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Promising improved visuals, new gameplay options and faster, smoother performance, Grand Theft Auto 5 returns as a next-generation remaster in a move rather atypical of Rockstar Games. Not unlike The Last of Us Remastered, much of the excitement stems from the possibilities more powerful hardware affords by addressing some of the original release's technical shortcomings. The E3 reveal trailer was certainly impressive but, without any real gameplay footage, we were left waiting until release to see if these improvements were indicative of the final product's quality. For those returning to the game, are the enhancements significant enough to warrant another trip to Los Santos - and does the final product offer more than a resolution and performance boost?The basics are certainly in place, with an expected jump from 720p to 1080p alongside improved anti-aliasing that delivers a much sharper looking game. Performance too is much improved with the highly unstable update of the original release replaced with a smoother, though not quite perfect 30fps update. Performance has always been an issue with Grand Theft Auto on consoles, but this latest release delivers the best console experience in the series' history.
However, on first loading the new game it's perhaps not immediately apparent where the bulk of the remastering work has taken place. The look and feel of the initial heist very much feels like a current-gen conversion, with the addition of a smattering of effects boosts producing a result little better than most of the remasters we've seen this year. Moving into the initial stages of the game again produces a feeling of déjà vu. Now, simply improving the frame-rate and resolution might have been enough (generally speaking, it works for The Last of Us, after all) but GTA 5 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is different, with those first impressions changing radically as you dig deeper into the game. The more you play, the more you notice the phenomenal level of additional work added to the core assets - the closer you look, the more the embellishments become clear.
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