Rockstar’s recycling of content in the venerable open-world criminal game Grand Theft Auto 5 has been criticised by some of the game’s ardent fans. Fans of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City hold the game in high respect because of its lively and humorous atmosphere, as well as its smart writing and the legendary Grand Theft Auto soundtrack. Rockstar has lost some of its lustrs among gamers despite producing some of the most lauded and recognisable titles in the industry. Red Dead Redemption, the company’s first major product since Grand Theft Auto V broke sales records in 2018, was the company’s first major hit since GTA V in 2013.
GTA Online, the multiplayer component of GTA 5, which has certain problematic microtransaction components and has also drawn focus away from other projects during and after this era, was heavily supported by Rockstar during and after this period. The GTA remastered trilogy and now GTA 5: Expanded and Enhanced have compounded this problem. If Metacritic’s PS5 user score is any indication, GTA 5’s next-generation versions haven’t done well with fans. Many players have criticised the Expanded & Enhanced edition for being hilariously lacking significant expansions at the time of this writing, scoring it below a 3/10.
Even while a few reviews recognise the “improved” side of things, most appear to emphasise that these changes are far too little, especially considering the fact that buyers must pay for the next-generation version. erfanbasket even went so far as to brand the release of a “soulless cashgrab” on Twitter. Only a small percentage of games receive negative feedback from users, but Rockstar has a case to make about taking these comments seriously.
When compared to more recent games like Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 5’s shooting mechanics, visuals, and overall game design feel a little stale. A large number of gamers would probably rather that Rockstar utilise the funds saved from this re-release to work on GTA 6 or something else completely. Few would dispute that Grand Theft Auto 5 is a horrible game, but Rockstar may be ready to move on from the series. The fact that Rockstar is charging for these next-generation enhancements further heightens the controversy surrounding the company’s emphasis on the game (especially its online portion). Rockstar may want to let off the gas when it comes to Grand Theft Auto 5 content in order to minimise criticism.