A month after release, Grand Theft Auto V has turned into the most popular video game of the 21st century. “GTA V” has already broken seven Guinness World records including best-selling video game in 24 hours, and fastest video game to gross $1 billion. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Rockstar Games spent over 200 million dollars developing and marketing GTA V during a span of two years when the game was announced to be released in 2011.
“Grand Theft Auto V has definitely lived up to the hype,” senior Patrick Cannon said. “I’d say it’s because it was able to combine such a solid storyline with top of the line graphics, while still maintaining it’s lighthearted nature.”
Grand Theft Auto V is played in the third person and takes place in the state of San Andreas, which is based off of California. The action for the game though takes place in the city of Los Santos where users play through the lives of three different characters (Franklin, Michael, and Trevor). Obtaining wealth is the ultimate goal for each of the main characters.
“My favorite part of the game is just messing around,” senior Josh Zeid. “That includes getting in a car, driving around and punching people or jumping on them if I get mad at them for saying something. I also like to explore.”
Besides the main storyline, there are many things in the single player mode that are appealing. Cars and clothes are customizable and various different activities can be played. Some of these include tennis, BASE jumping, and even surfing the web.
“I like the game because there’s a plot that goes through the whole game and you really get involved with each of the characters, and there’s a lot of shooting and action,” junior Corey Fox said. “You’re not just driving around in cars.”
Along with the many options in the single player mode, the multiplayer was released on October 1, two weeks after the actual release of the game to give gamers time to adjust to emerge themselves in the single player missions. In the online mode you can complete jobs, participate in car races, and battle other gamers. The first day of release, the server was too crowded for many people to play online.
“I think Rockstar really underestimated the popularity that the online multiplayer would have,” Cannon said. “It’s just an immensely popular game.”
This game has gotten rave reviews from critics. Metacritic, an online review site, ranks Grand Theft Auto as the fifth best video game ever released. Even though this game has been well received, some think that the game is too violent for teenagers to be playing. The game is rated M for Mature because many parts of the story include drug use, bad language, and extreme violence.
“This game is not for younger kids, my brother started playing the game, he’s in 7th grade,” Fox said. “ I watched him play the game and it’s pretty bad, you shouldn’t be playing until high school. There’s violence, language, and suggestive themes that I don’t want my brother playing.”
This game isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for a fun way to kill some time, Grand Theft Auto is addictive and a great pickup for any of the major gaming consoles.
