How this review was made: it is based on published specifications and on tests by other reviewers, listed at the end. It is not a long-term personal test.

Grand Theft Auto V first came out in 2013, which is a very long life for a game. It has since been released on several generations of consoles and on PC. Its age raises a simple question: is it still worth your time, and which version should you get?

The world is the point

The game is set in Los Santos and Blaine County, Rockstar’s version of Southern California. The story has its big set pieces, but the place itself is why people keep returning. You can follow the next mission, or ignore it and just explore.

Three leads

You play as three criminals, Michael, Franklin and Trevor, and can switch between them. It gives the story a different rhythm from most open-world games, and lets the same city feel different depending on whose life you are in. It is also a deliberately ugly story, with violence and themes that make it unsuitable for younger players.

Story and online are different games

GTA Online shares the map but asks for something else: time, repetition and other people. If you want a directed story, buy it for that and treat Online as a bonus. If you want a long-running multiplayer world, know that this is a different commitment.

Which version?

The PS5 and Xbox Series release from 2022 divided opinion. Metacritic shows a critic score of 81 on PS5, alongside a user score of 2.9. Critics generally called it the best way to play on console, while many players felt it added too little to justify paying again. The critic at Worthplaying similarly found it enhanced more than expanded. PC players have an Enhanced version too, which arrived in 2025 to mixed Steam reviews at launch.

Who it is for

If you have never played it and you are comfortable with the content, it is still well worth playing on the newest system you own. If you have already finished it, the upgrade alone is a weak reason to buy it again.

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