Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most ambitious open-world games ever created by Rockstar Games.

Originally released in 2013, the game introduced a massive version of Los Santos and Blaine County, a three-protagonist structure and a story that constantly shifts between different perspectives.

More than a decade later, GTA V remains relevant thanks not only to its single-player campaign but also to the continued evolution of GTA Online.

The current-generation versions add improved visuals, faster loading, 3D audio and additional technical features, while the PC version has also received the Enhanced upgrade with features previously available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Story

The story follows three very different protagonists: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips.

Michael is a former criminal trying to maintain a comfortable life in Los Santos.

Franklin is a young man looking for a way to move beyond his current circumstances.

Trevor, meanwhile, brings an unpredictable personality that constantly changes the tone of the story.

The decision to use three protagonists is one of GTA V’s most successful ideas.

Players can switch between them during much of the campaign, allowing Rockstar to tell multiple stories that eventually become increasingly connected.

The characters also have their own relationships, motivations and personalities, making the campaign feel much larger than a traditional single-protagonist story.

Gameplay

GTA V combines driving, exploration, missions, character progression and a huge variety of optional activities.

The controls are generally accessible, and the game does an excellent job of making Los Santos feel like a playground rather than simply a backdrop for missions.

Driving is particularly important, with a wide variety of vehicles available throughout the world.

The game also gives players considerable freedom between missions.

You can follow the main story, explore the countryside, discover random events, participate in activities or simply drive around the city.

That freedom is a major reason GTA V has remained so replayable.

Exploration

Los Santos and Blaine County remain the stars of the experience.

The map contains a mixture of dense urban areas, beaches, mountains, highways, rural communities and smaller locations.

Each area has its own atmosphere and activities.

The city itself feels particularly alive thanks to pedestrians, traffic, businesses, environmental events and countless small details.

The countryside provides a completely different atmosphere, giving the player plenty of reasons to leave Los Santos and explore.

Even after completing the main campaign, there are numerous locations and activities to discover.

Graphics

GTA V has aged remarkably well.

The original 2013 release was already technically impressive, but later versions significantly improved the visual presentation.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the game offers enhanced visuals, faster loading, HDR and ray-tracing features, with modes supporting resolutions up to 4K and gameplay of up to 60 frames per second depending on the selected mode.

The PC Enhanced version also received improved graphics and performance features previously available on current-generation consoles.

Los Santos remains particularly impressive at night, when lighting, traffic and the sheer amount of activity create a convincing urban atmosphere.

Audio

The audio design is another important part of the game’s identity.

Radio stations provide a constantly changing soundtrack while exploring the world, with different stations covering different musical styles and personalities.

Environmental audio also helps make Los Santos feel alive.

Traffic, pedestrians, vehicles and the surrounding environment create a continuous background atmosphere.

The current-generation versions also support improved audio features, including Tempest 3D Audio on PS5.

Performance

GTA V has benefited from multiple generations of hardware.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions offer faster loading and improved graphical performance compared with previous console versions.

On PS5, players can choose between different graphical modes depending on whether they prioritize resolution, visual quality or frame rate.

The PC Enhanced version also introduced improved performance and graphical features, while allowing players to configure the experience according to their hardware.

The longevity of the game across different generations is one of Rockstar’s biggest technical achievements.

Characters

The three protagonists are arguably the defining feature of GTA V.

Michael, Franklin and Trevor have very different personalities, which keeps the campaign from feeling repetitive.

Franklin provides a more grounded perspective on Los Santos, Michael brings the perspective of someone trying to escape his past, and Trevor introduces an intentionally unpredictable element.

Their interactions create some of the campaign’s most memorable moments.

The supporting cast is also filled with distinctive personalities, helping make Los Santos feel like a world populated by more than just background characters.

Missions

GTA V’s missions are generally varied and cinematic.

The game moves between character-focused missions, driving sequences, large-scale set pieces and quieter moments.

The campaign also makes effective use of its three protagonists, allowing certain missions to change depending on which character the player controls.

This structure gives the game a strong sense of variety.

The mission design is not perfect, however. Some objectives can feel restrictive compared with the freedom offered by the open world.

That contrast between player freedom and highly scripted missions is one of the game’s most noticeable weaknesses.

Heists

Heists are one of the campaign’s defining systems.

Rather than treating major criminal operations as a single linear mission, the game often builds them into larger sequences involving preparation and different approaches.

The three protagonists can also contribute different abilities to major operations.

This gives the campaign some of its most memorable large-scale moments while reinforcing the importance of the three-character structure.

Open World

The open world is where GTA V continues to shine.

Los Santos feels like a functioning city rather than a collection of disconnected levels.

There are businesses, recreational activities, random events and numerous optional locations spread throughout the map.

The world also reacts to the player’s presence, creating small moments that can make exploration unpredictable.

Even after many years, simply driving around Los Santos can still be entertaining.

GTA Online

GTA Online has become an enormous experience of its own.

Players can create a character, build businesses, purchase properties and vehicles, participate in missions and take part in a constantly expanding collection of activities.

Rockstar and PlayStation continue to list numerous updates and expansions for GTA Online, including newer content such as Money Fronts, Agents of Sabotage, The Chop Shop and A Safehouse in the Hills.

The PS5 version also includes features such as career selection and additional vehicle-performance improvements.

GTA Online is now so extensive that it can almost be viewed as a separate game within the broader GTA V package.

Replayability

Replayability is one of GTA V’s greatest strengths.

The campaign can be replayed while players can also explore alternative mission outcomes and different approaches to certain major sequences.

The open world provides plenty of optional activities, collectibles and locations to discover.

Then there is GTA Online, which adds an enormous amount of additional content beyond the single-player campaign.

This makes GTA V unusually long-lived compared with most single-player open-world games.

Playtime

The main story generally takes around 30–35 hours depending on the player’s pace and how much optional content they complete.

Players who pursue additional missions, activities and collectibles can easily spend 50 hours or more with the single-player portion.

GTA Online can extend the experience dramatically beyond that, with years of additional content available to players.