i went down to HMV in Braehead Glasgow and got it on release night, along with GTA4 the LOST and GAY TONY double pack, as i previously saw V being played instore about a week before release, and yeah it looked bloody impressive!
now it really did look great, but i was concerned about the new "wheel" selection, how wrong i was as it played amazingly
so i went into GTAV first
and remembering how GTA4 played
and realising that GTAV played and was in every single way a LIGHT YEAR jump in quality from GTA4, so when i got off it i popped in the double pack and started to get into that, but it really was like playing a brick and soon got tired of it ..... eventually trading in both the main game and that double pack!
GTAV was an ASTOUNDING GAME from day one for me
now i've played the series right from the start, from being annoyed at there being a time limit on the demo of the first one (pc), too having massive fun in the second one (also PC) and then buying GTA1 and the LONDON pack (PS1)
many years later when i needed to get a new PS2, i decided to get VICE CITY for it, and that was played a LOT, except i've never finished it ..... even jipping the LOVE FIST mission where you kill the limo driver by panicking as he crashed and got out right before i blew his head off with the SNIPER RIFLE of all weapons
onto the even better SAN ANDREAS which totally expanded the whole creation, and finished that though, what a hell of a game that was
then i bought GTA3 (PC) to find out how this whole 3d world started off, and as you'd expect it was a bit more clunkier than the forementioned games of the series, but it was still very enjoyable
i didn't get a PS3 until well into it's life cycle, got a refurbished one and GTA4 with it (along with five bluray movies, since it was my first bluray player) and once again i was off adventuring with Nico in a very mature story which i really enjoyed, eventually finishing that one too! funny witty and exciting it played very differently to the previous with it's heavier driving physics, and had marvelous fun rampaging about afterwards (the police are actually BETTER in GTA4 than in GTAV imo)
and now we come to september 17 2013 at eight o'clock at night, standing in HMV Braehead Glasgow and having a choice to make ..... do i buy the standard edition for £39.99 ..... or splash out and get the SPECIAL EDITION with the steel case, fancy map and code to get the blimp for a higher price of £59.99?
OF COURSE I PAID TWENTY POUNDS MORE FOR THE MAP I DON'T HAVE AN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT FOR AND A CODE FOR A BLOODY BLIMP!!!
at 8:07 it was paid for and went home
put it on the next day i think
and never looked back since
it really was an incredible jump in quality from the previous game in EVERY PART!
and months and months i had it on, eventually finishing it with the KILL TREVOR selection
one of the greatest games i've ever played
the wheel selection was beautifully done and easy to use
the whole world was unbelievable in it's detail
and the driving was soooooooooooooooo much better and felt much more natural
immeasurably replayable on every level, you can follow the path it gives you or completely tool about, there's a couple of cracking spots to just rampage to your little hearts content!
ONLINE CAME ABOUT and everyone was wetting themselves
except i had a completely rubbish internet connection speed and there were big problems with it, but of course they were sorted out in the weeks after the release of the code ..... and i had several all nighters on the game ..... the longest one was ELEVEN HOURS on the damn game .....
ELEVEN HOURS OF NOT EVEN GETTING UP OFF MY COMFORTABLE CHAIR!!!
an hour and half waiting to get flipping online, about SEVEN hours online (including a fantastic car escape) and the rest playing and camping on the regular game ..... just completely zoned in on the screen all that time, i'm like that y'see
haven't put on my PS3 for a game for almost two years now, but i now have the PC version (and a much faster internet) and finished that too, now playing those KIFFLOM missions as i didn't on the PS3 version .....
fantastic characters, settings, missions, things, modelling ..... everything was done with so much care and attention
and still after six years it is the PINNACLE of the series, and one of the best ever games