Caleb Ryerson | Arts & Life Blogger

Rockstar North has just released the 5th Grand Theft Auto (GTA) game, Grand Theft Auto V. The game has been the most anticipated game according to many friends and vg247.com.

According to dailyfinance.com, the game made over $1 billion in just 11 days after its release date, which would outsell the entire global music industry. Rockstar North announced in 2011 that the game would be made, and that was when avid GTA fans went crazy.

On a personal note, not releasing Grand Theft Auto V for another two years made me feel like I was being teased. After watching their promo video, I became even more and more agitated that I had to keep waiting.

The series started with GTA by DMA Design for the Playstation 1. It was an overhead view which was substantially different than the GTA we see today. This overhead view was also used for Grand Theft Auto II. In the first Grand Theft Auto, the player broke the law, and there were a few cops that would come to the scene and try to stop the player.

In Grand Theft Auto II, the police were not to be messed with. Grand Theft Auto III really stepped it up because it was released on the new game console of the Playstation 2. This was the first Grand Theft Auto game to go three-dimensional. This game was brilliant and got second in the best game award to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Vice City was the same basic concept, but it had more intense missions and an amazing storyline. It takes place in the 1980s, and it gives the player an opportunity to run businesses. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released in 2004 and took place in the ‘90s. Instead of sticking to one city, San Andreas allowed players to explore an entire state. The game has been called the most ambitious game ever made.

Grand Theft Auto IV was released in 2008 on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Grand Theft Auto IV, obviously had better graphics and smoother gameplay,and gave the player a more realistic city to explore. Grand Theft Auto IV brought on a whole new physics engine which made cars less ‘floaty’ and made shooting better. After opening weekend, it sold 3.5 million copies. With online and multiplayer, it really established Grand Theft Auto as one of the greatest game series ever.

From Liberty City, San Andreas, to Vice City, and many other cities, GTA has followed many criminals through these cities. GTA always had a story to tell, but it had open-ended missions and free exploration which caught most people’s eyes. On another personal note, I have played GTA games my whole life, and nothing is more fun than figuring out what you can and can’t do in a game. In the GTA, there aren’t many things you can’t do, and that is what is addictive.

For anyone who wants to have complete freedom in a game, I highly suggest you grab Grand Theft Auto V. It will do more than exceed your expectations. I hope Rockstar North continues to make GTA games because it is definitely an escape from my life. It is simply my chance to do what I wouldn’t do on a day to day basis.

Graphic by Grace Bodey and photo by Tyson Domingo