I had many doubts about Grand Theft Auto V after seeing the trailer and all of the commercials on TV. I just wasn't that excited about it and even told myself, "I'm not buying that piece of crap." You can imagine that those were not my exact words, but you get the picture. But in the month of August of 2013, something terrible happened... my Xbox 360 Slim died. That's when I decided that I would convert back to a PS3 system. A friend of mine told me about the Super Slim models that Sony were selling that included a FREE copy of GTA V. That's when I decided to get it.
After bringing my new system home (along with 8 other games I purchased), I was compelled to pop GTA V in first. My first time putting it in my new system, I played GTA V for 5 straight hours without stopping (with my wife and daughter intervening several times, begging me to get off). But their cries fell upon my death ears as I kept playing, fingers sore and everything.
But enough about my journey of getting the game, I'm sure you want to hear about the game itself. As I said in the title, the game was surprisingly immersive and very addictive! THE most addictive thing I've ever played. The story is a strong one. It takes you into the lives of 3 colorful and diverse characters who all are pursuing the same thing, but with rather different stipulations. But certain surroundings in their environment hinder their quest. You play all three characters, with the option of being able to switch seamlessly to whichever character you like, and with ease. You get so involved in each character's story, you'll actually find yourself playing the character's personality. For example, Michael (who is kind of the protagonist of the three) is a family man. You might find it difficult to go to strip clubs or pick up hookers with him. Continuing with the story; as I said, very strong storyline...... except the ending. You'll find the ending disappointing, despite Rockstar making 3 different endings.
The actual gameplay and mechanics (and controls) are outstanding. Many people complain about the missions and how they sometimes feel as if they have no purpose, but in my view it's not like that. Each mission pertains to the story in someway. You will probably struggle with money at the beginning of the game, but if you want you can hold up stores to make small cash. But it adds up if you do it enough. Another way to make money is using the character's phone (or computer) to dabble in the stock exchange. If you're on the street and listen to other people's conversations hard enough, you can get great tips on what and what not to invest in. The cars in the game (in my view) is the best part. There are many customization options for your cars. The only complaint I have is I've spent thousands of dollars on a particular car and if I leave it parked after doing a side mission or any other activity, it's gone! It doesn't show up in a garage or anything. So if you have a car that you dropped a lot of dough on, I recommend keeping a close eye on it. But it doesn't happen too often.
Overall, GTA V is a great game... the best out of the entire series! My final advice on this game is to take your time and enjoy every bit of it. If I could cover every aspect of this game you would be reading forever. It's just so much to do in the game, and if you try to rush through the game (story and online) you WILL NOT enjoy it. It's not that type of game. But it packs all the punches of your favorite genres, a shooter, RPG, racing (yes, racing) and everything else you can think of all in one game!