Grand Theft Auto V is definitely on its way. This is a fact we know for sure, but everything else about the game is draped in a cloth of mystery. We don’t know when it’s being released, the main protagonist, the setting, the storyline, or anything else of substance. Many people have had educated guesses, but we’re still mostly in the dark.

However, I already know I’ll be buying GTA V on its release day. I know this based on past Grand Theft Auto games, past Rockstar games, and the small snippets of information and selected screenshots that are making their way slowly but surely out of the developer’s hidden lair. What follows are 8 reasons GTA V will be a day one purchase for me, and possibly for you too.

Open-World Oeuvre

To date, my two favorite games of this generation have been Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire. It’s no coincidence that these are both Rockstar titles and games which employ an open-world, sandbox style of gameplay. This is a genre that lets the player explore at their own pace, and only continue the main storyline when they decide they want to. And Rockstar is the master at creating open-world environments.

The size and scope of the worlds Rockstar creates is untouchable. But more than that, they build living, breathing environs featuring people going about their daily lives. It’s only when you jump in and affect that world that things start to go wrong. GTA V is sure to have an expansive open world that can be admired from afar. Being given the opportunity to dive into it at leisure is an added bonus.

Stunning Storyline

Rockstar could get away with providing virtually nothing in the way of a storyline for the GTA games. People would buy these titles regardless, just to mess around in the sandbox. But Rockstar doesn’t take advantage of gamers’ good natures, instead building a complex narrative with strong characters throughout, and twists and turns along the way.

GTA V won’t be any different. We’ll likely follow one main character as he or she delves into the seedy underbelly of whatever made-up city he or she finds themselves in. Over the course of countless missions we’ll grow to understand the character, and possibly even like them, even though they’re sick, sadistic killers who will happily run over someone’s grandma if it means progressing.

Glorious Graphics

The Grand Theft Auto games have never been the best looking games in the world. Open-world games have so much packed into them that it’s difficult to maintain the same quality across every part of a particular title. But GTA V is looking pretty damn awesome, both in the screenshots that have been released (spread throughout this article) and in the trailer embedded at the bottom.

It helps that GTA V is being released right at the end of this generation of home consoles. Developers such as Rockstar know how to tease the best from the PS3 and Xbox 360, so the visuals will be right up there besides the Uncharted’s and Halo’s of this world.

Cameo Cramming

The voice acting in GTA games is generally excellent, with real actors brought in to voice the main characters. And then there are the cameos, some so small they can be considered blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quick. I suspect GTA V will be no exception. Video games have grown into mainstream monsters so large that even A-list actors want to get involved. I’m sure the money they have thrown at them helps, but it’s still nice to try and pick out the famous voices.

Multiplayer Mayhem

This is one of the best reasons to buy this game – or any game for that matter – on day one. In this day and age the multiplayer portion of a game is often more popular than the offline (or campaign) portion, so getting in early is essential if you hope to make a name for yourself. GTA IV had a multitude of multiplayer modes, and I suspect GTA V will up the ante considerably.

As well as the basic deathmatch and capture the flag-type scenarios, many people are hoping Rockstar has seen fit to include a campaign co-op mode which will literally see you teaming up with an online buddy to play through the story. This would be a dream come true for those of us who love playing through missions but also like teaming up with a buddy online.

Soulful Soundtrack

The soundtracks to Grand Theft Auto games are always spectacularly good. If Quentin Tarantino is the master at matching music with movies, Rockstar is the master at matching music with games. If past games are anything to go on, GTA V will have a choice of radio stations, all featuring both current hits and songs from yesteryear, available to be chosen at your leisure.

LOLsome Laughter

The Grand Theft Auto games are some of the few that provide genuine laughs. Sure, killing some arrogant douchebag in an underhanded way in Call of Duty may put a smile on my face for a few seconds, but for proper, unbridled LOLs, GTA delivers in droves.

From the spoof settings and shop names, to fake adverts and plays on company logos, from funny one-liners, to stupid characters getting their comeuppance in the most gruesome manner, I suspect I’ll spend much of the GTA V campaign laughing at the on-screen action. Which is worth the price of admission on its own.

No End In Sight

Probably the best thing about all of the Grand Theft Auto games is their sheer size and scale. This means that even after you finish the campaign you can still carry on playing the game for days, weeks, months, or even years. The single-player mode oozes replayability, and then there are the various multiplayer modes.

Even if you never venture online you’ll have hours of fun just driving around getting up to, well, whatever you want to. As is the nature of open-world titles. Add in the trophies and achievements, a ton of collectibles placed randomly around the huge playing area, challenges issued by friends, and the likelihood of DLC, and you’ll be getting a lot of gaming out of GTA V.

Conclusions

I don’t care when Grand Theft Auto V arrives, just as long as when it does so it lives up to the hype that has already started to build. I’ll be buying a copy as soon as it’s released, which is rare for me these days. Rockstar has done a fantastic job teasing the game, with the trailer above being released a full nine months ago. Still, I’m not bitter, I just want to get my hands on GTA V as soon as it drops. And I suspect many of you reading this will feel the same way.

Image Credits: Official Rockstar GTA V Website