Why GTA 5 is still amazing to play

For a 2013 game, GTA 5 is still a blast to play through today.

It's easy to forget how good it feels to play GTA 5, given how much Rockstar Games has milked it for almost a decade. Many players were sick of seeing information for this game, including another port to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. However, it still is universally acclaimed when it comes to critic reviews.

Not only that, but it's the most successful GTA game in terms of sales. Titles that are successful and popular have to be fun for some audiences. In GTA 5's case, it's an open-world game that captures the essence of the Grand Theft Auto series.

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GTA 5 is still fun to play today

Michael is only one of the three protagonists that players could control (Image via Rockstar Games)

Some of the following aspects make GTA 5 so fun to play for modern gamers:

• Acceptable to good graphics
• Excellent audio (music, voice acting, and sound effects)
• Open-world game with plenty of activities to do
• Memorable characters
• Impressive attention to detail
• Classic GTA antics from older games
• Several new modern features that make the game less frustrating

GTA Online is also technically part of GTA 5. Anybody who owns the latter can play the former game. Simply playing GTA Online by itself can be an amazing experience for some gamers.

However, the remainder of this article will focus on GTA 5 as a separate entity.

Fluid controls

GTA 5 feels great to play thanks to its control layout (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA 5 has arguably the most fluid control scheme as far as Grand Theft Auto games go. One cannot overstate how crucial this factor is. Everything is responsive to what the player does.

Take a once-popular game like GTA 3, for example. It was revolutionary and shaped the landscape of open-world games in a way very few games could ever do. However, its controls have aged terribly.

GTA 5 is a 2013 game, and its controls still hold up well eight years later. Interestingly enough, the GTA Trilogy seems to be taking some inspiration from its control layout.

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So many activities to do

Golf is a surprisingly in-depth activity in GTA 5 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Some games have hundreds of hours' worth of content to enjoy; GTA 5 is a good example. The main storyline can take a few dozen hours to complete for casual players, but that's not mentioning all of the minor stuff they can do.

For instance, there are dozens of Random Events and Strangers and Freaks missions to do. These features tie in nicely with the fact that players have three main protagonists to play as in this game.

One can also do some of the following activities:

• Golf
• Tennis
• Hanging out with some characters
• Invest in stocks
• Explore the world and take pictures
• Find every collectible
• Aim for 100% Completion
• Watch some movies
• Watch TV
• Customize all three protagonists
• Customize vehicles

That's still not everything a player can do, either.

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Top-tier modding scene

Very few AAA titles have a modding scene as robust and extensive as GTA 5's. Even if the players did everything they possibly could in the original game, the mods could add dozens to hundreds of hours of extra content.

At the same time, some mods can also enhance the game in a way that doesn't alter how it is played. For example, GTA 5 has several impressive graphical mods that make it look much better than its original 2013 release.

GTA 5 is the type of game that would be playable several years down the line. Mods simply ensure that there's always something extra for its fans.