Last week, I went where few girls have gone before.
Last week, I went to the midnight release of Grand Theft Auto V. I know, I know, I’m just that cool.
I had never gone to a midnight video game release before — only for the Harry Potter books and movies back in middle and high school.
As I have mentioned before, the Grand Theft Auto series has always been one of my favorites, so I believe it deserves the right to be my first midnight release.
After waiting for hours, I finally got my hands on the game. I had planned to play it that night, but an extensive install was required, so I waited until the next day.
Once I got the chance to play, I was immediately impressed with the newest installment, to say the least.
GTA IV was released back in 2008. Now, the graphics were pretty darn good for that game, but all it takes is a few short minutes playing to realize just how beautiful the new game is.
To begin with, the map is absolutely massive.
I was awestruck at the size of previous games maps. The only problem I had with the previous installment was that you had to progressively unlock parts of it, getting piece by piece as you went through the storyline.
GTA V takes this to all-new levels. Nothing is out of bounds — you simply must explore the entire map of Los Santos to find out what is there.
The options are limitless. You can visit the city or gallivant in the country.
There are tons of new vehicles to operate, from forklifts to airplanes.
One of the best parts of the game, and the entire series, is the endless possibilities. Sure, you can drive the forklift all around the map — it’s just going to take you a few hours. But don’t worry, the hilarity will be worth it.
This game also has a large number of ways to customize yourself and your lifestyle. You can get a tattoo, smoke some weed, go golfing or do yoga.
To me, this game takes my childhood addiction of The Sims and mixes it with the grown-up world of video game violence.
There are also a large handful of Easter eggs throughout the game — most of which I haven’t found yet. In one of the first missions, you hear a character mumble something about “Niko Bellic,” the prior game’s protagonist. I love it when things tie together like this.
Even more impressive is having three main characters. For some parts of the game, you’re able to easily switch between them, dropping in at any moment.
You can even mess with one character while playing as another.
This game comes with a hefty investment — $60 to buy the game, and then nearly 30 hours of your time to finish just the required story.
Whatever the price is, I highly recommend it.
Sophie Kruse is a sophomore studying journalism and a columnist for The Post. Have you played Grand Theft Auto V? Let her know at sk139011@ohiou.edu.
