5 best things about GTA 5's open-world

Rockstar Games wasn't ever going to settle for being a one-and-done studio after the release of the revolutionary GTA 3. The goal for the studio was always to build on an already-great formula with back-to-back successes, resulting in one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time in Grand Theft Auto.

The last game in the series, GTA 5, can only be described as an extraordinary achievement in open-world design and attention to detail. Its meticulously crafted Los Santos and Blaine County are analyzed and studied to this day to uncover what makes them so fantastic.

Each aspect of GTA 5's open-world has been crafted to perfection, all in unison to give players an authentic and engaging experience. Even though the game is nearly eight years old at this point, not too many games can still compare to its modern open-world.

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Details that make GTA 5's open-world feel authentic and lived-in

#1 - NPCs have unique dialogues and personalities

GTA San Andreas first introduced players to the ability to communicate with random NPCs on the street. By pressing the right button on the D-pad, characters can have a sort of basic interaction with a seemingly random NPC.

Often on the streets of Los Santos, players will have NPCs spill their entire guts to them, revealing their deepest, darkest fears. In other cases, they will attempt to fight the character or run away in fear.

This kind of unique quality to NPCs in games makes the world feel more believable than the average open-world game.

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#2 - The world seems to function even without the player

In tandem with the previous point, GTA 5's game world is crafted to such a brilliant degree that it seems to exist well outside of the player's presence. Meaning, the world of GTA can pretty much exist without the player in it, as NPCs seem to have their own routines and personalities.

While it would take Red Dead Redemption 2 for Rockstar to truly showcase this on the next level, GTA 5 was pretty advanced for its time as well. To this day, players will be hard-pressed to find more complex open-world systems interacting with each other than those seen in Grand Theft Auto 5.

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#3 - World-building and in-game lore

Rockstar has proved time and time again that they are the masters of their craft when it comes to writing satire and building worlds. While GTA 5 is a satire on the state of California, and specifically Los Angeles, Los Santos is still a lived-in, authentic world populated by believable NPCs.

The publisher goes that extra mile to add intricate and amazingly written pieces of in-game media such as radio broadcasts, TV news, and even the internet. GTA 5's internet, specifically, is a treasure trove of stories and fantastic world-building.

Through its many secrets and in-game storytelling, Rockstar could give multiple dimensions to Los Santos and Blaine County.

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#4 - Minute realistic details

Fans might not think that much of the car engines turning down realistically or flip flops actually flipping and flopping, but they do make for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. GTA 5 is filled with fantastic attention-to-detail, such as characters getting realistic wounds, responding to too many phone calls, noticing haircuts, etc.

Players can spend hours going through all the little details present in GTA 5 and still miss out on a bunch. Perhaps not very apparent right off the bat, these details subconsciously make the game world feel that much more like the real deal.

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#5 - Host of side activities/hobbies

As opposed to the popular belief about GTA, murdering pedestrians and cops isn't the only way to kill time in the game. Players have plenty of avenues to indulge themselves outside a life of crime, with activities such as golf, tennis, and even triathlons present right from the start.

If the player so chooses, he/she can go to flight school and help their characters get better at flying and learn a few tricks. Or they could go scuba diving to rid their mind of any and all fears of the unknown that they might have.

The possibilities are endless, which is precisely the kind of freedom GTA 5 aims for.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.