Sometimes it’s best not to meet your idols. It would be a bit of stretch to call Grand Theft Auto V one of my idols, that dubious honour falls onto 1970s-era Dave Gilmour, but it was something I was looking forward to a great deal (pre-orders, midnight launches and the like), and then played a great deal of once I got my mitts on it. Obviously it was never going to reach the dizzying expectations I had set for it, and for the most part I found it extremely enjoyable, but the plot stuck in my craw something chronic! Everyone was just awful… really, really awful.
GTAV’s plot didn’t develop – it just argued with itself, set up bank jobs, and gave me a headache.
I found such duality between the art direction, which was so beautiful it could make a unicorn cry, and the script which involved people arguing – constantly. I understand that a story needs some form of conflict to progress, but GTAV’s plot didn’t develop – it just argued with itself, set up bank jobs, and gave me a headache.
Michael is at odds with his wife and can’t communicate with his kids (as it always ends up in an argument). He also struggles to communicate with Trevor who is disappointed with Michael’s apparent betrayal and expresses himself by arguing and being dramatically sarcastic at any given opportunity. They are both under the thumbs of rival government agency guys who shout and belittle our heroes at the drop of a hat and, at the bottom of the pile, is Franklin who spends the majority of time arguing with his Aunt and talking smack with his best friend.
Meanwhile an amber sun dips below the peak of Chiliad and sun specks dance off the surface of streams and lakes like azure jewels.
I understand why Michael hates his kids and gets angry all the time. I understand how Trevor is the antithesis of a Hippocratic government and that, in such a world, being a violent psychopath is about as honest as one can hope for, but please – for just one cut-scene – can we do without doors being slammed and guns being pointed? After the hundredth time it’s all gotten slightly old.
Things are better now. The story mode is finished and I’m chancing my luck in the streets of GTA Online with my, thankfully, mute character, completing jobs and joining in races. GTAV’s plot was criticised initially for not having enough variation in character, which is something I agree with seeing as a good deal of the supporting cast looks fairly similar. I was also surprised to see so few Hispanic and Latino characters seeing as Los Santos was based upon Los Angeles, but that’s by the by.
The real bug bear for me was that the plot was so far behind the other elements of the game. It had no depth whatsoever and was characterised solely by anger, a simple emotion that loses impact the more you use it. I’d go so far to say it marred what would have otherwise been a perfect videogame and I found it increasingly difficult to engage with anyone on screen (I liked Chop the dog and Lester had his moments).
Had I simply set my expectations too high? I wanted Breaking Bad and I got EastEnders, but for better or for worse I still enjoyed the experience – I just found myself putting my brain on hold slightly more than I had planned. Gaming is about to turn (another) corner when the eighth generation is released and I hope we can look forward to a time when the same amount of effort is spent crafting script and story as animating realistic exit wounds.
I’m not holding my breath.
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