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5 reasons why you need GTA V! Again!
One of the best games of the last generation is arguably the greatest of the new gen.
GTA V
© Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games like to do things differently. So when the company announced that GTA V would make the stunt jump from PS3 and Xbox 360 to PS4 and Xbox One, it was unlikely that it would settle for a standard HD visual scrub up like The Last of Us Remastered. Rockstar want your money again, but also want to give you reasons to double-dip. It had to offer more.
So as well as turning the graphics up to eleven to present arguably the best looking game on current-gen consoles, Rockstar dares to be different. Think you know Southern San Andreas inside and out? Think again... here are five reasons why you should splash out for a second tour.
1. Play in a completely new way
GTA V's first-person mode
© Rockstar Games
Right off the bloodied baseball bat, GTA V comes packing a brand new first-person mode, meaning you can now see the world through Michael, Franklin and Trevor’s crazy eyes. It’s the first time Rockstar has dipped its toes into the FPS genre, the domain of Call of Duty and Battlefield.
A whole new stack of gun animations and vehicle interiors thrust Los Santos into your face like never before. This view and the level of detail that comes with it - enemies can now be seen screaming while covered in flames, for example - simply wasn’t possible on last-gen consoles. On PS4 and Xbox One, GTA V realises its full potential and turns into the largest FPS map you’ll play on current-gen consoles. Which leads us nicely on to...
2. GTA Online is bigger and better
GTA Online
© Rockstar Games
The first worry for fans was if they made the leap to the PS4 and Xbox One versions, would their online criminal make it too? The answer is yes, and Rockstar has tweaked the landscape for them to play in.
Players can simply transfer their characters across by signing up to Rockstar’s Social Club. Once your PS3 or 360 is connected, you’ll be able to select them on your newer machine. GTA Online also supports 30 players as opposed to the meagre 16 on last-gen consoles, so the streets of Los Santos will be an even more treacherous place. With the jets, helicopters, tanks and more, online is going to be a lot like Battlefield Hardline, which must be a cause for concern for EA.
Not into all the virtual murders? A new passive mode is used to enable players to cruise around without fear of being jacked or killed. It means you can drive through other people’s cars and characters like a ghost without the fear of having a baseball bat cracked over your skull while taking a selfie.
3. More wildlife
GTA V's wildlife
© Rockstar Games
Rockstar has tossed in an ark’s worth of new animals for you to see. Cats, new dogs, hammerhead sharks, whales and more can now be found in and around Los Santos. There’s even a side-mission in which Franklin has to photograph the wildlife, presenting a good way to see all the new creatures.
The biggest change to this new GTA V comes when you take a dip underwater. It’s a great showcase for the new graphics and provides a thrilling and deadly new place to explore. To hear a whale’s deep call as you swim among wreckage and seaweed is both haunting and exciting.
4. Upgrade incentives
GTA V's rail gun
© Rockstar Games
As a token gesture to those that bought GTA V on PS3 and 360, Rockstar is adding exclusive content when they upgrade to the PS4 or Xbox One version. There’s a new mission where Michael finds himself in an LA Noire-style detective role. Solve the crime and you get a couple of gritty new filters to play GTA V in.
There are various new events - including the aforementioned photography challenge - that unlock new vehicles when completed; like the Dodo seaplane and the Kraken submarine. And you’ll also get a hatchet and vehicle-busting rail gun to blast your enemies with. There’s also stock car racing and a brand-new monster truck that has customisable flags attached to it.
5. More, more more...
GTA V features more traffic on PS4 and Xbox One
© Rockstar Games
In addition to the big changes listed above, GTA V also comes with more than 100 new tracks spread across the various radio stations, better draw distances, neon lights for your cars, increased traffic, more densely populated areas throughout, a faster blimp, online heists via the first update (date TBC), new character creation tools for GTA Online and loads more props to use when creating online Jobs.
GTA V is out now on PS4 and Xbox One.
