For some people, GTA 5 is already the best game ever made. So just imagine how much better it's going to be on PS4 and Xbox One.
Yes, GTA 5 for next-gen is available from today, and it's by far the most exciting remaster yet. There's not much that rivals loading up some GTA 5 cheats and blasting through the game. Not only does Los Santos get a glorious makeover, the new consoles introduce a raft of exciting features, including the much-talked-about first person mode.
Gizmodo Editor Matt Hill, whose spent a fair chunk of time with the game already, said GTA 5 is "the most impressively detailed world we've yet seen on the next-gen consoles"
"Unlike Watch Dogs, which was quickly held up as the first 'next gen' title but then suffered from the hype, Rockstar has actually over-delivered here. Sure, we expected a graphical upgrade, and the extra RAM would inevitably lead to greater draw distances, but I'm not sure many were prepared for quite how the PS4 blitzes the PS3 version. There are far more characters and vehicles on screen at once, helping the city to feel more alive, while the very impressive new foliage system makes us yearn for next-gen Red Dead Redemption. Even before you factor in all the new vehicle interiors added thanks to first-person mode, this is a fairly fantastic overhaul. We'd very much double-dip."
You can read his hands-on review with the game here.
Scores on the doors
Praise for the game has been unanimous so far. Daniel Dawkins, group editor-in-chief for games at Future, recently spent some time with GTA 5 too. He told us:
"I was lucky enough to see the game a few weeks back and my gut reaction remains the same - wow. If you'd shown me a world that looks like this back when I first got into games, in the 'glory' days of the ZX Spectrum, I'd have considered it indistinguishable from magic. At times, it's almost breathtaking, especially when the subtle new-gen effects coalesce in a moment of magic: neon blazing across the Vinewood streets, rain hissing into puddles, as exhaust fumes billow from your neon under-lit Pegassi Zentorno. Sure, you've likely seen GTAV's world a year ago on PS3 or 360, but not like this. Technically, it's the finest new-gen game yet – possibly the best looking console game ever – and as good a reason as any to own a PS4 or Xbox One.
"At core, it shares the same story experience as PS3 / 360, but with loads of new side missions (we're still yet to find Michael's film noir murder mystery missions after 20 hours+ of play), a fully realised first-person mode and an all-new feel, borne of the graphical upgrade. Swimming with whales feels like a scene from Blue Planet. If it sounds like I'm gushing: I am. There's never been a more exciting, scenic virtual world, with more scope for exploration. The PS4 version is slightly better if you're interested: richer foliage, with pad-specific features like flashing police lights and chatter through the DualShock speaker. Even having rinsed GTAV last year, I can't wait to play this again. You *may* not feel the same way, but at very least give it a chance."
However, it wouldn't be a game launch without a few bumps in the road, would it? Right now there appears to be an issue that prevents some players from transferring their profiles from PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.
In an update on its support website, Rockstar said it's "urgently" investigating the problem, which affects players who haven't played GTA Online since 2013. Hopefully that means you won't have to start all over again, though we can probably think of worse punishments.
Still teetering on the edge? Perhaps a wonder down Vinewood Boulevard Walk in first person view will change your mind.
And once you've done that, here are the 19 amazing features you need to see in GTA 5 on Xbox One and PS4, courtesy of CVG, including rain that possibly looks more lifelike than the real thing.
