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The open-world genre of video games existed long before GTA 5 came along and will exist long after it fades from memory. However, when one thinks of the open-world style of adventure/shooter games, Grand Theft Auto 5 is almost always thought of first. What has it done to make it so memorable, though?
Few open-world games have had the same plaudits heaped upon them in quite the same way that the Rockstar Games’ title did. Now that it has spent a few months on modern consoles, thanks to an April release on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, what has it done to deserve such praise?
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GTA 5 created a vast, open world that actually feels alive
Perhaps the most significant thing about Grand Theft Auto 5 is that the world is alive. When the player walks around Los Santos, it feels real. Citizens walk around and go about their business in a way that feels like what someone would see in an actual city.
There isn’t much to pull players out of the game, either. It’s very immersive in its own way. When the player starts shooting, stealing, or murdering, people scream and run, and the authorities wind up coming to put a stop to all of the violence.
Compared to other open-world games, many of them just feel lifeless in comparison. Skyrim is an excellent example. The towns feel barren, but when a foe shows up, everyone bands together to try and fight whatever dragon or horror has come to harass them.
Conversely, in GTA 5, people react more realistically to threats or dangers, typically with fear, while running and hiding. It’s more than “everyone runs away,” though. Minor problems tend to have citizens try and defend their property. If the person’s life is in mortal peril, they most often flee.
While this doesn’t seem like much, it makes the world feel alive and real. On top of that, it’s genuinely a fun game. If it were a living world that offered nothing to make it stand out, it would just be another video game.
But each of the three playable characters feels fully fleshed out, with their own desires, goals, and backstories. The various missions and shenanigans the characters get up to are incredibly varied and exciting to take part in.
It has more interesting missions than any other GTA game in the franchise's history regarding excitement and story purposes. From character dialog to the actual activities the characters get up to, Grand Theft Auto 5 is an unforgettable experience, and much of it is down to the people involved in the world.
The online and multiplayer world of GTA 5 is undefeated in terms of what it can do
Grand Theft Auto Online is one of the most addictive online experiences in video games today. It makes millions of dollars and has more than 40 updates that have changed the game, mainly for the better. It’s a living world that grows and changes in significant ways.
Players can also run their own servers, such as the incredibly popular NoPixel RP server. People can create whatever character they want and live a life they normally would never have access to.
It’s not difficult to buy a GTA server and mod it to whatever the owner wants it to be. It’s also a game with a vibrant, active modding community. Whatever the player dreams up, the odds are that it exists online already and can be added to a game server.
This is typically a more chaotic experience than traditional Grand Theft Auto, where players can get into nearly any kind of illicit activity they wish with few restrictions. The city can be reshaped, and people can come together to roleplay as criminals, cops, or whatever they desire.
GTA 5’s open world did not clash with the overarching story or missions, like many other games in the genre. The game was designed with the open world in mind instead of simply pushing an open world onto the game as an afterthought.
It’s a massive game that absorbs the attention of players quickly and doesn’t let go. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the pinnacle of the open-world genre and is the measuring stick by which other games are judged.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
