I started playing games about a month ago, and this is the first of the must-play games that I have been eagerly wanting to play for years. It is very powerful, but for a best-selling game of the century with a Metacritic score of 97 (!), I expected more, not in terms of technical aspects, but in terms of its structure.
The story is huge and enjoyable, but also pointless. You don't play GTA to cry or be moved, but I believe a story that keeps you engaged and connected with the characters is necessary in every type of game, movie, book, etc. Except for a few (less than 10) moments where there was actually a lot of material to build upon (such as Trevor's first appearance and the cut scene before the Lamar Down mission), I felt like I was watching a basic comedy movie from the '90s with guns. The sarcasm and caustic humor foundation of the game would have been perfect if there was something more significant to say in the main single-player story. Of course, the aspects that didn't involve the FIB and the other "bad guys" were quite nice (such as Michael's relationship with his family and Trevor, for example) and could have played a much bigger role. Not to mention that a little movie within the game (with the lonely robot) troubled and disturbed me more than any other aspect of the story.
Something else that I expected to find but never did are the interiors and interesting activities. Don't get me wrong, the game is rich and more than enough, but instead of having 100 mountains and meadows, I would prefer to have 1 or 2 and have accessible houses for robberies, pharmacies, restaurants, bars, gyms, etc., like there were at intervals in previous GTAs.
Apart from these few points that disappointed me to some extent, I can understand why there has been so much hype about this game. The graphics, which I believe will never get old, thanks to the mix of arcade and realism, are UNBELIEVABLE when you play, and I emphasize this, it feels like going on vacation in Los Angeles. The side missions and the online component have simply gone beyond with the additions made over the years and are often much more interesting than the main story. I also have to say that the soundtrack is perfect and adds a lot to the already perfect feeling.
I won't write about it, since everything that GTA 5 offers has been said since 2013, and rightfully so. It's just that the obvious flaws in the story and some content deficiencies that could have made an even bigger difference and were feasible during the game's development are not as noticeable. The game is timeless and offers months of entertainment, as far as I can tell from the 80 hours I have played.