Grand Theft Auto V has finally made its debut on the PC. After all the rumors and delays, its finally here. It’s about time that PC gamers get the chance to play a game that our console counterparts had had for quite a while now. Acclaimed for its well written dialogue, open and interactive environment and above all else, its graphical beauty, GTA V brings a little bit extra to the PC.
On the surface, GTA V is the same game that was released for consoles but with bigger graphics. It now has 4K textures that brings out the detail of the environment so much more. Take a close look at the grime on dilapidated buildings, damage to your vehicles and the asphalt roads a you faceplant are so much more detailed. Even on 1080p the game remains incredibly detailed and better looking compared to the console versions.
Even with all this graphical fidelity, you may notice drops in quality. Sometimes its due to the fact that your settings are too high for your graphics card to handle or on other occasions, it’s due to a low polygon count. This may be down to the fact that it was originally designed for previous Gen consoles, which are considerably less powerful than PCs. Thankfully this does not occur to often enough to spoil your fun–and the game engine quickly makes amends anyway.
With an unlocked frame rate, it’s now possible to play GTA V at 60fps. When played at 30fps we still loved the game, but bump it up to 60fps and love it all the more for its responsiveness. When it comes to shooting the accuracy of the mouse beats the controller and this helps in intense firefights. I was definitely more calm aiming with the mouse which was so much more easier than using a controller.
But that doesn’t mean that the kewyboard and mouse rule all. Keep that controller plugged in as maneuvering vehicles with a keyboard and mouse is a fender bender. We often forget to appreciate the analog sticks and triggers of controllers. The ability to control the speed of the vehicle by simply pressing down on the triggers and the precision the analog sticks offer when turning is not something the keyboard can offer. With a keyboard you can’t really control the acceleration as its either full speed or no speed. There’s no in between.
Now one of the latest features for the the PC version of GTA V… the Rockstar Editor. With this feature, you are the director. Use cached videos with the in-game recorder or do it live. You can use this feature during missions or while free roaming. And you have the ability to set camera angles manually or use the one from a list of pre-programmed options. Maybe you like the Blair Witch feel and want to apply camera shakiness instead. It also makes it easy to transition from one camera angle to the another camera angle for the next scene.
If that wasn’t enough, you can control the time of day and the weather. Not enough for you? Well you can have human and animal actors. It does not restrict you from just using the three main characters. Go on, get those creative juices flowing and let your imagination run wild. There’s a pretty steep learning curve, but kindly enough, Rockstar has also included tutorials for the inexperienced video editors.
Overall, GTA V on the PC is the same exact game on console on steroids. For some this maybe a deal breaker. But if having the best graphical experience is yor cuppa joe, then this game is for you. Just make sure you have a decent graphics card. Thank god they got this right , *coughs* I’m looking at you GTA IV.