Rockstar reach the absolute summit of modern open world with three protagonists, choreographed heists and a vibrant Los Santos. The satire of modern California lands with bite, and every outing feels like wrapping a proper film.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
Open-world action by Rockstar North and Rockstar Games, October 2013. Michael, Trevor and Franklin orchestrate large-scale heists across fictional Los Santos. Immense open world, fluid switching between three protagonists, persistent GTA Online and cinematic heists. One of the best-selling games of all time.
Grand Theft Auto V review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Los Santos and its surroundings recreated with astonishing breadth, from sunlit beaches to mountains: the Californian light and the density of the world impress. The coherence and richness of the smallest detail compose an unequalled living panorama. This visual ambition, vast and polished, marks the peak of the PS3 open world.
A peak of the genre, the game combines an original score by Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson and The Alchemist with licensed radios of a dizzying richness. The music even reacts to the action, swelling the tension of the heists and the chases. This unprecedented sonic ambition, at the crossroads of film and open-world, redefined the game's standards.
Following three criminals who could not be more different, the adventure interweaves their fates through spectacular heists and a biting satire of America. The tale juggles cynical humour, tension and family drama with unprecedented scope. This criminal triptych, brilliant and ferocious, became a generational phenomenon.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Juggling three protagonists mid-heist constantly renews the way you approach an open world of dizzying scale. Smoother driving, snappier gunfights and countless activities make up a sandbox of rare generosity. A peak of the genre, it retains a fluidity and a richness that have nothing to envy in today's productions.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Three protagonists, a sprawling metropolis and unprecedented freedom of action: elaborate heists, races, extreme sports and urban chaos chain together without limit. Switching between characters mid-heist delivers an exhilarating sensation. Rich, alive and masterfully made, a monumental open-world whose density and freedom remain an absolute benchmark of the genre.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Switching between three criminals to prep a heist, then getting lost in a metropolis teeming with activities sets up a sandbox of rare richness where the next goal springs up at every street. Missions, challenges and online mode endlessly renew the urge to come back. The cynical tone and the online grind divide opinion, but the scale of the world grips you for hundreds of hours.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Switching between Michael, Trevor and Franklin offers three takes on a sprawling Los Santos, from snowy peaks to ocean floors. Prepping heists, refining approaches, hunting collectibles, sports challenges and map mysteries already fills dozens of hours, before persistent GTA Online even takes over, which explains its outsized longevity and its status as a phenomenon.
European (PAL) edition of one of the best-selling entertainment products of all time, whose 360 version was one of the original releases before its ports to later consoles. Printed in the tens of millions, it is everywhere and without value, even across a somewhat more fragmented European market. Its only desirability lies in its status as an original version of a colossal phenomenon, pure heritage interest, any scarcity ruled out by its absolute ubiquity.
A cult cover
Faithful to the series' paneled montage, the illustration mosaics the figures of Los Santos under a Californian sun, from the heister to the poolside yoga. The ironic patchwork and the sunlit colors speak of the game's satire and excess. Teeming and iconic, it condenses a whole world into one image.
A questionable morality
Under the pretext of climbing the criminal ladder, you borrow other people's cars, lose the police and settle every dispute with gunfire, all across open cities built for chaos. The game makes no secret of its irony, yet the thrill of total freedom makes you accept, without flinching, a daily routine of crimes chained together with a slightly guilty grin.
Is Grand Theft Auto V still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2013 on Xbox 360, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V remains a staggering open world feat, carried by its three protagonist story and its orchestrated heists. Los Santos, dense and alive, brims with detail, and the instant switch between Michael, Franklin and Trevor constantly renews the pace. The missions, varied and cinematic, impress even a decade later. That this masterpiece runs on the previous generation console commands respect. A few load times betray the platform. But the scope stays unmatched. For fans of open worlds, this title remains an absolute benchmark today.
