14 DAY TRIAL // The last year was filled with some great titles that delivered impressive experiences in their own genres but also in terms of the whole interactive entertainment industry.
Among them was the eagerly awaited Grand Theft Auto 5, as tens of millions of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners swooped in to get the new game in the open world series.
Most of them were not disappointed, as GTA 5 delivered a huge sandbox in which they could engage in all sorts of activities, from the regular shooting and driving, to secondary ones, like playing golf or doing yoga, not to mention the true stars: the elaborate heists.
Many of these elements work really well. The driving has been drastically improved over GTA IV, as cars no longer feel like boats in terms of handling. There's a huge variety of rides scattered across Los Santos and Blaine County, from regular cars, to bikes, boats, helicopters, planes, or even a small submarine that will be used on a few occasions.
The shooting has also been improved, especially since characters are more mobile when caught in firefights. This is both a blessing and a curse, as you can easily expose yourself and get killed by the pretty aggressive enemies.
Of course, the whole game is taken up a notch by the fact that there are three main protagonists, Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, each with distinct abilities, personalities, and missions. They all came together during the elaborate heists, which were some of the most impressive parts of the whole game.
Unfortunately, GTA games have made a habit of throwing in all sorts of gameplay elements, including the proverbial kitchen sink.
GTA 5 is no exception as there are many different activities that I barely touched, like tennis, or hated, like the mandatory yoga sequence. Throw in the huge open world that's big mainly for the sake of being big, and playing GTA 5 wasn't exactly fun after a while.