5 things that GTA 5 could've done better

While GTA 5 is one of the most seminal games of the current generation, it is not without its flaws. Having said that, the game still sells incredibly well today, as it represents the very pinnacle of what AAA games can offer in terms of scale, scope and quality.

Rockstar Games has strived to create a brand that is synonymous with excellence, and the company has been pretty successful so far. The overall perception of the games in the GTA series is largely positive - with some fans even suggesting that the franchise transcends the boundaries of video games.

GTA 5, released in 2013, is enormously successful, but there are things about the game that still irk players to this day. Here's a look at some of the problems with the game.

5 things that Rockstar Games could've done better with GTA 5

#5 Better combat - shooting

Being a third-person action-adventure game, GTA 5 must compete with other games like Uncharted and Gears of War in terms of combat mechanics.

From a purely functional standpoint, GTA 5's shooting and combat is adequate, but this is exactly what irks players the most. It never crosses over the boundary of adequate and into "great" territory.

Other open-world games such as Sleeping Dogs have been able to utilize fantastic combat mechanics to add far more depth to their game.

However, GTA 5's combat remains largely uninteresting, with most missions devolving into shooting galleries with a change of scenery serving as the biggest change across all of them.

#4 More player customization

Some players did not like the fact that GTA 5 took away features that older games in the series, like GTA San Andreas, had. For instance, the ability to head to the gym and change the physical appearance of CJ might not seem like much - but it did give players a lot more control over their character.

Players can still get haircuts and tattoos in GTA 5, but their overall appearance remains largely the same. Perhaps this was in a bid to introduce character consistency since Michael doesn't look like he would want to work out through a midlife crisis.

Having said that, not allowing Franklin, who is far more active, to work out in the gym and alter his physical appearance seems like a wasted opportunity.

#3 Load times

One of the biggest issues with both GTA 5's Story Mode and GTA Online is the fact that players spend way too long looking at the loading screen.

Even with the improved hardware on PCs, the load times aren't great. Quite recently, a modder by the name of t0st, was able to implement a fix to cut down GTA Online's unforgiving load times by 70%.

This goes to show just how passionately players despise the long load times before they get to play the game.

#2 By the Book

Perhaps the most infamous mission in GTA history, "By the Book" is one of Rockstar's lowest moments in terms of nuanced writing and commentary.

By and large, Rockstar has been fantastic with its ability to push the boundaries to prove a point. However, the GTA franchise sometimes fails in its satire. The infamous torture sequence fails to make any poignant point and comes off as a cheap shock tactic.

The mission stands out like a sore thumb in an otherwise pretty neat GTA campaign.

#1 Character Depth

While the three protagonists of GTA 5 receiving a lot of screentime, many other characters in the game tend to get the short end of the stick.

Even among the protagonists, everyone - save for Michael- receives very little characterization.

For instance - both Trevor and Franklin's personalities could be summarized in a couple of sentences each. Meanwhile, side characters like Amanda, Tracey and Lester get dunked on massively when it comes to decent characterization.

GTA has always had problems with regards to misogyny and terrible female representation, and GTA 5 does no favors to improve that reputation. The lack of any interesting story content regarding such characters makes the game feel severely dated and archaic.