Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 463 sampled Steam reviews (395 positive / 68 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing15% mention it
- Visuals & art4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing15% mention it
- Bugs & crashes10% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
80%
35 reviews
5-15h
85%
81 reviews
15-40h
93%
84 reviews
40-100h
86%
105 reviews
100h+
82%
158 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 97 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 90 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 81 | 2317 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 90 | 68 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Sep 17, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 248224 total reviews in window · weighted 240.7 up / 19 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (62)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
“I loved it back then, and I love it now. Its attempts at clever humor can be embarrassingly misjudged, its content is often alarming, and I think those who point out the game’s problematic elements are perfectly within their right to do so, and they’re very rarely wrong. Still, I can accept that the game is troubling while still enjoying it, and the extensive augmentations found within the PS4/Xbox One version makes it all the more pleasant.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“GTA V is Rockstar's midlife crisis: hostile, extravagant, but ultimately revealing a fascinating depth of self-loathing.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“After only a few hours of playing I knew everything I needed to write this review and I kept playing. GTA V is a master class of gaming, an explosion of ideas and details that will amaze everyone. You could have travelled across the entire game world and I'm sure, you haven't seen everything this game has to offer. Rockstar keeps surprising but right now does it in Full HD and with lots of cool new features.”
read full review ↗ - 96
“Grand Theft Auto V jumps into the next gen to also become the best current game. It is inevitable to see technical aspects belonging to the old gen, but it doesn't burden the work Rockstar made in this remaster, which is outstanding. There are reasons to go back to Los Santos, this time with PS4. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Los Santos feels more alive than ever, and whether you're a frequent visitor or not, we'd recommend booking a seat on the next-gen flight if you haven't already.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Grand Theft Auto V for the PlayStation 4 is easily the best version of the game available at the moment. At the end of the day, it is still functionally the same game as before, with most of the same flaws and strengths.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Grand Theft Auto 5 has never been so nice to see and smooth to play: this new version is a further proof of the fine work that Rockstar infuses in every game.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Aside from a few mild frame rate issues that sometimes take the edge off its more dramatic moments, this is the definitive version of GTA V, and the bar by which all other open-world games, or indeed any game that aims for a cinematic feel, should be judged. It is beautiful, and thought-provoking, and thrilling throughout.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Rockstar came, saw and conquered in 2013 and does exactly the same in 2014. So our grade for GTA V stands.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“An incredibly ambitious upgrade that not only improves the visuals and gameplay but, through the new first person view, offers a new way to play the best GTA ever.”
read full review ↗ - 96
“If you didn't play GTA V on PS3/Xbox 360, don't think, just play it. If you have played GTA V on PS3/Xbox 360, again don't think, just play it. Because San Andreas calls all of us once again.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“An excellent remake of an outstanding game that doesn't merely come with cosmetic improvements. What does it mean? You certainly need to have this piece at home, even if you have the original version. [Issue#248]”
The Jimquisition
Slant Magazine
GRYOnline.pl
Push Square
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Power Unlimited
Metro GameCentral…and 50 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- GTAV Title Update 1.69 NotesSep 17, 2024significant · resets scoring window