After a rough launch GTA Online is finally running smoothly, at least for some people. While the single-player told a tale of three equally troubled criminals attempting to survive in a imperfect world with separate motivations, GTA Online is all about crafting your own identity in Los Santos. San Andreas may be the same but the calamity you create is different because now you can bring your friends along for the ride as you steal drugs, cause riots, and become a wealthy professional criminal.

The weeks following GTA Online’s launch on October 1st was a disaster. I was dropped frequently and my character was deleted unexpectedly. It was clear that GTA Online was not ready for public use and perhaps an open beta would’ve anticipated Rockstar for the coming vexation that followed. But despite the rough start GTA Online turned out to be an excellent addition to an already fantastic game. It allowed me to travel through Los Santos without being burden of loading screens and bring some company to aid in my quest.

Without a clear past or motive for the future my character arrived to Los Santos, stepped off his plane, and began thinking about all the possibilities that awaited him. It was clear the second I saw Franklin’s best friend Lamar that I my avatar was slipping into the criminal world, filled with illegal drugs and bloody bodies. Now access to a car and a pistol, his your journey to the top began. Like the single-player the more missions you undertake the more money is added to your bank account and allowing you to purchase new guns, vehicles, housing, and gain prestige.

Lamar isn’t the only GTA V character you’ll encounter throughout GTA Online. Although their appearances are limited seeing them outside the single-player adds more weight to GTA Online. Seeing Trevor provide a new mission to my character made me feel like I was part of his journey. After a lengthly tutorial, explaining you everything you learn from the single-player in addition to relevant multiplayer information, you eventually fade from the scripted gameplay and gain more freedom to undertake your own jobs or do whatever you want.

Your character is a mute and only provides communication in gestures and body movements, similar to Claude from GTA III. This becomes more apparent when around notorious characters such as Lester and Trevor. Your character’s appearance is based on a genetic based formula that you choose from a heredity system. Choosing who your parents are alters your characters appearance, then you can proceed to changing smaller features such as hair, skin color, and eyes. If you truly want to distinguish yourself a wide range of clothing becomes available as you level up. But he or she is still a lifeless enigma who’s goal is only to respond to your commands.

Missions throughout GTA Online come in a variety of options that tailor to specific taste. You can indulge in racing, deathmatches, and cooperative missions. These cooperative missions are definitely the highlight, allowing you and other players to tackle objectives similar to the campaign, minus the entertaining cutscenes. Rockstar plans to add Heists later, which is disappointing seeing those missions were my favorite part in the single-player campaign. Those expecting elaborate missions, similar to the single-player, will be disappointed since missions either end quickly or follow the same layout.

Shooting and racing still handle well, but after a couple of hours I felt like I was simply repeating the process to gain a higher rank. But enough diverse missions keeps the gameplay from getting stale at the beginning. Competitive matches like deathmatch focus more on hiding than shooting since, especially since GTA V’s auto-aiming function immediately ensures that anyone who sees you will most likely kill you. It’s strange that Rockstar didn’t include a free aiming mode for those looking for a challenge. The maps are pieces of Los Santos and Blaine Country that those who played the campaign will instantly recognize, remodeled for multiplayer use.

The races are predictable fun. Like the deathmatch arenas, these are pieces of Los Santos that have been refitted for racing. Races can be altered to support weapons, certain vehicles, or other modifications. This random elements makes the races feel like a combination of Mario Kart and Burnout, ensuring that players are aware of their environment at all times. Dropping from games are still frequent and can occur at anytime, if it happens enough times you’ll be placed with other jerks.

The open-world is still extraordinary, but it’s as entertaining as the people in it. I’ve caused unbelievable amounts of havoc in my online world such as being pursued by ambitious cops for causing unspeakable damage, blowing up cars on the side of the road, or simply crashing a speed boat into a tanker. Changes have been made to the map for Online play such as easy access to the airport or military base. Those seeking an aircraft will have to become creative in locating one.

Ranking up is necessary for unlocking the best weapons, vehicles, and missions. Once unlocked you must then purchase these items using in game cash that can be earned by playing GTA Online or purchased using real world money. Those hopping to cause large amounts of chaos or have access to higher quality items will have to grind on lower end missions before graduating to the more entertaining portions of GTA Online.

Don’t be worried about being matched up with superiorly equipped players. Rockstar’s matchmaking system ensures that players are matched with their skill and rank level, rarely will you be placed in a game with someone capable of dominating the game. Once you earn enough money you can buy and customize your own commodities. Get your dream car or decide to buy your favorite weapon with all the attachments, it’s up to you.

When entering GTA Online you’re dumped into an open session, or in a private one with just your crew or friends, and choose what tasks you want to undertake. If the people within the session are antagonistic you can invest $100 in the Passive mode which makes you immune to damage and cannot inflict damage on other players. A feature that should be free, especially if you’re continuous being targeted by aggressive players. However it’s the open world of GTA Online that made the difficult start worth while. It may not be the best sport, shooting, or racing game but none of these choices are terrible since each activity controls well.

A lot of GTA Online’s technical issues have faded away and reveal an online experience that is almost terrific. Texture issues are apparent and other technical hiccups are more frequent than they should be. For now GTA Online is a standard array of casual cooperative missions and standard competitive challenges, however the freedom to do whatever you want overshadows most of these problems. GTA Online will probably fantastic when everything comes together in the future, but for now it’s only good.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed

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