A formulaic entry into an already terrific series
The graphics are, for a game this scale, wondrous. On my Playstation 3 I did experience some frame rate issues but not enough to spoil the game in any way. The soundtrack is apt, if not the furthest away from my personal tastes in any GTA game before. That said, there is enough humour and rock music to keep me entertained,
Importantly, the driving has been addressed as has the scale issues number IV brought us all. This is more than a simple map size issue. There are more in the way of vehicle choices, activities and locations which give the game a lot more variety and a freer, more adventurous spirit.
If anything the weakest part are the characters. I am not averse to a story of crooks and criminality but sometimes Rockstar is so immersed in satire and shining a light on the absurd nature of modern society it forgets to project a character of normalcy we can relate to.
Many of the greatest characters in British fiction, particularly in comedy, are horrible people who get what's coming to them episode after episode, but in a video game you are essentially having to will this character to the ending, and its slightly more important to have someone the player can relate to at some point, which GTA has perhaps none at all.
Most people however, will care little, because they will be having such fun with the multitude of delights in the magical Los Santos. You wouldn't want to live there, but that's perhaps part of the joy when you destroy it repeatedly guilt free.