LogFAQs > #959171977

9/10

It's pretty fucking thrilling front to back but it has a few missteps that really drag it down, chief among them being rather uncompelling villains that supposedly tie into each specific character's arc but end up feeling so underbaked due to lack of focus, it never quite comes together. I've played this game through twice and each time at the end teamed up with Trevor and Michael which is satisfying; I can't imagine choosing to go after one of the other protagonists instead or how it effects the ending. Michael's family drama is some real fun stuff and even heart-wrenching at times; sentimentality isn't really GTA's strong suit but I think it shines through well here. Franklin... is Franklin, by far the weakest character as he feels like nothing but a pawn and conduit for other characters throughout, which is intentional to some extent I believe, but still, it doesn't always mean a compelling character is wrought from it. Trevor's arc is outstanding, with some of the darkest and most mean-spirited (but still humorous) moments ever put to a video game, and yet it also manages to be the most tragic and sad of the storylines too. Steven Ogg deserves an Oscar for his performance, as the range of emotions Trevor portrays throughout the game is seriously impressive for his type of character. The heists are lovingly crafted, side missions are each rich and memorable, and the game even offers enough room for ambient storytelling through emergent gameplay. There's honestly a lot going on here that's hard to explain in a topic like this, from subtle satire to the analysis of social status to the thematic symbolism of the mundane vs. the extravagant, but I really do think it's all fantastically done, and I think the fact I was able to play through a long open-world game like this twice really says a lot, at least for me.

---

I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
(almost) every horror game ever made: https://tinyurl.com/completehorrorgameslist