Grand Theft Auto V
2013 · Rockstar North
Has it aged?Why ↓
Grand Theft Auto V is an open-world crime game set in Los Santos and its surrounding desert and mountains. You switch between criminals Michael, Franklin and Trevor, driving, shooting and preparing heists. The pleasure is taking that world for a joyride; the frustration is how carefully the missions dictate your part in it.
Grand Theft Auto V for PC offers players the option to explore the award-winning world of Los Santos and Blaine County in resolutions of up to 4k and beyond, as well as the chance to experience the game running at 60 frames per second.
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for Los Santos and the three-character heists, not for a crime story that earns its nastiness. Switching between a gunman and his accomplices gives the action real theatrical punch. The mission design shows its age more than the city does: elaborate robberies still mean following carefully prescribed instructions. The 2025 PC edition, Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced, adds ray-traced lighting features and faster loading, but the stronger reason to play is still the freedom between jobs.
Play it if
You take the long route to hear the radio, customise a getaway car at Los Santos Customs, and abandon the next mission to try golf or skydiving. You enjoy staged action sequences enough to follow instructions once the robbery starts.
Skip it if
You cannot stomach participating in graphic torture, or you need heists to reward freely improvised plans rather than scripted preparation and execution. The campaign's violence and tightly directed jobs are not incidental features you can simply ignore.
Common questions
- Should I use Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced or Legacy on PC?
- Choose Enhanced if your PC meets its higher requirements: the 2025 edition adds ray-traced graphics options, faster loading and improved audio. The original PC version, Grand Theft Auto V Legacy, remains accessible through the launcher for machines that cannot meet those requirements.
- Can Enhanced and Legacy players join each other in GTA Online?
- No. Under the PC version split introduced in 2025, friends must use the same edition; moving to Enhanced also requires migrating your Story Mode and Online progress.
- How much control do I have over the campaign heists?
- Lester supplies the plan, while you choose the approach and backup personnel, then collect the required equipment. Those choices do not make the robberies freeform: preparation and execution are heavily scripted.
- What does switching to Franklin actually change?
- Franklin can briefly slow time while driving. Switching characters during shared action sequences also lets you move between different positions and roles, rather than handling every chase or gunfight from one character's perspective.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 193k in Apr 2015.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗Better liked than at launch.
Updated within the last year, so still looked after.
▲ No longer sold on Steam.