The Grand Theft Auto games are the pinnacle of open world gaming achievements. Rockstar Games has done a fantastic job of setting standards. The bar is raised with each entry, and every installment released guarantees a title that people aren’t going to only pay until the campaign is complete, but for months afterwards due to how much there is to do. Or even not do, since sometimes aimless exploring is the most fun.
As good as every installment is, though, one Grand Theft Auto game has done it. It’s set a bar that will be very difficult, perhaps even impossible, for future titles to surpass. Grand Theft Auto V has not only done everything right, but it’s done so in a way that it could be the entry to play for years to come.
Sales speak volumes. As of August 2015, Rockstar has reported Grand Theft Auto V as having sold over 54 million copies. That’s on all platforms and every country. Within three years, it beat the records set by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV , the last count for each was 27.5 million and 25 million copies, respectively. With double the number of people playing GTA V , you can guarantee they won’t give up on it any time soon.
This is because people know how good the base game is. There are tons of activities for people to engage in, so they aren’t constantly stealing cars and attacking people who may (or may not) deserve it. Grand Theft Auto V also offers extra experiences like the ability to play as animals, should you find peyote. If that isn’t non-violent enough for you, you can also send a character off to skydive, play a round of golf, take part in a tennis game, or enjoy a game of darts. If someone wanted to, they could even turn it into a financial simulation by becoming a real estate mogul and seeing how many properties they could have under their control. That kind of diversity is critical to the experience, because people have options. They aren’t living the same missions over and over.
The mod community also demonstrates this game’s popularity. Grand Theft Auto V has had people doing all sorts of things for the Windows PC version, despite not having official support. People have added in new cars, weapons, outfits, locations, a Bat Cave with an associated event, and a UFO invasion . Modding keeps games relevant and alive, and GTA V has an active community.
Speaking of community, there’s also GTA Online . Grand Theft Auto V ‘s online multiplayer is pretty much a game and experience of its own, and Rockstar has been great about improving it. Most recently, Freemode Events were added to give people more to do in the game. There are also challenges held to keep people logging in for rewards. People are constantly encouraged to come back.
Basically, Grand Theft Auto V is the game. Sure, GTA Online added micro-transactions and there are some hackers to deal with. Yes, the PC version’s DRM is a little bothersome. But this is an incredible adventure. Whether you’re looking for story, driving, community, or senseless violence, GTA V is great and the entry in the series that may keep us happy for the longest time.