The question of the day is “how many times would you be willing to buy the same game?” The answer might be a little more complex than you’d first think. Maybe you’d be willing to buy a game you traded in again out of regret or nostalgia, for instance. Or maybe the developer just keeps on re-releasing (or remaking) a much-loved masterpiece, improving on it each time. If that sly preamble didn’t give it away: Grand Theft Auto V is now available on PC and it’s better than ever, so I hope you’re ready to buy it yet again.
In terms of gameplay, GTAV is the same game I reviewed last year when it was (yup, you guessed it) enhanced and re-released on the PS4 and Xbox One consoles. It continues to follow Franklin, Michael and Trevor, career criminals and hot-swappable protagonists who run over prostitutes, steal money and menace others with firearms in the usual Grand Theft Auto style. The game is still an impressive refinement of the formula the series has been using for years. Yes, GTA remains the best example of the crime-’em-up title we’ve got, despite similar titles with their own spins on the subgenre like Saints Row and Watch Dogs. What’s more, GTA Online is still present and accounted for if you want to get some buddies in on your heists.
So there you have it: the game is fantastic. Now it’s on PC. This means that if you’ve got a killer gaming rig – and if you’re into the hobby, you should probably work on getting one – then this is one game that’s definitely going to make it sing. The graphical settings can be cranked up to eleven, allowing for some gorgeous views and intense action sequences. It’s even got compatibility with the Rockstar Social Club, allowing you to bring over your progress in GTA Online from the console games. It might have taken its sweet time crossing over, but the PC version is easily the definitive edition of a game that was already superlative in every respect.
There isn’t enough new content in the title to merit a full review, so instead I’ll direct you to our (relatively) recent review of the PS4/Xbox One version of the game. If you haven’t played GTAV before…well, you’ve been missing out and it’s time to correct that. Grand Theft Auto V was and remains one of the best games out there, bar none, and the PC version continues Rockstar’s tradition of solid ports. Also, if you buy it, maybe they’ll think about porting Red Dead Redemption, the best crime-’em-up Rockstar’s ever made. You never know. Come on, guys. Please?