Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is one of the most popular and successful video games of all time. Since its release in 2013, it has sold over 175 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling game ever after Minecraft. The game’s story mode, which follows the lives of its three characters in the fictional city of Los Santos, has been praised for its immersive gameplay, rich narrative, and stunning graphics. The story mode is, and will always be, fantastic no matter how much time passes.
But GTA V is not just a single-player game. It has continued to receive updates and support for its online multiplayer mode, GTA Online, which allows players to create their own characters and explore the vast open world of GTA V with friends and other players. GTA Online offers various activities, missions, races, heists, and businesses for players to enjoy and tailor their experiences. It also features regular events, discounts, bonuses, and new content to keep players engaged.
However, after almost a decade since its launch, is GTA V, particularly its online mode, still worth playing in 2023? This article will examine the pros and cons of playing GTA V Online in 2023.
An Overview of GTA V’s Online Mode
If you’re bored of the story mode or just wanna try something different, GTA Online is the mode to go to. This is where you can create your own character and hop in with millions of other players in Los Santos and Blaine County. You can play solo or with friends, cooperate or compete, and do whatever you could possibly want to in a virtual world in this exciting sandbox!
What Does GTA Online Have to Offer?
- Creating your own character: You can customize your appearance, clothing, tattoos, accessories, and more. You can also choose your skills, stats, and preferred lifestyle!
- Buying properties and businesses: You can own one of the many properties available, such as apartments, garages, nightclubs, bunkers, hangars, and so much more! You can also run all kinds of sinister businesses like drug labs, counterfeit cash factories, or vehicle warehouses. The possibilities are endless! You can use these businesses to generate income and expand your criminal empire.
- Completing missions and heists: You can take on missions and heists in a way that you couldn’t ever experience in story mode. The experience of heists alongside your friends instead of NPC crewmates is like day and night. Call on your friends and go on a range of missions together, from simple jobs like stealing cars or delivering packages to elaborate heists on banks or casinos. You can earn money and get added reputation for completing these missions.
- Participating in activities and events: You can join and host different activities and events, including but not limited to races, deathmatches, adversary modes, and Freemode events. You can explore the map and find hidden collectibles, and easter eggs, have random encounters, and you’ll still have more to do. You can visit locations like the casino, the arcade, the car meet, etc., all alongside your friends in a virtual world.
However, GTA Online is not without its flaws. So before whipping out some cash on the game, it’s a good idea to also hear some of the criticism on GTA Online up till now.
The Downfalls of GTA V
- Its grindy nature: GTA Online can be a tough grind if you want to earn lots of money and set out to buy everything in the game. Some businesses and heists can require a lot of time and investment to set up and complete successfully. Some items and vehicles are also costly and require a lot of grinding or spending real money to afford. Too many microtransactions can understandably get frustrating, which is another point of criticism.
- Its reliance on microtransactions: GTA Online uses a premium currency called Shark Cards, which allows you to buy in-game with real money. This obviously gives an unfair advantage to those who can afford it, taking away competitiveness. However, some also feel that the game is just designed to encourage players to buy Shark Cards by making things too expensive or too hard to earn via other means.
- Technical faults and toxic player base: GTA Online, like other online games, can suffer from technical issues like glitches, crashes, lag, and high pings from time to time and place to place. That’s all understandable, but even more so than this, the hackers, modders, and griefers can get on your nerves. Such players can ruin the gameplay experience for others and make a not-so-newbie-friendly environment.
Why Play GTA Online in 2023?
GTA Online is one of the most supported and updated online games ever, period. Rockstar Games have outdone themselves with releasing new content and features for GTA Online since its launch in 2013, and they show no signs of stopping anytime soon. A recent update was for The Contract, which added a whole new storyline featuring Dr. Dre and Franklin, and another for Los Santos Drug Wars, which added a new mobile drug lab and even more missions.
Updates like the Los Santos Tuners keep adding new cars, meet locations, and races. Rockstar Games also hosts regular events and bonuses. Examples include double money and RP, discounts, and free in-game giveaways, among many others.
All of this means nothing if there’s no one else to play with, right? Don’t worry about that either! GTA Online is still one of the most popular online games in the world, with hundreds of thousands of players logging in every day, even today! You can always find other players to team up with or compete against, whether you want to do missions, heists, races, deathmatches, or just mess around in Freemode.
You can also join others or create your own crews with crewmates worldwide. The text and voice chats of GTA Online are still packed with players sending emotes and gestures.
The bunch over at Rockstar Games hasn’t pulled any punches with new features and improvements, either. GTA Online has come a long way from what it once was. Over the years, the game has seen improved matchmaking, new vehicles and weapons, new gameplay modes, and many other new features. Rockstar Games has also made some quality-of-life updates to GTA Online, like reducing phone calls and daily fees and adding new map blips and help text.
If you’re on one of the newer consoles and thinking against GTA Online because it’s a decade old, don’t bother hesitating! There is an enhanced version available for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, upgraded for the next-gen consoles with improved graphics, performance, loading times, and exclusive content.
The Verdict
So is GTA Online worth playing in 2023 for you? Well, that depends on what you’re looking for in a game. If you want a fair and smooth online experience with minimal grinding and microtransactions, then maybe GTA Online isn’t your cup of tea. But if you and your friends want a fun and diverse online experience with endless possibilities and content updates, GTA Online is definitely worth it in 2023!
This article was produced and syndicated by Boss Level Gamer.
