I can't believe there hasn't been a thread about this yet - is nobody else playing?

Personally I've only put in a couple of evenings on it (I'm up to the bit where Michael and Trevor reunite) and I have to say that the money they spent on development and the time it has taken have all been worthwhile.

The world they've created is visually stunning and feels real, but, more importantly the element of fun, for me missing since Vice City, is back. Even the humour is pitched just right.

Better yet, they've got rid of the dull early missions that dragged down San Andreas and GTA IV - you start off repossessing a sports car, not going clothes shopping or taking your girlfriend bowling.

I wasn't sure about the new thing of playing multiple characters, but it really works well and when on-line play is turned on it's going to make the whole thing a lot more sensible.

In short they've pretty much got everything right and have created a game which is probably the best I've ever played.

I have been playing it for a few hours.... OK a bit more than that, and it's far better than the last one, which I got pretty fed up with pretty quickly.

This has caused a form of hotdesking on my elder stepson's Xbox - the moment he stops playing, his brother or sister leap in front of the console to have a go.
The boys have no school today because of the teachers' strike. Imagine stepson's delight at being able to stay up til after midnight to begin on-line play with his mates...

Oh, is on-line play on-line now? I hadn't realised.

My wife, having witnessed Trevor's opening missions, has announced the game unsuitable for "anybody", but my daughter has had a go - just at flying and driving, not at the general killing stuff. Her favourite trick is forgetting what the triangle button does; normally at maximum speed or altitude

Steve, like you I got fed up with the other ones really quickly, but I've probably put in about 20 hours so far on this one and I'm completely hooked. I like that none of the map is locked out at the start, so if you want to ignore the plot and just go and explore you are completely free to do so. It's also great that you get access to a plane so early in the game - as soon as I had one I was off to explore the island by air.

By far the best one for me, the map is insane! Trevor is mental lol! I've fairly hammered it to be honest, and im still not bored. Completed all the story missions, Trevor gets much worse by the end! If you like a challenge, it's fun breaking into the army base, and trying to steal all the military vehicles/planes, need to be pretty well geared up mind...

Nah, you just need the Zonda look a like and drive flat out. It's the only way I managed to steal the massive helicopter for the submarine mission.

I only bought this last Friday and spent pretty much 9am - 6pm playing it, apart from cutting the front lawn and trimming a bush, then all of Sunday playing a similar time, 4 hours last night and will be a few hours this evening, tomorrow will be down to nothing due to the other half not being at work, boo!

Some of the side missions are good too, like when Trevor gets stoned, or you meet Lesley and do and do some paparazzi.

I have no idea. but Stepson Major seemed very excited at the prospect last night...!

It will be on-line play from about midday today.

Trimming a bush has different connotations in our household

John!

I have to admit I'd rather be trimming bush than playing computer games

I hear that the on-line servers are down already. Apparently demand has been very high indeed.

I have to say I'm disappointed with GTA5. They messed up the driving and the cars are virtually indestructible. This takes away a lot of the fun for me.

Also the missions seem far more scripted than previous GTA games.

The water looks awesome though!

I think they've pitched the cars about right - they are tough, but given that you sometimes have to drive *long* distances it would be a PITA if they weren't.

The main storyline is very scripted, but you can ignore it if you want. It's not like there's not lots of other stuff to keep you entertained.

I'm loving it. One the first day I spent 25 minutes driving around the coast so I could see all the island.

There is a terrible amount of swearing in it which does slightly annoy me (and the missus when she is trying to read a book - F*** this, F*** that).

I spent a large amount of time last night running from the cops after I shot down the Blimp with a sniper rifle. How on earth are you actually supposed to evade the police when there are 4 or more stars? I've only managed to get 4 so far.

Haven't played online yet. going get the story out of the way and then start online stuff.

I do find myself playing Michael most of the time, as he is the least sweary of the three.



Drive along railroad tracks - they don't follow you. If you lose them then ditch the car you're in. Sometimes just getting away from the road and hiding works fine.



Likewise.

Thanks Andrew. I even tried jumping in the sea/river and hiding underwater/resurfacing under bridges but the chopper keeps getting me.

Edit: Forgot to mention, in the first week of its release I didn't realise you could Quick Save from the mobile phone and I ended up doing mission after mission when I returned to the safe houses - only for another mission to start

I am starting to wish the story was a bit less scripted. I've just finished the shoot-out at the recycling plant as Frank, but I don't understand why he was there - he's got 70k in the bank, connections to real criminals who can earn him a lot of money and a home outside of his ghetto.

I don't understand why he's still tagging along with his friend's idiotic attempts at being a criminal.

Well the online play is finally working, must say I'm impressed.

Gives the game a whole new life.
I'm about half way through the story (having had the game a week now) and was worried that it wasn't going to last me. With the online missions and general deathmatch/racing team play this game could last month's.

Hi, I just created a crew for fiat coupe owners.
http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/crew/fiat_coupe_worldwide
Feel free to join

I was a bit late to the party on this one but Imm well into it now and loving it.

I've played every GTA released (yep, even the old 'bird's eye view' ones) and this is by far the most complete game.

I don't know about best game ever but it's certainly up there.

My only gripe is that I often find myself with no main mission to go to unless I switch characters a couple of times and then wait for a call.

As Andrew pointed out though, there's a years worth of other stuff to do, I just normally get the story done and dusted and then move on to the side missions.

Well, I finished this over the weekend, so it's onto trying to get 100% on everything now. Ali, if you're having issues, I think you will need to do some side missions for them to unlock the main missions. Delvin and Solomon are part of them, or as I discovered early on, if they is a letter on the map and depending on the colour means which character you need to be to start that mission.

The advice I've had, from those further into the game than me, is to avoid the assassination missions from Lester for Franklin until after you've completed the main quest-line, when you can make silly money by betting on the stock market before each hit.

I think I'm about 3/4 of the way through the main story now, and there have been so many fantastic bits - the highlights for me are the surreal minutemen that Trevor gets involved with and the rescuing the naked groom who's tied to a lamppost. His description of his stag night is just fantastic.

However, I haven't played much this weekend, as I've started watching Breaking Bad.

Interesting about rescuing the groom with Trevor. I never came across this mission, or haven't found that stranger or freak yet.

As for making silly money, let's just say the last heist give you 8 figures

I've done the naked groom rescue mission, although I thought it was just a chance encounter (like rescue the man on the building site with the digger).

I'm only around 45% through and hope there is plenty left. Still not played online yet but seen some hilarious videos on youtube, demolition derby on top of the sky scraper anyone?

http://youtu.be/ku5KTFSr3LA

The groom isn't a strangers & freaks mission, it's just one of the random roadside events you can come across.

Ah right, I did google it afterwards and got the answer. Other random encounters I've had is saving a woman from a car accident, which you then later use her in your crew for the heists. I've also found a zombie and you have a chat with him.

Random question everyone: I thought I'd play online last night but couldn't work out how to. On the opening credits it used to show 'X for online' then you'd press it and it would swap to 'X for Story Mode'.

Mine doesn't say that now. It just says 'Loading Story mode'.

What you did was correct. I found last night it took ages to get into online mode, a good 3 - 4 minutes. There is still a kind of a story to it even with online mode

What I'm saying is it doesn't even give me the option of pressing X. It just says loading story mode, if I press all the buttons nothing changes.

Edit: PS3 is connected to internet etc.. Should also be signed into PS network.