Legendary open-world crime game Grand Theft Auto 5 was recently released for next-gen consoles, causing many fans to criticize developer Rockstar's practice of recycling content. Though the game itself is generally held in high regard owing to its vibrant, satirical world, sharp writing, and iconic soundtrack typical of Grand Theft Auto titles, there have been many fans who feel that the company has been excessively milking the game.
Though known for creating some of the industry's most revered and iconic games, Rockstar has fallen somewhat out of favor with its fans in recent years. The company smashed sales records with the initial release of Grand Theft Auto 5 in 2013, but wouldn't release another game until late 2018 when Red Dead Redemption took the gaming world by storm. During and after this period, Rockstar put much of its weight behind GTA Online, the multiplayer portion of GTA 5 that houses some contentious microtransaction elements and has also pulled attention away from other projects in the eyes of fans. This issue was exacerbated with the botched release of the GTA remastered trilogy and now GTA 5: Expanded and Enhanced.
The next-gen versions of GTA 5 have not landed well with fans if the game's PS5 user score on Metacritic is anything to go by. At the time of writing, this score is sitting below a 3/10, with many players criticizing the Expanded & Enhanced version for being ironically devoid of meaningful expansions. Several reviews acknowledge the "enhanced" side of things, but most seem to express that these enhancements are far too minor, especially considering the fact that consumers have to pay for the next-gen version. One user going by the handle erfanbasket even called the release a "soulless cashgrab."
There are very few gaming companies that don't receive negative feedback from players, but there is an argument to be made in favor of Rockstar taking these complaints seriously. GTA 5's shooting mechanics, graphics, and game design are starting to seem a bit dated when compared to other modern titles, including Red Dead Redemption 2. There are likely many gamers who would prefer that Rockstar put the resources used for this re-release towards GTA 6 or even an entirely new project.
Few would argue that GTA 5 is a bad game, but it might be time for Rockstar to move on. The fact that Rockstar seems to prioritize the game (its online half in particular) is only made more controversial by the fact that the company is charging for these next-gen upgrades. In the interest of avoiding backlash, Rockstar may want to ease off the gas when it comes to Grand Theft Auto 5 content.
Source: Metacritic, erfanbasket/Metacritc