Grand Theft Auto 5 Actor Steven Ogg Explains Trevor's Rage

Grand Theft Auto 5 Actor Steven Ogg Explains Trevor's RageadSetAdURL("/_uac/adpage.html");adSetOthAT("kvcmsid=bsd:20734939;kvugc=1;"); function runOmni() {s_265.pfxID = "gam";s_265.pageName = "Grand Theft Auto 5 Actor Steven Ogg Explains Trevor's Rage";s_265.server = "";s_265.channel = "us.games";s_265.pageType = "";s_265.prop6 = " ";s_265.prop54 = "blogsmith";s_265.prop1 = "article";s_265.prop2 = "news";s_265.prop18 = "news|video_games";s_265.prop22 = "john-gaudiosi";s_265.prop19 = "grand_theft_auto|grand_theft_auto_4|grand_theft_auto_5|grand_theft_auto_5_news|grand_theft_auto_iii|grand_theft_auto_iv|grand_theft_auto_news|grand_theft_auto_v|grand_theft_auto_v_gameplay|grand_theft_auto_v_news|grand-theft-auto|grand-theft-auto-iv|grandtheftauto|grandtheftauto4|grandtheftauto5|grandtheftauto5news|grandtheftautoiii|grandtheftautoiv|grandtheftautov|gta|gta_5|gta_5_details|gta_5_gameplay|gta_5_news|gta_5_ps3|gta_5_release|gta_5_release_date|gta_5_screenshots|gta_5_trailer|gta_5_video|gta_iv|gta_v|gta_v_details|gta_v_gameplay|gta_v_multiplayer|gta_v_news|gta_v_ps3|gta_v_release_date|gta_v_screenshots|gta_v_trailer|gta_v_video|gta-iv|gta4|gta5|gtaiv|gtav";s_265.prop8 = "bss:375";s_265.prop9 = "bsd:20734939";s_265.mmxgo = true;s_265.prop12 = document.location;s_265.t();}var s_account = "aolsvc";(function(d){var s = d.createElement("script");s.src = (location.protocol == 'https:' ? 'https://s' : 'http://o') + '.aolcdn.com/omniunih.js';d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(s);})(document); Skip to content Games.com News

Free Online GamesMain NewsReviewsOpinionUNLOCKED: Cheats & Tips ADD ME News Network End of global header What's Hot on Games.comCandy CrushPlants Vs. ZombiesSlot BusterJust Words News, Video Games Comments Tweet Grand Theft Auto 5 Actor Steven Ogg Explains Trevor's Rage by John Gaudiosi, Posted Oct 1st 2013 5:00PM

Actor Steven Ogg spent the past three years wearing a lycra suit lined with balls and a camera strapped around his head to capture his every facial expression. The goal? Bring Trevor Philips to life. Rockstar Games employed performance capture for the first time in a Grand Theft Auto game with GTA 5. Ogg, who has worked on television shows like Unforgettable and Person of Interest, found this work similar in some ways to his Hollywood jobs, but no character he portrayed stands out like the ultra-violent Trevor.

Ogg talks about Trevor's rage in this exclusive interview.

What was it like bringing Trevor to life in GTA 5?

He's kind of the id. He's the freedom. He's that little dark matter in our head that we've all heard to different degrees walking down the street. He's the impulse. Trevor's a little devil. That gave me the freedom to react to any impulse. I was so curious to see how that would be. Like when someone in a car cuts you off, my mother would think "I'm going to ring his bloody neck." My mother's not going to do anything. Trevor does, and that's exciting. It doesn't have to be violent. If he's attracted to someone or something, he'll have sex with that, be it an object or a woman or man. He goes with whatever he feels. That's pretty attractive as an actor to go like, "Wow, if I feel like yelling, I can yell. If I just killed someone and I want to cry, I can cry. If I want to go to the bathroom on someone, I can." Things you'd never do but in the darkest, craziest places in your head.

What was it like bringing some of this violence to life with other actors in the performance capture?

It's intense. It's just like shooting a scene in a movie or TV show. Let's say I'm going to shoot or beat you. You have to warn each other about the parameters. Do you mind if I grab your crouch? That's a respectful question to ask and actor, because some don't. I'm not going to name names. I'm not talking about our shoot, but there are actors in this world that you work with who think it's funny to f**k with you on set when they're getting ready to do something physical, like hit you in the ear. As an actor, if you don't tell me you're going to hit me in my ear and you do, it's pretty hard for me to not just level you. So to perform the rage with Trevor, I'd explain to everyone some ideas in my head as to what I'd do. We've got a director and we've got the script telling us what to do, but the rage was generally, "Are you comfortable with this?" I wasn't always going to tell everyone what I was going to do and ruin the spontaneity. That's part of who Trevor is and I love that. I don't want the person to know what he's going to do, especially when the rage hits.

What's an example of that?

There's that first scene, which is actually one of the first things I shot, where Trevor is like, "Hey cowboy, come here." He's giving him a hug and is all "boosy, booby baby," and then he just explodes and shoves him down and stomps his face. Well, both actors knows what's going to happen, but you also have to say, "Are you cool if I shove your head when I push you down instead of pushing you by the back, because everyone pushes by the back. I might shove you by the face. You cool with that?" That's how the rage was dealt with Trevor. I'd always set up the boundaries of comfort. I don't want to screw with another actor, but if they say, "Yeah, do whatever," I'll do whatever is necessary for the scene.

How has being in this $1 billion game impacted your life?

Wow, you're looking up at the screen and you're seeing essentially the animated version of yourself. I didn't realize the enormity of this until I started to see my face all over the world. I don't think like, "I am GTA, I am huge." But speaking of the GTA franchise and Rockstar Games, I had no idea how big this was. It wasn't until I was biking along, seeing Trevor hand-painted in Brooklyn. Seeing, the Figueroa Hotel in LA and the entire building is painted, or in Japan and in London, it's like, "Holy sh*t, this is pretty big." Then when it makes the money it did, you're like, "Whoa." I was hired to do a job and I did it and I don't feel like I am the GTA. I'm not walking around like that. I'm still the same idiot I was yesterday looking for the next gig, but it's special. It's definitely something that I feel like you can put in a time capsule because of the cultural significance of what it is. I feel this game and the commentary it makes on our society as a whole is something I'm proud of.


For more, check out Prima's free GTA 5 guide.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3



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Grand Theft Auto 5: Michael's Best Moments

Michael is perhaps the most noble of the three characters featured in Grand Theft Auto 5. He's a family man, even if his wife, daughter and son don't appreciate him. He's also loyal to his friends, as he proves teaming up with both Franklin and Trevor on a number of chaotic criminal activities. He gets the job done, despite the fact that he's one step away from crumbling – which you can see with the most recent visit to his psychiatrist.

On that note, we pay tribute to Michael with some of his best moments in Grand Theft Auto 5.

NOTE: Minor spoilers ahead.

Drive-In Special

Michael first runs into Franklin in the backseat of his son's ride. He holds Franklin at gunpoint, only to find out who really wants his vehicle – Simeon, who runs an auto dealership in the city.

To show Simeon what kind of business he means, Michael doesn't walk into the establishment. Instead, he forces Franklin to drive through the main window, then storms out of the car and proceeds to beat up Simeon – an introduction to the game's melee combat.

Michael allows Franklin to escape, and even shells out some money for taking him to the guy trying to repo his car. This leads to an interesting partnership between the characters, with Michael teaching his young protégé a thing or two about the criminal game.

Not exactly a role model type, but you have to admit, this is one heck of a way to start a friendship.

A Family Man – Without a Yacht

Jimmy, Michael's worthless son, spends a good amount of time playing video games and goofing off, and tries to scam his father every chance he gets, due to his strained relationship. At one point, he goes too far, trying to sell his luxury yacht from underneath him. It eventually gets taken by a group of thugs, forcing Michael, with Franklin in tow, to chase after it.

During their pursuit, Michael laments about losing his yacht more than his kid. Still loyal to his family, though, he works with Franklin to engineer a dangerous rescue of Jimmy, who's hanging off the side of the ship. He eventually gets it done, and picks Franklin back up as well, but this comes at a price. The hood of the car starts smoking, as the yacht slips away down the road.

It's a frustrating choice for Michael, especially considering that his son doesn't appreciate him. Later on in the game, Jimmy drugs his dad, leaving him abandoned as he cleans out his bank account and steals his car.

In the end, though, the father's love shines through, and Jimmy attempts to reconnect with him, saying he'll get a job.

Patching Things up by Taking Them Down

We're not sure how Michael's relationship with his wife Amanda derailed, but there are two instances where he shows he is, in fact, a husband that will do anything to make things right.

Let's start with her fling with the tennis coach. When he finds out she's having an affair with her new loverboy, Michael and Franklin chase after the scumbag. They eventually come to an exotic house where the coach thinks he's safe. Michael's not one to easily walk away. He hooks a winch from a tow truck onto the house and, Lethal Weapon 2-style, brings the whole thing down. Unfortunately, this causes trouble with Mexican gangster Martin Madrazo.

Another character flirting with Amanda is scummy yoga instructor Fabien LaRouche, whose suggestive positions don't sit well with Michael. When he first confronts Fabien, he winds up falling into the pool, where Amanda calls him a "pathetic psychopath" and leaves him.

Eventually, though, they reconcile, with some help from Jimmy, and Michael gets even with Fabien when Amanda, fed up with the instructor's bad behavior, gives him permission to receive a beat down. Now that's love.

Getting Down to Business

Despite caring for his family, Michael is still cold-blooded. He murders a number of people throughout the game to get things done, like taking out Gianni and Rocco Pelosi for harassing Solomon Richards, killing Jay Norris so he can convince Lester Crest to re-team with him for robberies, and if the Deathwish ending is picked, both Harold "Stretch" Joseph and Devin Weston for trying to kill him and his partners.

Michael has no problem leaving bodies behind, but he's not a full-blown psychopath. He allows one security guard to live, giving some important advice in the process: "You forget a thousand things every day, pal. Make sure this is one of 'em."

The Lazlow Dance

Finally, Lazlow Jones, who made appearances in Grand Theft Auto games over the years before finding an on-screen role in part 5, has a rather humiliating run-in with Michael and Trevor over the course of the game. Upon accosting Tracey during an audition for Fame or Shame, the two of them chase Lazlow out of the building, forcing him to take off his pants by the Los Santos River and perform a dance they record on their phones. It shows that Michael hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Sure, Michael's relationship with Tracey is strained in the process, but you can't have everything.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Be sure to check out our Free Guide for full coverage on the game!

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Grand Theft Auto 5: iFruit Guide

Grand Theft Auto 5 hits store shelves in just a few short hours from now, but Rockstar has already released the Grand Theft Auto: iFruit companion app on the App Store. The app allows you to not only customize your rides in Grand Theft Auto 5, but also look after Franklin's dog Chop - with in-game bonuses for doing a good job.

Here's everything you need to know about getting the most out of the app.

First of all, you'll need to either create an account for Rockstar Social Club, or log-in to the one you already have. If you've not created a Social Club log-in before, you'll then be asked to associate your PSN or Xbox Live account with your new Social Club account.

LS Customs Guide

Los Santos Customs allows you to customize vehicles on your iPhone or iPad, then use those customized vehicles within GTA 5 on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Pretty cool, eh?

From the Garage section of the interface, you can select the car that you wish to work on. We'll select Franklin from here, then go to the Customize section and start tweaking his ride. Here are the individual areas you can play with:

Respray:

From here, you can choose the primary and secondary colors for your car, change the tinting on the windows, and even the color of your tire smoke.

Engine:

Select a more powerful engine for your vehicle here. Note that certain items only unlock after you've made progress in the console version of GTA 5, and the upgrades get more and more expensive as you work your way through them.

Brakes:

Choose between standard or street brakes from this section. This option affects the weight and handling of your chosen vehicle.

Wheels / Horn / Lights / Tires:

These options only change the cosmetic appearance of your vehicle. They do not affect the handling of the vehicle in any way.

Turbo:

Switch up your turbo options and get an extra burst of speed around Los Santos.

Armor:

Improves your abilities to take knocks and prangs around town. Better upgrades cost more money.

Suspension:

Upgrading your vehicle's suspension significantly improves the handling of your chosen vehicle.

Exhaust:

Speed and weight are both affected by the type of exhaust you fit to your vehicle.

How do I change my number plate in Grand Theft Auto 5?

Hit the section at the bottom of the screen marked ABC Plates, then use your device's virtual keyboard to enter your desired numberplate.

How do I send a vehicle from iFruit to Grand Theft Auto 5?

Once you've finished customizing your vehicle, simply hit the blue button marked Order at the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Chop The Dog Guide

Chop the Dog is a virtual pet in iFruit. How you treat Chop in this mobile game affects how he behaves in Grand Theft Auto 5. Here's everything you need to know about looking after your new best friend:

How do I feed Chop in Grand Theft Auto 5?

Tap the blue bowl at the top of the menu options, then drag an item of food from the top of the screen towards Chop.

How do I increase Chop's happiness in Grand Theft Auto 5?

If you feed Chop, his happiness meter will increase. Note that the meter will decrease over time, so make sure you're keeping him regularly fed.

How do I clean up after Chop in Grand Theft Auto 5?

When Chop makes a mess, you'll be given a glove symbol and, well, you'll need to use it to clear up after him. Hey, nobody said owning a dog was easy! Simply pinch the mess with two fingers and drop it in the trash can.

How do I take Chop for a walk in iFruit?

If you want to go for a stroll with your new best friend/killing machine, simply tap on the leash icon and then set a destination to take him.

How do I give Chop a present in iFruit?

To reward Chop The Dog for good behavior (or bad, depending on your perspective), tap on the gift icon and then choose a special collar for him. Changing the collar he wears in iFruit will also change his collar in the console game of Grand Theft Auto 5.

How do I teach Chop new tricks in Grand Theft Auto 5?

To teach Chop a new trick in Grand Theft Auto 5, hit the brown ribbon at the bottom right of the screen, and then select the trick you want him to perform as standard in the game.

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Grand Theft Auto Online Social Club Features

With Grand Theft Auto V days away from release, players everywhere can't wait to dive back into the criminal world of Los Santos. Just make sure you save room for Grand Theft Auto Online when it launches a couple of weeks later. Here, you'll be able to team up with friends and take on rivals through a series of vehicular and ground-based contests to see which group is the best.

With the Online interface comes the return of the Social Club, where you not only put together a crew to work with you at every turn, but also assign a Hierarchy, letting everyone know just who's in charge.

This system is based upon feedback from the Social Club community, so Rockstar North, the developers of both GTA V and its supplementary Online mode, have a great idea of what to do with it.

Hierarchy ties in with the general Crew, which is broken down into five top tiers. At the very top sits the Leader, who leads this particular club and makes all the decisions when it comes to leveling out rankings and making sure each member does their job. This is probably the most crucial point of the Hierarchy, so you'll want to make sure that the right person is on deck. Put the wrong person in charge and the group could crumble under "no confidence."

Next up are the Commissioners, with two assigned. These people act as the most trusted members to the Leader and the members below them. They act as right-hand men – or women – who will manage and administrate each part of the Crew, working on behalf of the Leader. These members should also be highly trusted, as they'll have the ability to promote new members to the crew, as well as assign new ones. It's vital that you have the Leader and the Commissioners on the same page, or else there will be a falling out.

For the rest of the story and a preview of GTA V, check out Prima Games

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Grand Theft Auto V Review

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Free Online GamesMain NewsReviewsOpinionUNLOCKED: Cheats & Tips ADD ME News Network End of global header What's Hot on Games.comCandy CrushPlants Vs. ZombiesSlot BusterJust Words News, Video Games, Reviews Comments Tweet Grand Theft Auto V Review by Mike Williams, US Gamer, Posted Sep 17th 2013 5:50PM

Most anticipated game of the year? Most anticipated game of this generation? We can argue over that. But what we all want to know is - just how good is Rockstar's long-awaited blockbuster?

Grand Theft Auto V is a game that leaves me conflicted as a person. Rockstar has gladly brought back some of the life I felt was missing from Grand Theft Auto IV, but at the same time it does things that disturb and anger me. You never quite know what you're going to get from minute to minute, and the journey through GTA V has its highs and lows.

The Grand Theft Auto series and I haven't always been friends. My entry into the series came with Grand Theft Auto III, a game that was the pioneer of an entire genre. I look back on it in reverence, but I feel no need to replay it. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City built upon GTA III's technical mastery with a story that grabbed me a bit more and that great 80's setting. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the franchise's high point for me: CJ was a great character, I dug the additional RPG elements, and the three cities gave you a lot of room to play in. I'm not one to return to older games once I've completed them, but I still load up San Andreas from time-to-time. The game will always hold a special place in my mind, because I was playing it the morning I was arrested for stealing my own car. Hard to forget.

So, I was surprised when Grand Theft Auto IV left me cold. Niko Bellic's tales of a former soldier falling into Liberty City's criminal element bored me. I felt no connection to Niko, and his friends and family actively turned me off. Liberty City was wonderfully realized, but it wasn't a fun sandbox; it felt more like an amazing simulation than a game. Some of that disappointment was probably because of Saints Row 2, which came out two years earlier and had taken a direction that differentiated it from GTA. After playing that, Liberty City just felt lifeless. I only lasted a few hours and, stopped. I only returned to it to try out the crazy community-created mods.

So what about Grand Theft Auto V?

This time, the game's story is split between three protagonists: retired career criminal Michael De Santa, small-time hood Franklin Clinton, and murderous psychopath Trevor Phillips. The game is slow to build: after a prologue showing a failed heist ten years ago, you play Franklin and Michael through separate sequences that eventually lead the two together. The mentor/protege relationship between the pair carries the game's early plot: you really do feel as if each provides the other with something that's missing in their horrible lives. It's a powerful element that keeps you playing in a story that otherwise feels like it just meanders along.

Two of these characters are the game's emotional center. I'll leave you to guess which two.

It's a few hours before you're introduced to Trevor, who is a complete tonal shift from the other two. While Michael and Franklin are played mostly straight, Trevor is insane and strung out on speed most of the time. He throws off a few things, but more on that later.

Grand Theft Auto V goes to great lengths to emphasize that each character is their own person. Outside of larger missions, each has their own set of missions, their own property they can purchase, and their own supporting casts. While Franklin may help a paparazzi stalk movie stars or run into gang-related problems with his best friend Lamar, Michael is busy keeping his family out of trouble or helping his favorite film director. Trevor is always trying to steal things with the help of lackeys Ron and Wade, or participating in the game's more unsavory activities like hunting illegal aliens or murdering random groups of people that cross him. You'll probably gravitate towards certain characters and missions: I avoided Franklin's tow-truck missions and Trevor's crazy killing Rampages like the plague, but I usually completed all of Michael's missions.

Another thing that differentiates each character is their individual special abilities, which can be charged up and used in certain situations. Michael can slow down time in combat, and recharges by doing stealth takedowns and headshots. Franklin can slow down time while driving, with near misses and top-speed driving filling his special meter. Trevor's special lowers his incoming damage and raises his outgoing damage; killing enemies and taking damage keeps his meter topped off.

Rockstar boasts that being able to switch between all three characters during the game is a ground-breaking innovation, but while the mechanic has been done before, the real strength in the system lies in the storytelling. If you switch to one of three, they're usually in the middle of doing something particular to that character. Once, I returned to Michael sitting with his head on his car's steering wheel in alley just a few blocks away from his house. I could tell that this was a guy who didn't want to return home just yet, but he didn't have anything else to do. It hit me as a strong, sympathetic moment for the character. These moments flesh out the characters, though Trevor's are mostly being drunk, recovering from being high, or in the middle of killing someone.

The rest of the characters are there and gone. When you get down to it, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor are all horrible people, and their supporting cast extends from that. It reminds me of Breaking Bad: no one here is clean. Michael's family is vapid, Trevor's friends are sycophants, and Franklin's neighborhood is comprised of stereotypes. Some characters do stand out, but it's only because of their humor value, not their emotional one: Michael's tech guy Lester and Franklin's friend Lamar are hilarious, but two-dimensional. And if you're hoping for a positive or sympathetic woman in the cast, the closest you get is Franklin's ex-girlfriend, who you spend most time speaking to only via email. 4

Rockstar's new Los Santos is better than Liberty City was in Grand Theft Auto IV. It's larger and there's more variety in the areas you get to traverse. The citizens also feel like they have their own lives. Cops bust crooks that aren't you, people are conversing as you walk past, there's even random muggings you can stop if you're so inclined. One of my stolen rides was even stolen from me by a random citizen! It's a convincing illusion that breaks down if you try to pay too much attention. I spent 15 minutes tailing one citizen and all he did was walk around a few blocks randomly. When I turned my back for a moment, he disappeared. It's very Truman Show: as long as you don't look too hard, it works really well.

The missions in this new Los Santos are all over the map, literally and figuratively. You're faced with the good, the bad, and the ugly. The heist missions are a new addition to the series and are my definite high-points. Seriously, if GTA V was nothing but heist missions, it'd probably be one of my favorite games ever. These missions offer you options on how to pull off the caper, sometimes give you the choice between the rest of your crew, and set you about collecting what you need to succeed.

Heists are where the real action happens.

Once you've lined everything up, it's time to actually execute the job. The heists have you switching between Michael, Franklin, and Trevor in different positions. Michael is usually the inside man, Franklin is a driver, and Trevor either takes aircraft or adds to the general mayhem with explosives and firepower. During heist missions, switching between characters gives you options: I'm horrible at sharpshooting, so in one heist I chose to go with Michael's submachinegun to take out pursuers, instead of using Franklin on a far off building with a sniper rifle. GTA V plays around with a number of different combinations and situations, keeping the entire idea fresh from beginning to end.

Adding additional depth is the fact that you can also choose your crew. Do you go for cheaper neophytes, or experts who require a larger cut of the spoils? For my first big heist - a jewelry store - I chose a less-experienced driver and gunman. During the escape phase, the gunman actually fell off his bike and got caught by the police. Not a big loss, except for the fact that he was carrying a third of the take. The new driver also got lost in the tunnels for a good 30 seconds, whereas an experienced driver would've probably had us through in no time. It all feels like an Ocean's Eleven game, and I loved every minute of it.

If heists are the good, some vehicle missions are the bad. You drive an endless amount of vehicles: cars, bikes, ATVs, boats, jet skis, planes, and more. Halfway through the game, GTAV was still showing me brand-new vehicles and situations. Unfortunately, all of these vehicles are true to life. Ten minutes spent gliding slowly through San Andreas' harbor in a submersible isn't exciting gameplay. In the same vein, it's cool that Rockstar was able to model a dock crane, but it's not something I needed to play.

And speaking of something I didn't need to play, we're left with the ugly. A third of the way through the game, there's a mission called 'By The Book'. The Trevor part of the mission involves torturing an innocent man to gain information. This is unskippable. There's no out. You choose your implement of torture: a jug of water, a pair of pliers, a large wrench, or jump cables attached to a car battery. Each weapon has its own control scheme, and you're even given a ghastly achievement for using all four during the mission.

If you have strong feelings about torture, this mission is hard to stomach and there's no option to skip any part of it. It's just Trevor, you, and the torture victim pleading you to stop. Sure, the rest of the game is spent murdering people, but this is close and intimate. It's a few minutes of controlling the suffering of a (simulated) human being. If I had been Redbox-ing this, it probably would've been the moment I returned the game. For some, this will be the deal-breaker, and it makes other ugly missions - like the creepy strip club mini-game - look tame by comparison.

I'm completely in the dark about Rockstar's intentions about this mission. If it's supposed to be parody, they came far too close to the real thing. If it's meant to played straight to show the gravity of the situation, then Trevor's actions during and after the mission ruin that tone. In fact, Trevor ruins the serious tone of most of the game - but it's just far more apparent in this particular mission. In his own missions, Trevor's actions and insanity makes sense; in Michael and Franklin's missions, he sticks out like a sore thumb. I would've preferred him in his own game or standalone expansion, instead of his placement here.

Despite some painful missions, GTA V is still great fun.

When it comes to craft, Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar's masterpiece, but the game exists beyond the wonderful world on display. If you were to cut out a few missions here and there, it would be an amazing game. But those missions exist and act as speed-bumps, interrupting the the above-average fun of just running around the world, and the excitement of doing the Heist missions. And for some, those aforementioned speed-bumps will be brick walls. If you're absolutely opposed to torture, or you need a positive woman character in your game, Grand Theft Auto V is a complete non-starter.

Despite my feelings about those things, however, I still found myself having fun outside of them. The rest of the game is good enough that I was up until 3:00 am one night playing mission after mission. It's a guilty pleasure: part of me wants for stop because of the deeply problematic elements, but another part is using my reviewer status as a reason to keep enjoying all the rest. Grand Theft Auto V left me deeply conflicted morally, but if I'm being honest, I still want to keep playing it. So I guess that means I'm recommending it - but with strong caveats.

The Nitty GrittyVisuals: It's not next-gen, but Grand Theft Auto V is as close to next-gen as the the current generation can get.Music: A great mix of classic tracks and brand-new songs. It's worth letting the radio play even if it's on stations you may not prefer.Interface: In the in-game UI is as minimal as possible. It gets out of the way and lets the rest of the game do its thing.Lasting Appeal: You'll be finding new sights and missions for a long goddamn time.


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