Trevor doesn't care about my other games

Yea, so that whole post last month about finishing up my unfinished games went out the window, I have been binge-gaming Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V). The insane amount of marketing for this game combined with the influence of friends that picked it up finally pushed me to break my game buying hiatus. I’m really glad I did too, because I’m hooked.  

To be really honest here, this will be my first real GTA experience. I played GTA III when it came out, but I didn’t own it. Owning it, is a big difference. Only playing for an hour or two at a friend’s house basically means: I had time to run from the cops and eventually get shot. Some loyal readers may recall a Gamedae GTA III review which I only played on my phone or iPad. I stand by that review because the game is really fun but the tablet novelty wore off quick.

Need your adrenaline rush? Try base jumping.

 What a trip this new GTA is. The dialog is so much rougher than in other games and the content actually is explicit. GTA V not only has a adult ESRB rating, it actually earns it. I always assume my neighbors or someone is walking by the door when the game says something peculiar like “I fingered a dog, and tea bagged an elder lady at a bus stop”.

After a few hours shooting randoms and checking out in the in-game strip club I settled into the main campaign. It’s a really unique experience having three main protagonists that you can cycle through, telling their own point of view of the story. The three main characters are Franklin, a brother from the hood trying to get into the game, Michael, a retired “made man” type with a family and kids and Trevor, the off the rails hick, meth head from the valley. All three are likable bad men with specific missions and encounters fitting to them.

Steering you through all the vulgarity and violence is some top notch game development. This is one of the best working games I’ve played. There is an auto aim feature that works really well but still leaves you in control and able to choose your targets. Driving, as you can imagine, is a major part of the game. I’m used to racing games like Burnout and Need for Speed so I was initially thrown off by the vehicle controls but after adjusting I’ve decided it is actually simplier. Speaking of vehicles there are many to choose from besides cars, including bikes, motorcycles, planes, helicopters and even tanks. I’m currently looking for a tank to steal.

Take a break from the killing and try some tennis or another of the mini games

More on my GTA V progress soon but I’ll leave you with what I’m enjoying most from the game: the music. I don’t listen to a lot of music so it’s a real treat to hear this amazing mix. The choices range from: talk radio, hip hop, country, classic tunes and news ones. I’ve linked my current top five below, these are the ones getting stuck in my head: 

Jay Rock - Hood Gone Love It (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Convoy Theme Song – C.W. McCall

If You Leave Me Now – Chicago

Charlie Feathers - Can't Hardly Stand It

Future - How It Was (2013)