Grand Theft Auto 5 released on next-gen consoles this past week, and although it’s visually impressive, gameplay-wise, it’s not as good as Red Dead Redemption 2. GTA 5 first released almost nine years ago at the end of 2013, during which time multiple games in the third-person open-world genre have released with innovative new features and presentation. GTA 5 is still a great open-world game, but revisiting it after playing RDR2 feels like going a step backward.
The latest edition of GTA 5 was first announced at 2020’s PlayStation 5 reveal event, but it was met with backlash from a sizeable chunk of the GTA community, due in part to the neglect of Red Dead Online, but mainly because of a then lack of information surrounding the long-awaited but now confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6. The initial “expanded and enhanced” tagline also ran into criticism in the run-up to its release, when it became clear that the new GTA 5 port wouldn’t be adding any significant single-player content, and was instead mostly focused on visual and performance upgrades. Said upgrades are significant, but the lack of gameplay additions to GTA 5 has made the title show its age even more.
Red Dead Redemption 2 released five years after GTA 5 in 2018, and exceeded the already impressive level of detail Rockstar brought to Los Santos. Notable improvements were made to gunplay and overall presentation, with Rockstar introducing more natural animations and improved melee combat. There are several areas where Red Dead Redemption 2 completely overshadows GTA5, and even with the release of the new “enhanced” edition, the game hasn’t been able to bridge the gap over the Wild West adventure.
GTA 5’s Combat Has Not Held Up Against RDR2’s Gunfights
Like the rest of the Grand Theft Auto series, combat is a major part of GTA 5‘s gameplay. To the game’s credit, there is a decent variety of weapons for players to use, both in terms of firearms and melee. However, the combat itself is not as impressive as it was upon the game’s initial release. The guns do not feel especially distinct or powerful, and melee combat is rather slow and clumsy. The best way to describe GTA 5‘s combat is unspectacular. GTA 6 desperately needs better gunplay, because GTA 5 has proven to be outdated in that aspect.
On the other hand, Red Dead Redemption 2 has the most immersive and detailed combat of any Rockstar game by far. Enemies are programmed to respond to getting shot in different areas in different ways, such as collapsing to the ground after being shot in the knee. Especially powerful weapons such as dynamite and shotguns can even sever limbs. As for melee combat, fistfights have their own mechanics that are functional and easy to learn, and knives, while rarely used in pitched battle, are used for quick and brutal assassinations. RDR2‘s combat is bloody, detailed, and surprisingly deep.
Grand Theft Auto could learn a few lessons from Red Dead Redemption 2‘s combat. The satisfying gunplay of RDR2, whether it be in slow-motion duels or gang gunfights, is easily one of the game’s strongest features. The lifelike details of RDR2‘s guns make the combat stand out as some of gaming’s best. If GTA 5‘s firefights had more depth, then playing through them would be much more exciting. As it stands, GTA 5‘s combat is simply fine, but it can’t shake off just how dated it feels when other games have been passing it by for the last decade.
GTA 5’s Cars Pale In Comparison To RDR2’s Horses
In Grand Theft Auto 5, players can make adjustments to the main characters’ personal cars, tuning their performance and making cosmetic changes. However, while the player can buy some fairly impressive vehicles, they can never change each protagonist’s designated personal car. Any new car they buy will disappear if broken or abandoned in the city, so every character will more or less default to their personal vehicle. Because of this, buying and customizing GTA 5‘s cars feels pointless, and is essentially a waste of money.
The horses in Red Dead Redemption 2, despite now being as fast or loud as GTA‘s cars, feel like an evolution of the concept. Arthur can change his personal horse by either buying a new one or finding a suitable wild horse out in the wilderness and putting his saddle on it. The game’s horses come in a wide variety of breeds and coats, and Arthur can upgrade their performance with new accessories from the stable. In addition, taking care of the game’s horses is much more in-depth than owning a car in GTA 5, and feeding and cleaning them helps the player bring them closer to peak performance.
Grand Theft Auto 5, unfortunately, does not have the greatest car mechanics, which is ironic considering the game’s title. The driving itself is a definite improvement over its predecessor, as GTA 4 featured intentionally terrible drunk driving as well as slippery normal driving. However, the fact that the player will typically be stuck using the same three cars for the majority of the game outside of moments such as the heist missions can be disappointing. GTA 6 needs to add more car options, both in terms of driving and customization.
RDR2’s World Feels Bigger And More Alive Than GTA 5’s Sandbox
Grand Theft Auto 5‘s Los Santos is massive, and that shouldn’t be downplayed. However, despite its size, it can frequently feel more like a barren desert than a city. While the player will drive past countless rows of buildings, very few of them can be interacted with, and most of those are the same generic shops that are scattered across the city. GTA 5‘s empty open world is a problem that hopefully will not carry over to the next game. With wider, more interactive sandboxes coming out in the previous decade, GTA 5‘s world has lost a fair amount of luster.
The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 feels just as big as Los Santos, if not bigger, and the world is much more interactive. Almost every building that Arthur comes across can be interacted with in some way, either by patronizing its business or having a place to rob. In addition, while the GTA 5 protagonists can talk to NPCs, Arthur has far more available interactions, able to hold conversations with both positive and negative branches, provoke brawls, and even rob them, albeit at risk of attracting the law’s attention. In addition, the wide-open areas outside of civilization are full of herbs to gather and animals to hunt, making every part of the map feel meaningful.
GTA 6 needs a better open world than what GTA 5 offered. Having wide stretches with nothing to do makes those parts of the map feel pointless, and traversing through those areas is sadly boring. As it stands now, GTA 5‘s Los Santos lacks the charm and adventure that Red Dead Redemption 2 was able to bring.
Grand Theft Auto 5 was a major success for Rockstar, and the game’s legacy remains tied to that. However, there is also no denying that time has shone a light on the game’s shortcomings, especially with Red Dead Redemption 2 surfacing as one of Rockstar’s biggest masterpieces. Grand Theft Auto 5‘s next-gen release gives new fans a chance to play, but it’s been made obsolete by the studio’s iconic Old West title.
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