As a somewhat jaded gamer, it’s rare that a game surprises me. While Grand Theft Auto (GTA) certainly isn’t without faults, the game overcomes its problems with a combination of truly original and extremely well-polished gaming. Grand Theft Auto is one of the most anticipated (and best-selling) games of all time, and the most amazing thing is that it fully delivers what the player pays for and exceeds his expectations.

I’ll admit, at first, I regretted buying the game. GTA doesn’t respond as any other game does. Early in the game, the shooting mechanics felt lackluster, driving seemed to be a mess, and even general movement felt clunky. These are all problems that have plagued similar games, and even past iterations of the series. Thankfully, many of the issues lessen with time as the player acclimates to the game. The shooting stops feeling like a nuisance, driving becomes less difficult, and navigation in general feels less forced as well. While these issues never fully die, they do become less noticeable as you progress through the game and see all the great things it has to offer.

Players are thrown into a dizzyingly large world with a ridiculous number of things to do in it. While not all of the options presented are worthwhile pastimes, there are so many choices that everyone is bound to find one that they love. Be it golf, tennis, parachuting, driving, swimming, running marathons, meeting new people, hanging out with friends, or buying real estate, this game has something for everybody. It has so many activities that it becomes easy to lose hours of your life in this world. GTA provides players with a hefty amount of side missions to take part in, but it still has a sizable amount of story content as well.

Grand Theft Auto’s plot shines during interactions between the three playable characters. Michael is a past heist man who is in the middle of a personal crisis, Franklin is a gangster whose main concern is making money, and Trevor is an old friend of Michael’s who has “mental issues”. These three rather quickly meet up in Los Santos (the city of GTA V) and begin pulling robberies together. Their friendship is complex and not always beneficial, but seeing it develop is truly enjoyable. Large sections of the plot are rather humorous, but it does have some dramatic scenes. The climax, in particular, is one of the most memorable scenes in videogame history. The plot does a great job of being a driving force and keep players coming back to see what’s happening to the gang.

Grand Theft Auto V is a surprising game that will be important for years to come. It has one of the largest and most interesting worlds of any videogame. Its story very well executed and memorable and the amount of pastimes available to the player is staggering. GTA has set a gold standard for open world videogames, one that is unlikely to be met for a long time.