The franchise that has spawned some of the most controversial gameplay and moral discussion in the gaming world, “Grand Theft Auto,” is back with a vengeance with its newest installment in the franchise.

After making over $800 million on opening night and quickly rising to one of the bestselling games of all time, “Grand Theft Auto V” is seen by many to already be game of the year.

Highly detailed and colorful, the game is a massive improvement in graphics quality, bringing the city of San Andreas to life. The environments in the open world feel massive around you. The citizens of the city go about their day around you and, when eavesdropped on, have some of the most hilarious dialogue with one another. As an open-world game, “GTAV” creates an organic environment that holds up very well alongside modern games.

Usually, “GTA” gives us an anti-hero that, despite moral shortcomings, grows on players and becomes somewhat likeable in the end. “GTAV” gives players three different main characters that can be cycled through freely. The difference between the new characters and the old protagonists is that two of these characters, Michael and Trevor, are clearly bad people, and the game has no reservations in telling their stories.

While this game approaches a perfect score, it is held back by glitches and bugs that cause console crashes and player frustration. Even though the story is fantastic and brings the series into a new level of immersion, game-breaking bugs are a dealbreaker in the end.

lkenny@mavs.coloradomesa.edu