First Grand Theft Auto V Reviews Hit the Web, Widely Considered to be a ‘Masterpiece’

Given Rockstar’s track record, and the visible amount of effort that it puts into its games, there was little doubt that Grand Theft Auto V was going to be anything other than a “Masterpiece” (according to IGN). Still, when the game scores an average 96% (as of the time of writing) across both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, according to GameRankings, it’s definitively a “must buy” if you happen to own one of the consoles it’s being launched on. Alas – a PC version has still not been announced, but rumor has it that one will release about six months after the game’s launch this month.

“We gotta all make a good game, or we all die.”

What reviewers are saying:

IGN: “Grand Theft Auto V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also an intelligent and sharp-tongued satire of contemporary America. It represents a refinement of everything that GTA IV brought to the table five years ago. It’s technically more accomplished in every conceivable way, but it’s also tremendously ambitious in its own right.“

GameSpot: “GTA V is an imperfect yet astounding game that has great characters and an innovative and exciting narrative structure, even if the story it uses that structure to tell is hobbled at times by inconsistent character behavior, muddled political messages and rampant misogyny. It also raises the bar for open-world mission design in a big way and has one of the most beautiful, lively, diverse and stimulating worlds ever seen in a game.“

Kotaku: “GTA V’s credits roll for 36 minutes. For however many hours they play the game, players will feel that they are playing a game made by the amount of people it takes to keep a crawl rolling that long. The attention to detail in GTA V is likely unparalleled in any other video game.“

Joystiq: “Grand Theft Auto 5 is an ambitious game, attempting to meld three very different characters together to tell one encompassing story of survival in what amounts to the worst place in America. That story stumbles, but the open-ended gameplay remains a showpiece for the vast amount of content that can be poured into a virtual world.“

It’s a good thing my Xbox 360 RRoD’d not long ago. Now I have more reason to wait for the PC version.