Grand Theft Auto 5 Review
Grand Theft Auto V has been a cornerstone of gaming since it first hit the scene over a decade ago. For PC players, it’s been a wild ride of open-world chaos, gripping stories, and endless modding possibilities. But as time rolled on, the game started to feel a little long in the tooth until 2025, that is. On March 4, 2025, Rockstar dropped Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced for PC, a free upgrade for existing owners that seriously leveled up the game. With boosted graphics, smoother performance, and some fresh content, it’s like Los Santos got a shiny new coat of paint. I’ve been tearing through this game since its early days, so I couldn’t wait to see what this upgrade had in store. However, with all that shininess, is the game worth playing in 2025.
Gameplay Experience
At its heart, GTA V on PC is the same beast it’s always been. You’re still juggling Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, three trio crooks with intersecting lives in the sprawling sandbox of Los Santos. Whether you’re pulling off heists, cruising the highways, or just stirring up trouble, the gameplays as addictive as ever. The Enhanced version, released in 2025, doesn’t add anything new to the single-player story, but it does make everything run smoother. Think faster load times and slicker transitions between missions or locations.
GTA V Enhanced
While the single-player campaign sticks to its roots, GTA Online players get some sweet new goodies with the 2025 Enhanced upgrade. There’s a batch of fresh vehicles like the sleek Bravado Banshee GTS and the beefy Declasse Vigero ZX fully ready to burn rubber or run people over; whichever you prefer. You can take them to Hao’s Special Works, a new auto shop where you can slap on high-end mods and custom liveries. It’s a car nut’s playground. Plus, there’s a Career Progress tracker to keep your online achievements in check and a redesigned landing page that cuts the wait to get started. These tweaks don’t overhaul the game, but they keep the online scene feeling fresh.
Story Mode vs. Online
In Grand Theft Auto V, Story Mode and GTA Online offer wildly different experiences tailored to distinct tastes. I will admit, I’ve sunk way more hours into Online than Story Mode, and I haven’t even finished the campaign yet. Story Mode delivers a slick, cinematic journey with Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, complete with gripping heists and witty dialogue. A polished single-player adventure that feels like a Hollywood blockbuster but on the other hand, GTA Online is a chaotic, ever-evolving sandbox. It’s got features Story Mode lacks, like running businesses, owning apartments, and a steady stream of new missions and vehicles, plus the thrill of teaming up with friends for heists or racing souped-up cars. Sadly, GTA V Online isn’t perfect as it can feel grindy without microtransactions and making money when you just started is very very slow, not to mention you’re at the mercy of unpredictable players. Story Mode offers a finite, focused tale, while Online’s endless freedom (and occasional griefer chaos) keeps me hooked. They’re different beasts, each with its own pull!
Graphics and Performance
Here’s where the Enhanced version really shines. In 2025, Rockstar cranked the graphics to eleven with ray tracing, giving Los Santos a jaw-dropping makeover. You’ve got ray-traced ambient occlusion and global illumination, you know, all that techy stuff that makes lighting and shadows look insanely real. Picture sunlight streaming through skyscrapers with soft, natural shadows, or neon signs bouncing off rain-soaked streets at night. Cars gleam with ray-traced reflections, water surfaces mirror the world like glass, and indoor scenes feel alive with light that bounces just right. If your PC can handle it, pushing this to 4K or beyond is pure eye candy.
On the performance front, it’s a dream too. The Enhanced version leans hard into modern tech with SSDs and DirectStorage slash loading times, so you’re in the action almost instantly. Ok, that was complete sarcasm, GTA V Enhanced loading time is still a complete joke even with a SAMSUNG 990 PRO. Although the loading is slightly faster now, it is still very slow. Further, with NVIDIA DLSS 3 or AMD FSR 3, you can max out the visuals without your frame rate taking a hit. It’s the kind of upgrade that makes you wonder how you ever settled for less.
State of the Game
GTA V’s been around forever, yet it’s still got a pulse and a big one. The PC crowd’s kept it alive with mods that range from wild new missions to total visual overhauls. The Enhanced version brings official upgrades, but I’d bet my last in-game dollar that modders will take this new tech and run with it. GTA Online’s still buzzing too, with a huge player base and regular updates keeping the servers packed. Whether you’re into teamwork heists or solo rampages, there’s always something cooking in Los Santos.
Although, one annoyance is that the Enhanced version splits off from the original (now dubbed GTA V Legacy), so you can’t play with buddies who haven’t upgraded. Some folks have also hit snags migrating their progress over although I had no issues with it. I’m sure Rockstar’s bound to smooth things out.
GTA 6
Rockstar Games, the company behind the series, has kept official details about GTA 6 under wraps, leaving fans hungry for information. However, based on the company’s history and available insights, there’s strong evidence to suggest that GTA 6 will offer both a robust single-player story mode and an online component but nothing official. The monumental success of GTA Online, launched with GTA 5 and later expanded into a standalone phenomenon, has redefined how Rockstar approaches its titles. It’s become a cornerstone of their business model, generating significant revenue through microtransactions and keeping players engaged with regular updates years after its debut. Given this track record, it’s hard to imagine Rockstar abandoning such a lucrative and popular feature for GTA 6.
While Rockstar has yet to make an official announcement, but honestly, all signs point to GTA 6 will be delivering the best of both worlds: a gripping story mode for solo adventurers and a thriving online mode for the community. With no real news as of yet whether GTA 6 will allow our Online progress to be ported over, it’s honestly annoying and frustrating for new players and old alike to start the game or progress along. For me, unspoken rule of gaming, it does not matter whether it will be transferred across, if I am having fun, I will play it.
Why I’m Playing It
Grand Theft Auto has been a cornerstone of my gaming life ever since I first popped Grand Theft Auto: Vice City into my PS2. Those neon-drenched streets, that iconic ‘80s soundtrack, and the sheer freedom to wreak havoc, it grabbed me and never let go. From there, I dove into the PSP classics, Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories, sneaking in missions whenever I could like during a long car ride. As someone who’s fully embraced the PC gaming life instead of console, picking up GTA 5 on PC was a no-brainer. I dislike console so much, I am honestly lowkey jealous & envy of those console players who is able to make the same precision on the console as if they were playing with a mouse and keyboard.
What keeps me addicted to GTA 5, even now in 2025, is GTA Online. It’s this wild, unpredictable playground where I can switch between grinding heists with my friends, pulling off dumb things just for the heck of it, or running around Los Santos mowing down anyone in my path. There’s a twisted joy in stealing a car, blasting the radio, and seeing how long I can kill cops before some random player comes around and nukes me. Whether I’m teaming up for a job or just causing chaos solo, it’s pure, unfiltered fun that never seems to lose its shine.
Even with GTA 6 creeping closer, I’m still pouring hours into GTA 5. The Enhanced version that dropped this year has me hooked all over again, those sharper visuals and smoother frames make it feel fresh, even after all this time. But don’t get me wrong: the second GTA 6 gets announced or hits the shelves, I’m buying it for day one.
Is It Worth Playing?
I’ve sunk way too many hours into this game over the years to say this is not worth playing, and this version still managed to wow me. If you’re a veteran fan, it’s a no-brainer upgrade especially since it’s free if you already own it. If you’re new to the party, decide whether you want to wait until 6 comes out or you cannot wait and want to play now. There honestly no right answer as of now since we ain’t even sure if Online progress is transferrable.
