Grand Theft Auto V: 'Intense'

There is a single word that sat in the back seat of my mind as I manoeuvred the highways and byways of Grand Theft Auto V: intense. Intense action with a trio of characters that was surprisingly fluid in their – forgive the pun – execution; intense satire as GTA rips apart our own perceptions of culture and holds up a mirror to this brave new world, exposing our frailties in our human natures and fallacies in our consumerist ways; intense writing with a remarkably impressive weaving of wit and charm into plotlines and characters.

Unlike a single protagonist of brooding past and conflicted future, three characters are at the heart of the game. While skepticism reigned supreme upon first hearing of this triple divergence of storylines, within the first few hours my grave concerns were replaced by excitement and a deeply-rooted respect for the writing team. The way the three characters come together and interact, while also keeping a sense of authentic self, is a marvel to experience. Michael’s attempted retirement from crime fails and his inevitable return to corruption is rooted in an attempt to mend the dissatisfaction he feels for his dysfunctional family life of the wealthy. Franklin’s attempts to live better than those around him in South Central makes him the honourable one of the trio, yet his desire for money seals the life of crime. And then there’s Trevor.

Trevor is the most memorable character of any GTA game and – yes, I’ll say it – one of the most memorable characters in modern video games. Similar to his counterparts, whom you think you have figured out at first glance, there is a roundness to the realism underneath what we see initially. At first a meth-fuelled sociopath, a calamity of deplorably caustic and callous conduct, we later see a man who does feel, who does understand himself – a man who has a code … of sorts. For instance, not only is his desire to reconnect with Michael rooted in ideals of friendship and loyalty, but look closely and you’ll notice there’s a respect for women within him that allows him to rise above the misogyny and patriarchy that has dominated the franchise.

The paths that allow our three “heroes” to intersect are forged in an organic, even charming way. How they work together in and between missions, and how you, as the player, yolk their various strengths to get the job done is the obviously rewarding part of the gameplay. I was worried that handling three characters during a mission would water-down the experience. Instead, I found it refreshing.

When you’re not playing the scores of hours of missions, there’s plenty to do in Los Santos. Play tennis, enter a triathlon, or play some golf. Talk to your shrink, hit a theatre, or go hunting in the mountains. Heck, drive around waiting to nab a purse thief and return the stolen goods to their rightful owner. Not only are all the activities fun in their own right, but by participating you steadily increase each character’s abilities.

Then there are the subtle elements that have been added to make the game better in an almost imperceptible way. Driving is more reliable and the improved radar adds fluidity to all elements of the game. The cash counter during heist missions creates pride as it rises in one moment and desperation in the next as you see the number ticking down when you lose a team member or a satchel.

Through all the changes and new directions, GTA V stays true to its roots and its identity. Look past the violence and the language, and you'll find a wonderfully entertaining satire on American – and by extension Canadian – culture. From the stock market and social media, to our dependence on gadgets and tech, right down to the fact that using your cellphone while driving makes you painfully aware of the need for our distracted driving laws, this game holds up a mirror to our society. It also holds one to ourselves as the decisions you make, the people you see, while extreme at times, are not outside the boundaries of possibility. This is not a world – nor a humanity – found in Wells, Huxley or Orwell; this is who we are, in the here and now. And if that frightens you, it shows only that you are still sane.

GTA V is not a perfect game. With slow pause menus, long loading times, and lagging transitions between characters when not in a mission, tiny frustrations do exist. The most notable hindrance was the excitement I felt when it came time to plan a heist, choose your crew, and take charge. For that excitement fizzled when I saw that this doesn’t happen with near the frequency that I would have liked.

While you might not lose yourself as emotionally in a character-driven story like we did with GTA IV, while you might not lose yourself in the joys of simple exploration like in San Andreas, GTA V rounds out the overall experience to make it authentic, never dull or superfluous, and you’ll leave the game with that single word echoing: intense!

When he’s not teaching high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.