6 Reasons I Like GTA V.

By Link the Writer · Nov 9, 2014 · ·
  1. The last entry discussing this game might have given the idea that I absolutely despise this game. Sure it can get too heavy-handed in the political satire here and there but there are actually a lot of things about this game that I love doing and tonight I am going to share them with you all.

    (1) Franklin and Chop
    I have dogs and I love them beyond measure. What I can tell you is that I do not trust them off the leash and they do not express any interest in playing fetch. Playing as Franklin with Chop at his side gives me the opportunity to do something I likely won't be able to do with any dog(s) I own. Play fetch at the beach. Even if I trained them to be obedient, there's no telling if they want to play fetch or not, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let them near an open body of water! I'm sorry, that's a tragedy just waiting to happen.

    But in this game, I can take Chop out to the beach and play fetch. In one gameplay, I clocked in around ten or twenty minutes of Franklin playing fetch with Chop on the beach during a sunset. It was very...calming. The lapping of the sea, the cries of the seagulls and Franklin encouraging Chop with a, "Go get 'em, boy!" It was right then I understood why games can be a way for people to escape, to act out something they can't ever do in real life. Sometimes it's not acting out as a super hero charging an enemy base, sometimes it's just something as simple as taking your dog out on a beach to play ball.

    (2) The Thrill of Survival
    Parachutes + Being Really High In The Air = Hours of fun. I can't tell you how many times I've flown Trevor, Michael or Franklin up as high as I could get in a plane or a helicopter and jump. Sometimes I like to parachute all the way down, but the thrill? I wait until they're literally seconds away from faceplanting into the asphalt. Or I try to aim them at a specific body of water like the Alamo Bay or a swimming pool. If it's not falling from high places, I'm having them bike/run into oncoming traffic and generally putting themselves into needless peril. Let's just say that, yes, I die a lot in this game.

    (3) The Car-Tank
    The amount of damage cars can take in this game is absurdly hilarious. Just today I spent an hour letting my car get plowed into over and over by a train. The car was scratched, badly dented, with the front hood ripped off and the front smashed to a point, and all the windows and doors were gone. The car kept on chugging. I once drove a car off of Mount Gordo and somehow didn't die in the process even as it rolled down the mountain, smashing into every rock and tree along the way.

    (4) The Missions
    Yep, I actually liked some of the missions in how they were executed, or because I got to see the inner psyche of the main characters. Like that one mission where Michael and Trevor have an argument (won't spoil it for you, but it's pretty bad) or the missions with Franklin. There was a mission, I think, that made me feel like I
    was actually playing Saints Row 2 and considering I'm a big fan of Saints Row, it was doing something right.

    (5) The Activities

    Granted I wish there were more you could do, but I did enjoy some of the things you could do. I remember having Michael play tennis with Amanda and I actually started to like the pair better than I had the whole game. When I did the same with Trevor? Amanda made me laugh when she told him that she'd move out of the house and never come back when he said he'd stay as a permanent tennis coach.

    That said, I did complete a water race with Franklin once and boy, my hands were squeezing the controller as I navigated through the channels making good use of Franklin's 'driving slo-mo' ability. I'll probably do that
    again as well as do some on-foot racing.

    (6) Clothes

    Now, this may be a bit creepy to some, but I like putting the protagonist in different clothing and buying all the clothes the game has to offer. Just like with Saints Row, if I can buy all the clothes in the game, that's what I'm doing. The only downside is that you can't save your favorite outfits. That kinda sucks. Still, I like having Michael run around in dirty jeans, a tank top, sunglasses while being bald and sporting a goatee. Instant Max Payne look-a-like.

    So that's it for me, the top 6 reasons I like GTA V. See? I don't loathe the game, there are bits of it that I actually like. :D :p Now on for me to do some actual writing blogs! :p

Comments

  1. 123456789
    Dude, you can and should play ball with a dog on the beach, if that's what you'd like to do. This is your world too. You are allowed to have at least that.
  2. Link the Writer
    Pretty sure the dog's owners would be miffed if they saw a stranger play with their dog on the beach. :p But seriously, I'm not a real beach-goer anyway, and I'd be too worried about my dog off-leash. I would go for a walk with my dog on the beach if the opportunity presented itself, definitely! :D
  3. 123456789
    OK, I'll admit I haven't really played that many video games in the last half decade, and in fact, GTA V was the only one I actually beat. That being said, I still consider myself to be a video game connoisseur (because I like to read about that and I've played all (most of) the best ones when I was a kid) and I honestly think, objectively speaking, GTA V is the best game to come out in a very long time, hands down. It is not a perfect game. But it's scope is so massive, and very close to being perfectly realized.

    Those open ended rpgs you WFers all love, Skyrim and Dragon Age, are shams. Hardly RPGS at all, and as far as action games go, very, very mediocre.

    GTA V sports solid gameplay mechanics, clever missions, and in terms of artistic vision, is really pretty freaking awesome. It nails SoCal, and has great characters and style. Yes, the storyline is a little choppy, but other than that, I can't tell you how impressed I was. It is, in my personal opinion, the Godfather (part I and II) of the modern video game.

    You're, I'm assuming, potentially a Zelda fan, so I'll say this for your benefit. GTA V appreciates that the modern day gamer has grown. He doesn't want cute anymore and he doesn't want simple. He wants fast cars and prostitutes and crime and satire and style. It's something even a man in his twenties can play for a little while and not feel entirely ashamed.

    Now its your turn to tell me why you almost loathe it.
  4. Link the Writer
    Eh, I still like fantasy RPG and Zelda. I don't much care about pop culture or what it expects of me, I do my own thing my own way.
  5. Kingtype
    @12345678:

    I wouldn't exactly consider GTA the most modern of games considering the series itself has been around since the 90s and as far I'm concerned with the exception of 1 and 2 all the main ones in the series have made fun of american culture

    GTA 4 and Vice City Stories being the most serious ones in the series.

    Albeit GTA V is an amazing game and I love its one of my fav games out of Rockstar's library (the other three being Red Dead and GTA SA). I think GTA V has an amazing world and good story and I do like the commentary on pop culture actually but its still GTA......I wouldn't say its the greatest piece of modern gaming.

    Its certainly one of them

    But

    I think everybody kinda expected it to be that and GTA already made its biggest impact on gaming with GTA 3. That game wasn't the best in the series but that's the game where GTA became what it is today and they've just been improving that formula.

    They've all had fast cars and prostitutes and crime and satire and style.

    All of them.

    Like that's GTA in a nutshell

    As for the modern game.....there are a lot of different kinds of modern gamers and its really all about taste and what you like. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the average gamer wants fast cards and hookers or that they don't want cute.

    Everybody still plays Pokemon, Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros and all the Nintendo greats and when I say everybody I mean just a lot of gamers.

    Even if not Nintendo people still love Crash and Spyro and Jak and Daxter. That's great stuff, heck I'd go as far to say that in terms of story telling that there are Zelda games, Jak and Daxter and games that have a more cute or cartoony look tell better stories and more complex then GTA has.

    Not trying to knock GTA its one of my favorite series and V is a gem of a game one of the best of the seventh console generation. Its got good crime stories, good commentary sometimes, good characters and fun immersion.

    I think the modern gamer wants a stronger narrative more then anything.

    The Last of Us for example is hailed as one of the finest pieces of video game story telling and acting

    I just finished Bioshock Infinite and it falls short in areas but it doesn't change it has one of the most ambitious stories in games. In fact the Bioshock series in general isn't the most new thing gameplay wise but their setting, writing and atmosphere ....is amazing!!!

    Even I say Red Dead Redemption is like GTA in the west kinda and it had great gameplay but if I recall correctly it had one of Rockstar's most powerful storylines.

    GTA 4....it wasn't the biggest or best GTA game but GTA 4 is the one the ones that chose to kinda deconstruct itself. Not a lot people like GTA 4 but its the one that says "These are terrible and scary and sad people, you will have a tragic and empty life being involved in this stuff."

    Now GTA V is better then 4 but I was just using an example and I prefer the characters in GTA V actually. But my point is I disagree, as someone who plays video games the modern gamer isn't looking for that nor would I say they dislike cute.

    I say the modern gamer is starting to value narrative a lot more.

    Oh and not really trying anything debate wise, I agree GTA V is an amazing game my friend and shall have highest honors for a long time.

    And sorry this was so long.....I tend to overwrite sometimes XD, my bad.
  6. 123456789
    @Kingtype
    Well, first off Link probably hates us right now for hijacking his blog...but yes, of course I agree GTA V is not revolutionary in a "macro sense." That would be GTA 3, like you said. But, in a micro sense (as in, compared to other GTA games) I would say V is revolutionary, in the sense that it finally accomplishes what every GTA has, in my opinion, tried to do before it. I've never felt this way about a GTA game. In fact, I've never even beat a GTA till V.

    Look, I was a zelda fan, and a Banjo fan, and all that other kiddie stuff, but I'll stay two things. One, I'm older now. Two, being a Zelda fan I've still played the latest, and I do not feel that Zelda, or really any Nintendo game, has reached the same apotheosis in any of their series that GTA has now reached with V. That last Zelda (skyward sword) was a god damn joke. If I take the main elements of a GTA game - satire, style, high octane gameplay, heists, open sandbox world- GTA V epitomizes those things. Can you say the same for the newest Zelda? I was first and foremost a nintendo fan (as a kid) but Nintendo has been slacking off. Rockstar has been going at it hard. Red Dead Redemption, GTA V, Max Payne 3. All stellar games that move their games forward in a pretty much universally agreed positive way. Nintendo's latest implementations are often at best debated.

    The question, of course,is, is this a good climate for Nintendo? Maybe not. People want realism, and people want narrative, and honestly, you'll have to point to which Nintendo games have good narrative, or did you just mean story? Certainly nothing recent.

    Yes, I know Nintendo was doing good sales (Are they still) but a lot of it was for casual gamers, NOT hardcore gamers.
  7. Kingtype
    @123456789

    I'll agree with you that I have not played much Nintendo lately but Nintendo games with good narratives? At least past wise Chorno Trigger, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time etc a lot of Nintendo stuff has had great tales in their hey day.

    I mean heck even FF6 was on SNES

    Then again a lot of stuff I named has moved on from being on Nintendo but I still think those games are just great in terms of story or at least trying new things....Majora's Mask is unique.

    I'd consider myself a hardcore gamer

    Though its true ....I haven't owned a Nintendo console for sometime but I do have a 3DS and recently played the new Pokemon and also recently played Ace Attorney those games have strong narrative, in fact with as greedy as Capcom is I'm surprised how good those games are apparently....well only played the first Ace Attorney game but it was good....I enjoyed the stories and investigating.

    I think most of Nintendo's best games are on DS/3DS now

    Heck

    even Shin Megami Tensei 4 released on it and other Atlus games which are some of the best JRPG's there are

    But I agree with the exception of Smash Bros I'd say Nintendo's main games aren't as good as their old ones BUT I think their exclusive third party support stuff is GREAT at least in terms of stories and gameplay stuff.

    Most of all if you're into JRPG's PS3 and 360 didn't exactly have a lot of them like PS2 era did and 3DS is doing good at filling that void. As for sales I think ...Nintendo is in last place in terms of main consoles with Sony being in the lead and Microsoft in the middle.

    As for GTA V

    I totally agree. It hits every peak that a GTA game has done....gets right just about everything and I'm praying that whatever the next GTA is we get multiple cities to travel to (a man can dream XD)

    But as a hardcore gamer myself and some other hardcore gamers on this site I speak with or just in general on other forums.....I don't think the exact wave of the future has to be or will be girtty and mean realism.

    Not that realism is bad, Its great!

    I think Jak and Daxter is a great example of a game that grows and matures with age. It has the cartoony and fantastical sci fi stuff but it develops as it goes on.

    The first game is a really kiddie platformer

    Second game is kinda cyberpukish filled with underground war

    Third game is really Mad Max ish at least at the start

    But I always found those games to have a strong and mature narrative as they went on and now Naughty Dog made other great games after but Jak and Daxter is still my fav and its just cause its the one that inspired....me the most.

    I think a lot of JRPG's were exploring incredible themes and complex stories during the PS2 era and even now, they aren't the most realistic thing XD

    Suppose my point is a game with a more cartoon or kiddie look aren't exactly limiting nor are they at least from my view. If the game has a story that pulls me in and great or okay gameplay then that's all I ask

    My fav games and game series in terms of stories, theme, style, gameplay wise are Bioshock Trilogy, GTA series, Jak and Daxter Trilogy, Kingdom Hearts, FF6, System Shock 2, Half Life 1-2, Fallout games, Metal Gear series (That's all time fav), Red Dead Redemption, Among The Sleep, SMT Nocturne annnnd tons of other stuff...but that's off the top of my head

    But I guess what I am saying is

    I feel as though a lot of the cartoony and cuter looking games have explored and gone into deep complex stories, amazing settings for their time, mature themes, dark imagery but that just might be me XD

    Thought this is in noway to talk modern games

    I've always liked Rockstar more then Nintendo for the most part but as a big gamer myself.....I don't always want a GTA V or The Last of Us. I miss the cartoon looking stuff and epic JRPG's and its not cause I want to play them for escapism.....

    When those games used to be around.....their worlds, the conflicts and stories sucked me in. Those games gave me realism in an emotional way.....if that makes sense.

    Plus they were a joy to play XD

    I guess I want my cake and to eat it to perhaps? I want realism and more fantastical looking but I long for the days when the more cartoony stuff was telling great stories that had depth. Ya know? Just been awhile since we had good stuff like that.

    So I'd love to see the game market flooded with both.
  8. 123456789
    @Kingtype

    So I have two main comments for you.

    1. Majora's Mask, FF6, Chrono Trigger, etc, etc, GREAT GAMES! Majora's Mask and CT particularly are magical experiences that no modern game can recapture. But...these are all really old games. They don't, in my humble opinion, have much, if any relevance on today's games. Which brings me to point 2.

    2. I can't speak for Jak and Daxter, but I can give my opinion on how the other types of games have evolved. Nintendo games have stagnated- I find it interesting you haven't done much with Nintendo in a while either. MGS (LOVED that series), but I would not say that MGS4 blew me away in comparison to the others, and five looks a little silly with that parachuting thing, but we'll see. The JRPGs of today might be an even bigger tragedy than Nintendo's slothfulness. I don't know what happened to Square, but they're not doing what they used to, and their attempts at making their new games modern are failing big time. (Here's where things might get ugly). The new fallouts, dragon age, the new elder scrolls, I think all those hot new western RPGs are crap. The gameplay and gameplay mechanics are really very simple and redundant, and the graphics, while usually good, lacks any memorable artwork. To me the best RPG genre were the old western RPGS (Baldurs Gate 2 being the Apex), which never had to experience a decline like their eastern cousins, but simply became instinct.

    Rockstar, we both agree, flourishes, and so does Naughty Dog. Coincidentally, both offer more realistic, gritty style games. Maybe that's a coincidence? We'll have to see.Maybe it could have something to do with multi platform?

    Of course I'd love to see the old games again with the magic, but there's got to be a reason we're not seeing them anymore.
  9. Kingtype
    @123456789

    Well with MGS4

    That's one that references itself a lot

    Most people site MGS1 and MGS3 as their favs but I think they all contribute something new. I love the story of Metal Gear despite how crazy it can be and I've played every single one of them just about....even the old ones. XD

    As for MGS5 looking silly, I think it looks a lot more dark then previous titles considering there seems to be a focus on child soldiers (again), torture and Big Boss/Naked Snake's journey into full antagonist. The craziest Metal Gear was Metal Gear Solid 2

    And in terms of gameplay I like that the Metal Gear games are always kinda different but the same. They change up the game mechanics somewhat either with new weaponry or most of the time a different camera angle....I like that its always slighty tweaked but I think it kinda gives each game its own charm.

    Oh and I like Skyrim....its not like my fav game but it was fun to play.....mainly cause it was funny XD its a broken game and repetitve but some of the stuff that happens is hilarious be it the glitches or just getting guards knocked hundreds of feet in the air by giants....hehehe

    and I love Fallout

    I like the 50s feel and themes it has going on and the Pipboy artwork has always amused me, is it a perfect game? No not at all but its something I like.....I think its a fun RPG and the story or at least the quests and weapons I did were fun enough.

    As for JRPG's....I agree but I don't think they are all slogged

    SMT 4 came out recently, Persona 5 is on the way and some other good ones have come out recently but they aren't as mainstream as they once were if they ever but ya get what I mean, they aren't like revered as they may have been in the past.

    But

    I don't think JRPGs or those classic magical games are dead.

    Its not possible.....are they less prevalent and arguably not as good anymore? Yes but I don't think that has to be and nor do I think it will be forever. That's the beauty of any media is that things will grow, change and adapt eventually.

    But Video games are still....young like compared to the others books, tv, movies, comics etc

    Eventually I like to think there will be a time where there is a big BOOM of amazing JRPG and platformers but also a keeping the boom of realism games. Like where it can all be accepted.

    And heck a new console generation just started up and PC gaming is growing.....ya never know we might see the next Chrono Trigger and FF 14 certainly looks better then 13....and FF14 might not be perfect (cant judge it yet....not out) but if its a step away from FF13 then that's a step in the right direction XD

    But please note as I said I love realism like GTA, Last of Us and all that but just don't wanna lose hope that eventually more classical things will see a rebirth of sorts because those types of games are just as captivating and they deserve .....something.
      123456789 likes this.
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