When looking at GTA Online Expanded & Enhanced, it's pretty hard to believe that the game is technically almost nine years old. The stunning graphics, naturalistic lighting, top-notch sound design, and responsive controls all feel like a modern day AAA title, and these new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game fit right alongside 2022's other releases. With GTA Online's standalone mode being free for a few months to PlayStation Plus subscribers, there's sure to be an uptake in player-count.
Since its release in 2013, GTA Online has received a plethora of updates that have added vehicles, weapons, modes, and more. Over time, this slew of content started to put off new players more than entice them. Once heists were added, along with more properties and career options, GTA Online became an overwhelming experience for newcomers, especially those who were playing solo. Thankfully, these next-gen versions of GTA Online bring some welcome changes to the game, making them the perfect version for those looking to start their criminal career in Los Santos for the first time.
More Money, Less Problems
Perhaps the best change these Enhanced versions have made, the player now has immediate access to one of four career paths. From the moment the player hits start, they'll be given the option to become an Executive, a Biker, A Gunrunner, or a Nightclub Owner. Choosing one of these careers will determine how the player starts GTA Online.
While each career does have its own set of advantages and disadvantages, each will give the player a basic narrative hook, along with a cash injection of $4 million to start their own criminal career. After the brief set of introductory missions are finished, players will have their own business and will have access to a set of possible upgrades. While these upgrades may seem pretty expensive, they give new players an immediate goal and something to work towards. Giving a new player a focus right off the bat helps to keep the game focused and stops the experience from getting too overwhelming.
Any money that the player doesn't spend on immediate upgrades for their chosen career path is carried over to the main game, with a maximum cap of $1million. Rather than starting from scratch and having to grind for hours to be able to afford even the game's most basic cars and properties, this new version of GTA Online gives the player much more freedom in how they choose to spend their money.
Similarly, as each player now starts with a pre-established career, a source of passive income is provided, with each business bringing in a sizeable chunk of cash per day. Nightclub owners, for instance, can begin the game with about $1million in cash, and through a mid-range upgrade can start the game with a passive income of around $95,000. Having this constant supply of cash in GTA Online helps to make the game feel like more of a sandbox, where the player is encouraged to spend their money on things they actually enjoy as opposed to the original version's linear path of properties and upgrades.
That being said, these new versions of GTA Online don't give the player too much cash right away, so every big purchase still feels rewarding. Still, having a consistent stream of income ensures that no purchase is detrimental to the player. When a new player started out a few years ago, losing 10,000 chips at the Diamond Casino might set them back an hour or so of grinding. In these Enhanced versions, it's barely even a passing thought. Newcomers are able to just enjoy everything that GTA Online offers now without constant fear of the consequences that come with losing money.
Immediate Access To The Game's Best Parts
Along with a healthy cash injection, players start the game with a garage underneath their career building. What was originally the first big purchase most players made in GTA Online, having a garage right off the bat allows players to spend their money on the fun stuff right away.
Rockstar has added countless vehicles and weapons since GTA Online's original release, and new players will have access to the whole lot. With the cash that the player starts with, they should be able to immediately choose from a slew of exciting vehicles and weapons, and it shouldn't take too long before new players have saved up enough for the game's more expensive echelon of items.
On top of the free garage, new players are also given a free high-end apartment and are immediately contacted by Lester. If players head over to Lester's place, then they'll gain access to GTA Online's range of excellent heists. This could take hours for new players to unlock in the previous versions of GTA Online, so this change is a welcome one, as the game's heists are some of its best content.
Some Real Quality of Life Improvements
As should be expected on a next-gen version of a near decade-old game, GTA Online Enhanced has also added some much-needed quality of life and technical improvements to the game. In older versions of the game, load times were infamously long, which could lead to some frustration upon death. In this new version, GTA Online loads significantly faster, taking around 30 seconds in most cases. These shorter load times make joining a server or job much easier.
This next-gen version also brings a streamlined tutorial to the game that teaches new players just enough without overwhelming them. In just an hour or two, the player will essentially know all they need to in order to have fun with the game and understand its business mechanics.
PlayStation 5 users can also benefit from a host of innovative DualSense features. The controller's adaptive triggers react differently depending on which vehicle the player is driving, or which weapon the player is holding, and the haptic feedback makes each gunshot or engine rev feel suitably satisfying.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.