Grand Theft Auto 5 is a pretty straightforward and easy-to-understand game. Since it is one of the few games that offer such a detailed open world and freedom to do anything, almost everyone enjoys playing it. However, even though it is easy, some players make oversights during their first playthrough of Grand Theft Auto 5.
Technically, these are not massive mistakes but smaller things that hamper the game's overall experience. Here is the list of things to note that will certainly help in an immersive playthrough.
Updated March 22, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Grand Theft Auto 5 is considered by many to be one of the greatest open-world games of all time. The title is still being widely played by a massive number of players, in no small part due to its amazing multiplayer component. Given how wide the reach of this game is though, there are bound to be many beginners who aren't completely familiar with all the gameplay aspects of the title. This will more than likely lead to them committing a bunch of mistakes, with the following ones being the most egregious of the bunch.
15 Rushing Through The Main Story
One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make in Grand Theft Auto 5 is blasting through the main story without a care in the world. While it's true that the main quest is extremely well-written, absolutely powering through it can have detrimental effects on a person's gameplay.
After all, even the most well-acted story can get a bit stale and tiresome after a while. Thankfully, players have enough distractions to engage with in the open world to make this a non-consequence.
14 Hiring Incompetent Crew Members During A Heist
Heist missions are one of the best parts of Grand Theft Auto 5. These pulse-pounding missions are built up over several hours before culminating in a masterful showcase of everything that made the game so good.
However, a player can shoot themselves in the foot if they try to maximize profits by hiring a cheaper crew. They become more of a liability further down the line when the mission gets really hectic, and they can't cope with it, becoming casualties and losing precious money in the process.
13 Ignoring The Vast Amount Of Things In The Game's Sandbox
Grand Theft Auto 5's world is absolutely massive. The game is full to the brim with amazing details and side content that players should definitely not miss out on.
All these small touches do a brilliant job of immersing the player in this wonderful game world. Even something as simple as a haircut or buying clothes feels like a blast in Rockstar's record-breaking game.
12 Failing To Use Each Character's Special Ability
With the concept of three protagonists, Grand Theft Auto 5 needed to give players a legitimate reason to switch out protagonists in the first place. Aside from adding exclusive content, a big reason for doing this is to make use of each character's special ability.
Franklin can enhance his driving skills, Michael activates slow-mo while shooting, and Trevor — fittingly enough — gets a massive attack boost while reducing the amount of damage incurred. Not using these three special abilities is a recipe for disaster and can make certain missions considerably harder than they need to be.
11 Driving Without Any Finesse Whatsoever
The driving mechanics in Grand Theft Auto 5 are truly brilliant, and one of the many highlights of the game. Hitting high speeds and drifting around corners never ceases to be entertaining, regardless of how many times players do it.
That being said, driving can also be pretty frustrating for players who crash around without really trying to properly control the car they're driving. This can be a major annoyance, especially in races where a single crash can destroy an entire run.
10 Only Playing As Your Favorite Character
One of the first biggest changes to Grand Theft Auto 5 was the fact that there are three characters. However, coming from the first GTA to GTA 4, people have been accustomed to playing as one main character.
This means that many people who first start Grand Theft Auto 5 usually pick their favorite character while roaming around. And while the game does provide a good mix of character missions during the main story, sometimes people switch back as soon as possible, which can hamper the overall experience.
9 Not Investing Into Stocks
Another thing that players discover early on in the game is the stock market. Grand Theft Auto 5 allows players to invest in markets and gain a large amount of cash.
This is one feature that many players do not bother with, but it's part of making Los Santos feel real. Players will be able to see rise and fall in the stock market after doing certain missions. This isn't super predictable to the new players initially, so they miss out on this little detail.
8 Not Exploring The Map
Exploring the whole Grand Theft Auto 5 map is a must. As many people would know, the first playthrough of this game is going to be super special. So if someone chooses to steamroll through the entire game without exploring the map, they will miss out on a big part of the Grand Theft Auto 5 experience.
Many map areas are dynamic and change with in-game time and missions, like the ghost easter egg or UFO. However, all of this will be missed if not discovered.
7 Not Purchasing Weapons Before Missions
Many players might make the mistake while playing Grand Theft Auto 5 of not visiting the gun shop enough times. The game shows people how to access the shop during early missions.
However, later on, it is up to players to keep themselves loaded and purchase the best weapon for the missions. Moreover, purchasing specific guns for specific missions or assassinations really adds another layer of depth to this game.
6 Buying Expensive Cars
The core of Grand Theft Auto 5 is cars. After all, the game has the word auto in it, which directly refers to automobiles. This means that players who will play this game for the first time would want to own fancy cars and spend their money on them.
Sadly, it's a waste of money usability-wise. The game forces players to use specific vehicles on specific missions, which means that using your newly bought Dubsta wouldn't be of any use. Ideally, it is better to invest that money in businesses around the map, earn some money and then purchase the cars after finishing the game.
5 Not Browsing The Internet
Here's a feature that was introduced in Grand Theft Auto 4. However, it gets much better in the fifth entry. Internet in Grand Theft Auto V is pretty much a landscape of funny easter eggs, sarcasm, irony, humor, and jokes. It's something not many people browse. After all, who wants to use the fake internet of the game?
Interestingly, this feature is core to the experience. There are social websites that foreshadow certain events in the game and explore the relationships of characters.
4 Not Listening To Radio
Radio is another critical feature in-game that many people use. However, not many know that radio has much real-time mission-based news, which amplifies the experience.
Going through a tough heist and successfully stealing the cash will feel all the sweeter when players hear their actions in radio news. Moreover, just cruising and listening to self radio can make the FM the most fun experience.
3 Avoiding Side Missions
Here's another reason why players should totally explore the whole map. Side missions in Grand Theft Auto 5 are some of the most humorous and fun times.
However, many first-timers usually forget this aspect of the game and miss what could've been a major part of making Los Santos feel alive.
2 Not Switching Between View Modes
While not a must, a great feature of the enhanced versions of the game is its first-person mode. When Rockstar Games first showed off the first-person mode, it blew people away. This turned Grand Theft Auto 5 into one of a kind experience.
No longer will people need to seek a mod to play the game in the first person since it is now fully integrated into the game. Sadly, many people overlook this feature and play the entire game in the third person. The best way to play the game is to switch between the views.
1 Picking A Bad Ending
Grand Theft Auto 5 offers not one but three different endings. Two of these endings are truly horrible, and only one is the complete one.
Luckily, the choice is pretty easy to make, as the game doesn't rely on old in-game decisions to pave the way into one end. This means players will be able to pick the best ending in the game's very last mission.
Grand Theft Auto 5 was released on September 17, 2013 and is available for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.