I finished Grand Theft Auto V last week, like so many others. It’s so weird finishing a big game like this, right? There’s this weird sense of loneliness and the feeling, almost, of losing a friend.
It’s so strange, but it happens almost every time I complete a story with engrossing characters. It happened with GTA V. But, let me just say, GTA V has done the best job of maintaining life after the curtain closes that I’ve seen in a very long time.
Before we get too deep into recounting the things that have occupied so much of my post-campaign life in GTA V, I do want to dish out a warning. Here it comes, in bold, red text.
Spoiler Warning: I intend to talk relatively freely about easter eggs and storyline elements throughout this article. If you don’t want either of those bits spoiled, skip it until you’ve completed the game.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get going. This is life after the campaign in GTA V.
The World Remains Alive
I don’t want to mince words here, the world in Grand Theft Auto IV was really great. Liberty City had a special essence and spirit that stuck with it even after Niko’s grand story wrapped up.
However, without the constant chatter of characters, the world felt a little hollow and dead. Sure, the lifeless NPCs were there, but things felt so disconnected from what they were during the main story.
That disconnect happens in GTA V, only the world of Los Santos stays alive in spite of the tale’s completion. The NPCs are more dynamic, the random events add more life to the potential bland landscape, and the space is so huge that you feel like you’ll never see it all.
Your Friends Stay in Touch
At least for a while, all the friends you make and stay in touch with over the campaign will keep in touch. They’ll text, call and email you while your hours and hours away from watching the credits roll.
If you were smart (that’s right, I said it) and selected the last mission option that saves all three of the main protagonists, you’ll have three lives worth of characters to stay in touch with.
This, while such a minor and small touch on Rockstar’s part, really contributes to the aforementioned liveliness of Grand Theft Auto V. The world stays alive thanks to the fact that you remain in contact with characters and dialog after the story concludes.
Easter Eggs Abound
Let’s not forget about what makes Rockstar’s library so unique: easter eggs. GTA V is brimming with them.
The world in this game is enormous. On top of all the on the surface activities and events, Rockstar placed layers of easter eggs, references and special moments everywhere. There’s a ghost that haunts the wilderness, for instance. There are notes and art littered all over that make jokes and post compelling riddles.
And how could we go without mentioning the Mt. Chiliad Mystery. This is one that I’ve barely scratched the surface on myself; but, I know there are alien glyphs scattered around the world in GTA V that point towards UFOs. Yep, get 100% on the game and head to the right locale and the right time and you’ll see aliens.
The game is dense with hidden content.
The Best is Yet to Come
You know what element I haven’t even factored in here? GTA Online. That’s still a thing, and, as of drafting this story, it still hasn’t launched yet. If you can get over your love affair with Franklin, Michael and Trevor, the anonymous faces of multiplayer should do a fine job of sucking the rest of your free time away.
