous leaves room to familiarize yourself with the individual characters. So you will always thrown totally crazy situations in unpredictable and in the case of Trevor.
There are (once again bicycles) like never before (driveability was polished by the way and feels more realistic, and the vehicles differ in performance even more clearly), more aircraft (which gave it in GTA IV so not so many motorized vehicles ), helicopters and boats (including submarines), quads, jet skis, the possibility of shares and property on a dynamic market (ie always nice an eye on it have) to buy. Tuning (performance and appearance) of cars is as detailed as never available. Rare and precious carts can you now buy at the dealership and park in your own luxury garage (rather than a huge hall fleet) and so protect against theft. You can clothes and accessories (again much more choice than in GTA IV) buy all three in various stores and change. Or would you prefer to let tattoo? Or a bit of stamina and lung capacity (yes, you can finally dive again; there are even diving missions and the (sub) -Wasserwelt looks fantastic) the character as in GTA San Andreas Train? Hunting, Tennis (really needs no prior series titles such as Top Spin hide), Golf, Lapdance? Or at the shooting range to try out the new weapon and level up weapons skills? Diving under water for treasures? Participate with the tourist on a Celebrity Tour? Or Just rumcruisen only with the motocross in the wilderness, to race to the cliff, jump, open parachute and gliding at sunset over the sea? You see, it is incredibly much possible. And I'm sure that I have now forgotten the half. But one thing still: For the first time, you can also tune weapons (optical sights, silencers, thermal sights, change color, etc.). This creates even more space for individuality and for the robbery missions often advantageous.
One has the feeling that one can spend the earned money also makes sense. In GTA IV you ran yes some with hundreds of thousands of dollars through New York and could (almost) nothing to squander the coal. Purchased weapons remain, moreover, longer the player that after a stay in prison is not always everything altogether. I find though fair, because it rewards the sale, on the other hand is more than unrealistic.

Your smartphone iFruit (super allusion) you can do photos and phone calls, etc. There are even mini-games and apps on the phone.
The police system was, in my opinion, greatly improved: There are only 5 instead of 6-star searches and you can hide you well within the search zone. The police chasing you only when you see you (cone of vision). So just park the car while fleeing in the back alley and keep quiet! Once you're flying over the huge prison in the north of the map, you will chased away! Very realistic.

The cover system and the weapon selection were, fortunately, also revised and everything now is strongly reminiscent of that of Max Payne 3. Also, there are nice renovations as possible shooting at a fuel gauge that ignites to under the hidden the car the enemy , blowing up.

Animals? Did I mention. I would like to say that there are also different fish and sharks in the game world. In addition, you encounter 15 different breeds of dogs! A (!) Of them can keep you well that can fetch balls, stroke, scratch and dressing on humans or train so that he does not every morning a huge crowd Sch. sets before his doghouse.

Friendships there again, but it is not as intrusive as in GTA IV asked by friends and annoyed about what to do. Girlfriends and dates no longer exists, however.

In the flight school can improve your your flying skills. However, one can NEVER be as good as Trevor (former military pilot) there from the outset has been.

Bodybuilding and Fitness Studios there is, however, NOT in the game. Hairstyles can be changed, however.

Yes, the Grove Street there also. However, there now reigns a different gang. Perhaps this is vented during the story more.

Pigeons or so in vain, for you can now UFO parts (reference: Area 51) are looking for.

Magnificent parodies of American society. Overall, even the typical black GTA humor exists.

Taxi / police and towing missions are possible.

Overall, the game world was created incredibly detailed. To something located on the remote hut, under no matter how each scruffy bridge, behind nearly every filthy dirty walls cool (eg graffiti or images) and meet you a lot more different passers etc.

Music and sound

As usual, there are again numerous different radio stations (there are 15, 2 of them send only talk shows) with different music from all genres. However, it is a pity that you can personalize as nothing: An example: I cruise with the top down on the highway and from the speakers blaring this madness horny Rocksongoh I have to hear again had bad luck! Although this is like in real life, but at this point simply stupid. A specially composed instrumental and imposing title score which additionally creates atmosphere and contributes to the adrenaline rush during the missions, there are also.

The voice acting is, as always, only in English available. I noticed the complete gapless Follow the story due to slang and expletives rare not very easy, although I have studied English / American! But there are German subtitles, but is so much talk (even while driving to missions and destination points), that it is sometimes difficult to read the subtitles, and to concentrate on the traffic. Is sometimes a real challenge. This can be frustrating.

ARTWORK AND TECHNOLOGY

Jap, at the very end and even though I myself am otherwise a graphic freak. But here the graphic is really not the decisive end, but incredibly well: Actually, it's amazing that GTA IV and V have been published on the same console generation (even if five years in between). It shows once again that the most technically demanding tracks (eg including The Last of Us) appear at the end of a console generation. Whether this is calculus in order again to milk the Geldkuh right or the technician is to better understand the console just now really matter. The graphics, for an open-world game well. But for a very well it would in my opinion, less edge flares (which is rather due to the weak distinctive anti-aliasing of the current console generation) and spongy textures give (which of course are not visible on the published screenshots). We can already see frequently that the console has problems loading the gigantic game world, although it has previously been installed 8GB. We particularly liked the other hand, has given me the appearance of the underwater worlds and the weather (light effects). The city looks at each position of the sun from ever different. At night anyway.

The engine will be fully exploited especially in the representation of faces, to say that the facial expressions and the faces (wrinkles, stubble, etc.) look really splendid. Still, it would have been interesting to know how GTA V would have looked at the upcoming console / PC.
I bought the standard version, and not the Special Collectors Edition or otherwise. In the game itself, I have nothing missing from the additional services such as additional outfits etc. Who needs exclusive artwork and other more or less nice gimmicks, must resort to a different version than the standard version and it also will be charged separately.
A multiplayer mode, there is also, I have not yet tested (he is also playable until October) and therefore you should read another review if necessary.

CONCLUSION

Why is GTA V GTA the best of all time? Because nature is back better than ever. Because the missions are varied and dynamic, and this results in a different story and narrative style than usual. Because you can spontaneously switch back and forth between three protagonists. A GTA VI with a single protagonist, I do not like to imagine my. Because you have more freedom and opportunities to pass the time. Because the game (partially) looks fantastic. Because everything else was also all right, still is good. If you respond and that you are also a fan of the other GTA series, you have to buy the game easy, otherwise there is the miss of a piece of video game history!

PS If anyone time works the miracle and achieved 100% game progress, he should tell me that but ;-)

MfG