Much like Silent Hill 3, Grand Theft Auto V threw players right into the fray, beginning with a prologue section set 9 years before the bulk of the story takes place. The game begins with four men robbing a bank, and players are immediately thrust into the shoes of Michael, one of the game's three protagonists (another, Trevor, is also taking part in the robbery). It's not a particularly challenging mission, but it sure is exciting, aided hugely by the outstanding voice-over work and dynamic score from Tangerine Dream. After gathering hostages, you use your phone to detonate the vault and start filling your boots. After Michael gets held up by a guard, you get your first opportunity to use the ground-breaking character-switching option, so you can change to Trevor and take the guard out. As you exit the bank, you're met with heavy resistance by the cops, and have to shoot your way out to reach your getaway car. After a scripted chase sequence with a cop car, you have to drive a short distance to the helicopter pickup point, Things get messier, though, when a teammate is shot dead and Michael is wounded by an unidentified shooter, while the copter is nowhere to be seen. Trevor holds off the horde of cops that arrive and flees into the distance as more give chase. The scene then shifts to Michael's "funeral" some time later, at which he appears in the distance, before the title card is displayed. It's a fantastic action sequence taken right out of a classic crime thriller movies, and has an obvious ripple effect throughout the story, as Michael and Trevor struggle to bottle their animosity for the sake of the bigger picture. This is modern gaming at its finest.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
