V's storyline isn't as bad as people say: its misunderstood

[wiizardii]

Misunderstood. Alot of people thought V's storyline was gunna be super exciting with a 100+ missions , this that etc etc. Well it wasn't but it wasn't as bad as people say it was. If you rewatch the intro and the first mission, you will kinda understand this.

 

 

V's storyline was placed as a modern mainstream/ combined with stereotypical hollywood stuff and it shows 3 criminals doing different stuff. It wasn't like the old GTA's, it was very different. It showed alot of modern stuff like corrupt cops (Steve Haines) and stereotypical rich dumbasses ordering others to do their dirty work (Devin Weston) the main theme wasn't heist, it was the modern setting and it wasn't supposed to be dark like IV or something like that. Obviously the hype got the better of people but if you did not hype V, you may have enjoyed the story. It may have fallen short: but it was good while it lasted on its own. V is bashed because of its poor characters and story, I think that's wrong. The story is just misunderstood IMO.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Phoenix_Shit
fixed title

[Detective Phelps]

V is bashed because of its poor characters and story, I think that's wrong. The story is just misunderstood IMO.

How is the story misunderstood? Character development was extremely poor, especially for Franklin.

The story - overall - was OK. However, as I see it, the story just doesn't meet the GTA standard.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Detective Phelps

[donnits]

Just because it's a satire of modern times doesn't excuse the story being lackluster, with little character development and many story inconsistencies/plot holes.

[Luuk']

Nah, it just sucks. Especially after the masterpiece that was IV's story.

[B Dawg]

V's storyline was placed as a modern mainstream/ combined with stereotypical hollywood stuff and it shows 3 criminals doing different stuff. It wasn't like the old GTA's, it was very different. It showed alot of modern stuff like corrupt cops (Steve Haines) and stereotypical rich dumbasses ordering others to do their dirty work (Devin Weston) the main theme wasn't heist, it was the modern setting

Problem found.

[saintsrow]

I misunderstood that Trevor's character was a random patchwork of crap that started nowhere and went nowhere, and that Franklin's story did not transform his life and therefore missed obvious potential. I think the story was dreamed up by the Housers and some other "creatives" during a 3-martini lunch and instead of reviewing an polishing it, they just went with it.

 

You can also see a lot of movies where the basic plotline must have sounded so good when it was brainstormed, but but the time it burns through $50 to $100M and hits the screen, you can see what a struggle it was for the actors, directors, editors and everybody else to try to turn the original dumb idea into a full-fledged movie.

 

The irony is that the GTAV virtual world design, with Aaron Garbut's art team, was extensively polished, reviewed and refined into a masterpiece over 3 to 4 years, starting from the basic elements they wanted to include. If the story had been similarly refined in the same time frame, maybe it would not have been a simple disappointment.

[Lelouch The Zero]

If the game was set in the early to late 80's, you all wouldn't be complaining.

[ddyoung]

Any other video game and it would have been great. But because of the standard that GTA SA and IV set, it is almost impossible to follow those footsteps successfully.

[Evan-KCR]

I hyped the f*ck out of the game, and I wasn't disappointed. Sure, it's a little short, but that makes it more like a good action movie.

[GTA V Is On PC]

I think the real focus of this game was the map and online. The story feels like a low budget movie with cheesy jokes everywhere and horrible character development. A huge problem in the story is that all the characters are immediately rich and not starting from the bottom or anything like that.

Edited September 25, 2014 by GtaV Is Coming To Pc

[ramtastic]

I think the real focus of this game was the map and online. The story feels like a low budget movie with cheesy jokes everywhere and horrible character development. A huge problem in the story is that all the characters are immediately rich and not starting from the bottom or anything like that.

For me, that's what made V great: you feel as though the story was just another thing that happened in the vast expanse of SA, that the game is somehow bigger than your character(s). Sure the story itself wasn't amazing, but the rags to riches approach is as stale as last month's bread.

[TJGM]

Any other video game and it would have been great. But because of the standard that GTA SA and IV set, it is almost impossible to follow those footsteps successfully.

That is complete bullsh*t.

 

SA didn't set a good story telling standard first of all, the missions were just fun and we had a lot of them so it was hard to get bored.

 

IV, while the story was probably the best for a GTA game, its story still isn't the best thing ever written out there, but it was by no means terrible.

 

V on the other hand, feels like a draft of a story that they once had and were too lazy to complete it. They start off all these characters and relationships and they go NOWHERE! Tanisha for example is mentioned a few times throughout the story as being the woman Franklin wants to impress and get back together with, he's pretty much doing most of this for her, and we only see her once throughout the entire game except from a character switching moment which is probably not canon.

 

Michael's relationship with Dave could've went a lot further as they clearly seemed to like each other enough to be friends, but he just appears next to Steve Haines countless times without really needing to be there. Speaking of Steve, the guy wasn't bad enough to be considered an antagonist, if anything he was doing good and abusing criminals to do it.

 

Devin Weston, he ripped you off on some cars and Michael supposedly caused Molly Schultz's death after she decided to go completely nuts for no reason reason, which contradicts her character completely after being shown as a clam person who can make right decisions, after her death Devin goes nuts and wants Michael dead even though he never showed any indication of liking her and others could see that he didn't care much for her after Franklin said something like "he ain't gonna fall in love with your ass".

 

The story is lackluster at best. You said because its a GTA game that its the reason the story is getting hated on, which isn't true. What is true though, is that because this game is a GTA game, the story didn't get enough hate and instead it got amazing reviews across the board and the only people who seem to pay attention to the terrible story is on this forum.

Edited September 25, 2014 by TJGM

[Wylight]

The concept is not bad, is just poorly executed. Like Angry Joe would say, you know they done f*cked it up when you see them trying to squeeze three characters in 69 missions.

[thatstupidbug]

The concept is not bad, is just poorly executed. Like Angry Joe would say, you know they done f*cked it up when you see them trying to squeeze three characters in 69 missions.

 

You're right! Basically, GTA V storyline is made of setup after stup after setup, all leading to nowhere...

 

Think about the first time trevor goes to michael: you make a long, funny and quite charming trip to los santos (and great moment it was when you see the whole city in front of you), then you arrive at michael's house (and another great moment of silence and tension)...then 5 minutes later you crash a talent show and make fun of a guy with his pants down. THEN, after some times, you confront michael in a snowy cemetery (great setup), when trevor finds the body of his friend... nope, some chinese gang arrives and everything is delayed. THEN M and T points their gun to each other's face...but nope, franklin warns them to work togheter or they will be dead... THEN they cooperate and end of the game, "" I don't care about brad" "ok I forgive you". yeah, I know, there are two other endings, but they're not canon (come on, there are wallpapers that have the REAL ending print on it)

 

And I made just one example...too many things with no real ending. I can't say the trip isn't fun, it is very fun sometimes...there's just no payoff.

[plee22]

i think the storyline and character development may have fell short, but the whole execution of it all was perfect.

[Cutter De Blanc]

The story feels a bit like different parts were written by different people, like it was passed around the writer's room like one of those "and then..." stories where everybody adds something, but forgets stuff that other people were doing.

 

And then... T kidnaps drug barons wife

And then... they have to hide out in the desert for awhile

And then... they rob a bank

And then... we have to get them back to LS so lets make the Drug Baron not mad anymore

Ect.

[zynlen101]

Oh, I don't think the story is bad. Just mediocre.

 

I'll give them a break considering that they had three main characters to work with, so we can hope that they've learned from their mistakes if they ever decide to go back to using a similar system in a future installment.

 

I have faith in Dan Houser, though I wouldn't trust him with another Max Payne game.

[Trevorphilipjfry]

I personally found the story to be pretty good, very different from past GTAs what with Ms family Fs psychotic episodes and what not, but I think the actual story of heists and criminality, could have been better, but I think R* did this on purpose to add loads of out there gameplay pircs, like Minor turbulence, and Caida Libre.

 

You wouldn't get mission variety in IV because its storyline, setting and therefore missions were quite grounded to reality.

 

A hood story, is one that allows for fun gameplay scenarios, after all its a game, not a film. Just my opinion

[Nayrox]

It's sad that a lot of cool things were just programmed for missions like the guns on the JB700 or North Yankton and a lot of Interios. This makes the game feel like it's a flash in the pan after the story.

[thatstupidbug]

It's sad that a lot of cool things were just programmed for missions like the guns on the JB700 or North Yankton and a lot of Interios. This makes the game feel like it's a flash in the pan after the story.

 

No, wait, this has nothing to do with the story... hidden or locked interiors are part of the game since ghost town and the dead forelli in your car in GTA III (things that were...you know...just programmed for misisons)... even earlier if you count the interiors some NPC can go during missions in GTA2 (that you clearly can't see because the game is in 2d, like a bank robbery). This is both a frustrating feature and a tradition in the GTA series...

[..GhosT]

69 missions for 3 characters is just not enough.

It didnt cut it. When i finally got into the characters i was like "oh damn, the story is over."

 

GTA SA had like 160 missions or so?

Even vice city had 100ish.

[iam2fresh]

my big problem with the story is character development. M&T have really tragic backstories if you actually take it seriously when T tells you. but what about Franklin? i shouldn't need to take that fat ass pig jimmy to a damn bar to learn franklins backstory? why does franklin hate stretch? how did micheal and amanda meet? why is lester the way he is? what made steve corrupt? theirs just so much more things i want to learn about these people but you have to hang out with somebody or its never told.

[œaœa]

I don't think people realize that the entire story is essentially an inside job/government conspiracy. That's pretty cool to me..

[Nayrox]

 

It's sad that a lot of cool things were just programmed for missions like the guns on the JB700 or North Yankton and a lot of Interios. This makes the game feel like it's a flash in the pan after the story.

 

No, wait, this has nothing to do with the story... hidden or locked interiors are part of the game since ghost town and the dead forelli in your car in GTA III (things that were...you know...just programmed for misisons)... even earlier if you count the interiors some NPC can go during missions in GTA2 (that you clearly can't see because the game is in 2d, like a bank robbery). This is both a frustrating feature and a tradition in the GTA series...

 

Ok you are right, it's a problem of the game design.

[S1N0D3UTSCHT3K]

a lot of the haters bash on GTA V because they treat it like a serious movie like Heat, Training Day, The Departed, or something with Oscar level performances and a super serious drama

 

 

it's not

 

GTA V is basically like... old school Miami Vice

 

it's a comedy drama sitcom

 

the story has a lot of disconnect like a sitcom

 

it's full of caricatures instead of characterization like a sitcom

 

and it's carried by hilariously witty banter and very well written dialogue, like, a great comedy/drama sitcom

 

next time you watch Michael and Franklin talk or Franklin and Lamar argue... picture it like a sitcom and this makes PERFECT sense

 

and in that regard, GTA V's story is an A+

 

 

but it's not a serious story not a movie

 

if you want a movie story, look at Sleeping Dogs or The Last of Us

 

but GTA V is clearly not trying to be that type of story in any way

[icemagi]

There's a bunch of things I could list that were missing from the story, but I'm honestly too lazy to write it all. Even though the story wasn't top notch, the dialogue was on point, I must admit that and I'm sure there's at least a handful of you that will agree. And the most important part of a video game is the gameplay, not the story, albeit a good story does make the experience much better and is preferable in my books. I think that if the game had more missions then they'd have more time to flesh out the stories a bit more because obviously there's a lot of things that don't add up and certain characters need more fleshing out and more development (I'm looking at you, Franklin).

Edited September 26, 2014 by sakurablossom

[S1N0D3UTSCHT3K]

yeah and the great sitcom writing is exactly why the Missions are so replayable

 

half the reason why it's so fun to replay missions like Franklin & Lamar, Bringing the House Down, Hood Safari, By The Book, Trevor Philips Industries, Repossession, Predator, etc is because the writing is soooooo good

 

most of the scenes between F and L are hilarious

 

and the scenes between M and T when Exiled to SS are some of the best acted in any video game

 

 

 

GTA V doesn't have the best story but it does have a great basic plot and amazing writing and voice action/animation

[Algonquin Assassin]

The story ended for me as soon as Franklin became irrelevant to the plot and Trevor went to LS. It was a good story up until that point IMO. With the exception of "Bury The Hatchet" the back half of the story was complete and utter garbage. Not to mention those horrendous things they call endings.

[REVENGE777]

I really wish they would've expanded on franklins storyline, it was underwhelming, which is sad to say because i actually liked him.

[DopeFresh]

no it is pretty bad. We learn practically nothing about the character's past, and have really no connection to them like we did with niko or cj. pretty much every gta had a big event that started the story. VC - drug bust, SA - moms death, 4 - moving to LC. We get nothing like that with gta 5. we are thrust into the game clueless about what is going on. we never connected with the characters to begin with.