5 of the worst aspects that are still prevalent in next-gen GTA Online

The next-gen port of GTA Online did a lot to make the game better, but there are still some lingering issues with it. For example, the new graphics modes that include better FPS options than the last-gen consoles are excellent. Similarly, the new Hao's Special Works feature is a fun addition that makes some old cars more relevant.

GTA Online is still largely the same game on a next-gen console as it was in the previous generation. Ergo, many of the old flaws that plagued the game are still relevant today.

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Five of the most noticeable flaws still around in next-gen GTA Online

5) Microtransactions

Not everybody wants to be spammed with MTX (Image via Rockstar Games)

Shark Cards are a necessary evil in GTA Online; the game wouldn't be sustainable without them unless the player paid monthly subscriptions or some other microtransaction instead. Thanks to them, F2P players can exist, and the cost of playing this game over several years is quite minimal.

Still, it's one of the most divisive aspects of GTA Online. Microtransactions tend to be controversial, and seeing them several times (such as on the home screen on the PS5 or by lacking funds for a vehicle) can get annoying.

It's not something that will ever go away unless the servers shut down, like with what happened to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTA Online. The following issues are definitely more manageable from a realistic point of view.

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4) Long distance drives in some missions

At least some of these vehicles allow the player to listen to the radio (Image via Rockstar Games)

There aren't many things more boring in GTA Online than a long drive where the player is in no danger and is forced to use a bad vehicle while doing so. A good example would be the Set-Up mission for the Nightclub where they steal a Festival Bus and drive it back to the Nightclub.

It's an easy mission, but driving back from the desert is mind-numbingly boring. There are a few other missions where the player simply goes from point A to point B without anything happening, leaving one to wonder why that part couldn't just be skipped.

As the next-gen port of GTA Online still reuses these old missions from the past-gen consoles, they maintain whatever flaws they had then. They are sometimes intended to pose a challenge if done in freemode with other players, but solo public lobbies make them a moot point.

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3) The number of phone calls, text messages, and emails

GTA Online's phone can still be annoying in the next-gen ports (Image via Rockstar Games)

Surprisingly, the number of phone calls, text messages, and emails isn't as invasive on the next-gen ports of GTA Online as they were back in the day. The Contract DLC recently changed it so players would receive less of them, and that happened before the next-gen ports were launched.

Even so, new players will still get various alerts about content they either don't care about (like from Docktease) or stuff they can't do yet (like buying an Agency without enough money to do so).

Many of these calls will go away once the player buys something from them, sometimes resulting in the player buying a property solely to not get any more phone calls.

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2) The enemies' aim is sometimes too perfect

The enemies don't even have to be using a sniper rifle to hit the player from a mile away (Image via Rockstar Games)

One of the main reasons why some GTA Online missions or heists can be difficult is because of how good the enemies' aim is. Gamers don't want a boring game where they breeze through everything effortlessly, but this goes from one extreme to the other in some cases.

Good positioning and equipment can nullify an enemy's ridiculously good aim, but that won't stop some randoms on a heist from wasting a team's lives count. Once a player learns the basics of enemy layouts and the best approach, this flaw isn't too bad, although it can still occasionally frustrate veteran players.

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1) Griefers

The Oppressor Mk II is manageable, but that won't stop some players from complaining about it (Image via Rockstar Games)

Some problems are due to basic human elements that game designers cannot necessarily control. A perfect example would be griefing, which exists in virtually every online multiplayer game in some capacity. Unsurprisingly, it's also prevalent in GTA Online.

It doesn't help that GTA Online sometimes promotes it, such as when a player does something business-related and is now exposed for the whole lobby to see it. It's partially why some players prefer to get a public lobby to themselves, so they don't have to bother playing with other players.

An online multiplayer game that's sometimes played best solo can seem strange at first, but it makes sense if a player wants to minimize losses.

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Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

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