Summary
TheGrand Theft Autoseries has always been a staple point for gaming, dating back to the original released in 1997, to theincredibly anticipated and recently announcedGTA 6. No doubtGTA 6will have some amazing features once it launches, but for now,GTA 5remains the latest in the series.
A large part ofGTAhas always been the world and its interactivity, allowing for the player to experience the game’s vision of being a criminal. Without an interesting world, then this notion would fall flat and render the main theme of the game void. While there have been some exceptional open worlds in recent years, such asElden Ring’sThe Lands Between, Los Santos remains a detailed and impressive locale, with many small features enhancing the experience.
8No Loading Screens For Shops
Seamless Transitions Into Buildings
Some of the bigger buildings, such as theplayer housing in the multiplayerGTA Onlinemode, do possess loading screens, so not every building features a seamless transition.
However, more of the smaller buildings, mostly being stores, are fully accessible to walk into without a loading screen. Simply walk to the entrance and the character in control will push the door open, a feature that Bethesda games have been criticized for not including.
7Money Management
Deposit Money Into The Bank To Avoid It Being Stolen
Since Los Santos is a location infested with criminals, losing money can happen in various ways. As cash is king, it is needed for every worthwhile investment but can be lost when the player dies.
Especially in theGTAOnlinemode, other players can call upon muggers, stealing a desired amount of up to $10,000.
The only way to avoid this is to deposit those funds into the bank. The constant wariness of losing hard-earned wealth creates the atmosphere of Los Santos truly being an unruly and criminal world.
6Distant Sounds
Immersive Sound Design Helps With Ensuing Chaos
While there are the occasional moments where this can happen in the single-player, it is more of a prevalent detail in the multiplayer mode, where other players will be causing chaos often.
Notoriously, loading in the downtown area will commonly feature explosions, sirens, and other noises of disorder, creating a sense of chaos. There’s nothing like waiting in the city, only to hear police sirens in the distance before another player wizzes down the street with four stars and a whole station’s worth of cop cars chasing them.
5The Roads
Intricate Roads Make Realistic Traffic
An impressive feat ofGTA 5is how memorable the streets are. With enough time spent, the roads become easily recognizable to the point where waypoints can be secondary to knowledge, and while Los Santos is modeled after Los Angeles, it doesn’t take away this notion.
More important is how wide the roads are, with enough room for the player to drive through even when there are two cars on either side. For example,Cyberpunk 2077’sNight City’s roads aren’t wide enough for cars to fit through the middle when traffic occurs and, as a result,motorcycles are more favorableto ride, despite the numerous amounts of cars available.
4Vehicles In The World
Vehicles Populate Waters, Deserts, & Cities
SinceGTA 5has a contemporary setting, there is an abundance of cars on the roads. While it is annoying at times for cars to turn and crash into the player, NPCs will accurately drive their cars depending on the lane they are in. Cars in the right lane will turn right when pulling out at a junction. Similarly, NPCs will also stop at traffic lights when red and will go when green, showcasing the well-structured AI.
Vehicles can be spotted in various environments. Most notably, boats can be seen sailing around the island’s waters, instead of there being no vessels populating the sea. Another example can be seen with the blimp, which flies in the airspace of Los Santos, making the world feel more believable with airborne activity.
3Animals
Different Animals Populate Different Areas
There were a number of animals available in the original Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions ofGTA 5, such as Chop the dog and dangerous sharks in the waters, but the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC editions introduced numerous creatures. These new animals could be seen in the open-world, but more famously, could be played as via theuse of Peyote Plants.
Animals in the environment in the new version of the game further breathe life into the world, pushing how believable San Andreas could be, and proving how important some of the smaller details are.
2The Size Of San Andreas
A Large City & County In One Package
An important feature of open-worlds is to make the map expansive. A lot of the time, the city portions of open-worlds will have to be downsized to allow for the other parts of the map to exist. However, Los Santos is giant and is something akin to a biome.
The size of the map can be seen by how long it takes to travel from one end to the other. Even with cars and planes, it will take a good amount of time. A map this large not only allows for more detail but also enhances how realistic the world feels.
1The NPCs
NPCs Have Set Routines & Lives
NPCs are the most important feature of an open-world to help it feel alive.NPCs display numerous amounts of actions, such as some becoming hostile towards a player for certain actions, walking faster if a player is seemingly stalking them, interacting with their phone, running away from gunfire, and the list goes on.
NPCs are the lifeblood of a good open-world, and recently, some games have shown how crucial it is to portray them correctly. Even some of the smallerdetails ofGTANPCswill enhance the open-world, but when done incorrectly, can completely ruin the setting.
