Commentary by Jason Huynh, Campus Carrier Photojournalism Editor

November has been a good month for video games, with anticipated releases across all ­platforms from PC to portables. Gamers everywhere lined up outside their local GameStops and Best Buys for midnight releases of this season’s hottest games. Titles include “Assassin’s Creed Unity”, “Call of Duty: Advance Warfare”, “Dragon Age: Inquisition”, “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” and “Grand Theft Auto V” (“GTA V”) for next generation consoles.  These consoles are the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. I participated in three of the midnight releases and my favorite was the rerelease of “GTA V” for the next generation consoles. 

“GTA V” follows the story of three in-game interchangeable characters. Set in Los Santos, a city based on Los Angeles, you play the story as they attempt to perform the perfect heist. 

In the massive world of “GTA V,” Rockstar Games has made the game more immersive than ever. I have been playing it on the PlayStation 4 since its rerelease on Nov. 18 and I’m hooked. The revamp of graphics to 1080p,  high-definition resolution, has made the game beautiful and the addition of first person view has changed gameplay all together.

Photos courtesy of Rockstar Games Top: “Grand Theft Auto V” video game cover. Below: Video game characters drive their motorcycles through a canyon in “Grand Theft Auto V.”

One question you might ask though, is what makes “GTA V” first-person different from any other game with first-person point of view. In “GTA V,” you are closer to the real world than other games. Your character is a person, and you do things regular people do, with the bonus of robbing banks and street racing.

Of course those aren’t the only perks that are making this game one of the best games of the year. Rockstar has gone above and beyond to make it more about the players as much as possible. 

“Grand Theft Auto Online’s” character customization has moved to the next generation with an overhaul of options to customize your image to your likeness. Also, online sessions have expanded to a max of 30 people, opening up an even larger player-to-player world. They also threw in map customization for arena style deathmatches in online play. 

The storyline immerses the players in the game and attaches them to the characters. The learning curve is simple yet complex enough to challenge players. “GTA V’s” environment is flexible in the sense that there are plenty of activities and missions outside of the main storyline. 

As for the community, players nationwide are able to connect with their friends or strangers from the comfort of their own room. 

On a scale of one to 10, I would give it a nine. “GTA V” for next-generation consoles is not perfect, but it comes pretty close.