When a game gets delayed twice within a period of six weeks, bringing its total number of postponements to three, you can usually expect a backlash from those anticipating its release - particularly from the people whose eagerness to play the title led them to pre-order it.
Yet even though Rockstar recently announced that PC gamers will now have to wait until the 14th of April to play Grand Theft Auto 5, the response hasn’t been the usual tidal wave of death threats which often results from this kind of thing.
Could it be that people don’t want another Assassins Creed: Unity style buggy mess? That the public would rather give the developers as much time as they need to get the game 100% perfect? Although you would have imagined that - given the amount of time Rockstar have been working on the PC version of GTA 5 - the finished game would be here by now.
Or could it simply be that people realize this Grand Theft Auto 5 will have so many new features and improvements over its console counterparts, that it will make these delays worth it in the long run?
So what exactly is it that will turn this Grand Theft Auto 5 into the ultimate version of the game? Here are the six most likely reasons.
1. 4K Resolution
Okay, so there’s still not a huge number of people who have 4k monitors right now - or possess a rig powerful enough to produce these resolutions without turning the game into a slideshow. But with the prices for these ultra-high-definition displays dropping every day, and the dollar-to-power ratio of PC components also constantly improving, expect this feature to become more widely used as time goes on.
If you are lucky enough to have the necessary hardware to play GTA 5 at 4K, then prepare to weep at the sheer beauty of it all. Chances are you’ll spend half your time just walking around admiring the scenery, as opposed to actually playing the game.
2. The Graphical Improvements
It’s the little things that make all the difference. So the huge number of small graphical alterations might make this GTA 5 unrecognizable from the versions released on other platforms. Looking at the list of graphical improvements coming to the PC, in all likelihood it will be the platform where GTA 5 really stands out from the rest. Here are some of the things which Rockstar have specifically stated will be changed.
Enhanced damage: Rockstar haven’t given away too many precise details on this yet. Enhanced damage could mean anything from showing a bit more detail when objects take abuse, through to a complete overhaul of the damage system: more realism, more blood and gore, and more physics-based damage effects.
Denser Traffic: Basically, there’s going to be a lot more cars in the game. You would expect a real-life version of Los Santos (Los Angeles?) to be pretty much gridlocked in a lot of areas around the city. Hopefully this new feature will stack well with the enhanced damage, giving players the opportunity to stage some visually stunning, thousand car pile-ups.
New Foliage System: It’s surprising how much of a difference having more realistic trees and plants can make to game. It’s likely the foliage will not only look prettier, but include an improved physics system. Might there even be a chance of some new effects when fire interacts with trees and grass?
3. Multi-Monitor Support
Multi-monitor setups are becoming increasingly popular these days. Especially as it is still a (usually) cheaper option than having a single 4k screen. Plus they often require less graphical power compared to using 4K resolutions.
Walking around Los Santos will never have felt so real. The immersion these setups bring to games cannot be overstated. Then there’s the ability to see more of what’s going on around you in a firefight - no more getting wasted by that guy who was standing just outside your field of vision.
But the absolute best thing about using multiple monitors with GTA 5? The first person mode. Just imagine the panoramic views when standing on top of a mountain, the feeling of speeding about in a car while being able to see all around you, or the effect which the peripheral vision will have when flying a plane.
4. Rockstar Editor
There is third-party software available which can capture and edit gaming sessions, but using one that is built into the product will surely make the whole process easier - and hopefully yield better results.
Once GTA 5 does hit the PC, expect a deluge of new YouTube videos showing off the numerous and creative ways to kill people, perform stunts, and just generally mess about. And it will all be beautifully edited by the next generation of wannabe Tarantinos.
5. 60 Frames Per Second And Above
There have been plenty of arguments over the pros and cons of using the 60 frames per second speed in movies. Often this can leave films looking like weirdly high budget indie features, while other times they can appear incredibly smooth and beautiful. But one thing that is for certain: 60 frames per second and above looks amazing when it comes to gaming.
Much like 4K, being able to play GTA 5 at 60+ fps will depend on the hardware you have at your disposal. For those able to make this most of this new function: prepare to be blown away by the sheer fluidity of it all. It’s the way all games should be played.
6. Mods
There are few online groups as large, and as skilled, as the PC modding community. As soon as GTA 5 hits the PC, expect a myriad of mods to be released. GTA 4 currently has an incredible number of mods available, even one which partially turns the game into GTA 5.
Not only will we see mods that alter the content, but also ones which improve the graphics; not that the game won’t look amazing anyway, but - much in the way the graphics mods of Skyrim have kept it from looking its age - having people constantly improving the look of GTA 5 will increase its lifespan on the PC.
The PC’s version of GTA 5 will hopefully not only be the best version of the game, but also a strong contender for the platform’s game of the year.
Of course, there is always the off chance we could get into April and Rockstar announces another delay... If that happens then it won’t matter how incredible the game is, people will likely boycott it out of principle.
The only thing worse than this hypothetical extra delay would be for the game to come out on April 14th and turn out to be total mess. But, there’s no chance of that happening. Right?
