GTA V Review: Still the Benchmark for Open-World Crime Games

GTA V is an open-world action-adventure game built around three playable criminals and a large fictional slice of Southern California. It pairs a heist-driven story mode with GTA Online, a separate multiplayer mode that keeps receiving new content. If you are choosing between editions or platforms, the details below should help.

Game Information

DetailConfirmed information
Game titleGrand Theft Auto V (PC edition listed as “Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced”)
PlatformsPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (Wikipedia)
Release datesPS3 and Xbox 360: 17 Sep 2013. PS4 and Xbox One: 18 Nov 2014. Windows: 14 Apr 2015. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S: 15 Mar 2022. PC Enhanced upgrade: 4 Mar 2025 (Wikipedia; Epic listing)
GenreAction-adventure; Epic also tags it Open World
DeveloperRockstar North (Wikipedia); Epic and Xbox list Rockstar Games
PublisherRockstar Games
File sizeNo download size verified. Epic lists 105GB of required storage for PC Enhanced
Version or updateNot supplied
LanguagesXbox lists English (US and UK), Deutsch, español (España and Latinoamérica) and français, and the list is truncated. Full list unconfirmed
ModesSingle-player, online multiplayer (up to 30 players)
Age ratingESRB Mature 17+

About the Game

The story follows three protagonists in the fictional state of San Andreas, which is based on Southern California. Michael is a retired bank robber living in Los Santos under a false identity. Franklin is a young street hustler looking for a way up. Trevor is a volatile criminal who lives in rural Blaine County. A debt pulls Michael back into crime, and the three end up planning heists while a corrupt government agency and dangerous criminals lean on them.

Los Santos is modelled on Los Angeles. The wider map also covers open countryside, and Wikipedia says it is much larger than the maps in earlier series entries. Once the opening prologue is over you can explore it freely, though story progress unlocks more content.

GTA V Review

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Key Features

  • Three playable protagonists. You switch between Michael, Franklin and Trevor, both during and outside missions. Each has their own skills and a unique special ability, so the same situation can play out differently depending on who you are using.
  • Heist missions. The story is built around heists. Harder ones use AI-controlled accomplices who take a cut of the money, and some heists can be approached in more than one way.
  • Open world on foot and by vehicle. You can move by shooting, driving, swimming and flying, and can play in first-person or third-person. First-person is not available on PS3 or Xbox 360.
  • GTA Online. A separate online mode where up to 30 players take on jobs, races and other activities, with content updates added over time. Epic and Xbox also list co-op modes such as Heists and Stunt Races.
  • Enhanced features on current hardware (per Epic). Ray tracing options, AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS 3 support, SSD and DirectStorage loading, Dolby Atmos audio and DualSense adaptive triggers. Epic notes that some of these depend on your hardware.
  • Progress transfer. Epic and Xbox both describe a one-time migration of story progress and GTA Online characters to the newer versions.

Gameplay and Player Experience

In story mode, you work through missions that have set objectives and explore freely between them. Combat mixes melee, firearms and explosives, with auto-aim and a cover system to help. A wanted meter shows how hard the police are coming after you, and it goes up to five stars.

Each character has eight skills, such as shooting and driving, that improve with use. Wikipedia describes the special abilities this way: Michael gets bullet time in combat, Franklin slows time while driving, and Trevor deals more damage and takes less. Between missions there is plenty of side activity. The sources mention scuba diving, BASE jumping, a stock market, property purchases, and vehicle, weapon and appearance upgrades.

In GTA Online you play in a shared world, complete jobs alone or with others, and can join crews. Epic describes a Career Builder for new players. It lets you start with one of four businesses: Biker, Executive, Nightclub Owner or Gunrunner. Epic also says Online includes more than 40 updates released so far.

Cloud saves, difficulty options, and the details of how progression feels are not covered in the supplied sources, so this page does not describe them.

GTA V Review

Platform and Availability

The game has been released on seven platforms, listed in the table above. Current official listings include:

  • PC: Epic Games Store and Steam. Epic says the purchase includes both Enhanced and Legacy versions, with Legacy meant for PCs that do not meet the Enhanced minimum requirements. Epic requires an Epic ID login, and some features may also need a Rockstar Games account.
  • Xbox Series X|S: the Xbox.com listing shows a 15 March 2022 release date.
  • PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S: Rockstar’s official page describes the game as upgraded for both consoles.

I could not verify current prices, regional availability or PlayStation store pages, so check the official stores above for those. Buy only from legitimate storefronts, and avoid anyone offering free or cracked copies.

PC Enhanced requirements (from Epic, which says they may change with future updates):

MinimumRecommended
OSWindows 10 (latest update)Windows 11
CPUIntel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-9590Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM8GB16GB dual-channel
Storage105GB SSD105GB, DirectStorage-compatible drive
GPUNVIDIA GTX 1630 (4GB) or AMD RX 6400 (4GB)NVIDIA RTX 3060 (8GB) or AMD RX 6600 XT (8GB)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Grand Theft Auto V have both single-player and online play?
Yes. Story mode is single-player, and GTA Online is the multiplayer mode for up to 30 players. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions allowed up to 16 online players, according to Wikipedia.

What is the difference between GTA V Enhanced and Legacy on PC?
Epic says the PC purchase includes both. Enhanced carries the upgrades, such as ray tracing options and faster loading. Legacy is included for PCs that do not meet Enhanced’s minimum requirements.

Can I keep my progress if I move to a newer version?
Epic and Xbox both describe a one-time migration of story progress and GTA Online characters to the newer version. Check the official support pages for eligibility rules and the exact steps.

What are the PC requirements?
See the table above. Epic lists 105GB of SSD storage as the minimum, and notes the requirements can change as content is added.

Is it suitable for younger players?
No. It is rated ESRB Mature 17+. The listings cite intense violence, blood and gore, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content and drug and alcohol use, and note that users interact and there are in-game purchases.

GTA V Review

Final Overview

Grand Theft Auto V is a crime-focused open-world game with three playable protagonists, a heist-based story and a separate online mode. The confirmed details are its seven platforms, Rockstar Games as publisher, and the Enhanced PC edition with ray tracing options, faster loading and progress migration. It may suit players who like large sandbox worlds and story missions built around heists, and who are comfortable with mature content. Before buying, check the official store page for your platform for current price and requirements.

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