GTA 5: Why The Heists Are Wasted Potential
So our GTA 5 review is live and, as you can no doubt see, there’s a lot to love about it. You need to play it.
But one of the big features is the new heist missions, a culmination of the likes of Three Leaf Clover in GTA 4, The Job of GTA: Vice City or Breaking The Bank At Caligula’s in GTA: San Andreas.
Make no mistake, though, these heist missions are great. They’re over-the-top, they’re invigorating and in many cases they give you the freedom to approach it however you like.
Well, for the most part.
See while these missions are undoubtedly brilliant, as we pointed to in our review they’re not quite as great as they could be.
We won’t spoil it for you, but the first heist mission sets up the premise of these sections superbly: a stakeout to see what’s what, a series of choices to pick your preferred option, a handful of preparatory missions to gather the necessary supplies and, finally, the heist itself.
Simply put, it’s superb. The successful heist feels special, thanks in part to the decisions you make. When I played it I lost a gunman and I could’ve lost his stash had I not returned to collect it.
It felt like that was an impact of my decision – I opted for a quiet in-and-out approach, so didn’t want to throw a large chunk of my earnings to a gunman who, in theory, shouldn’t have been needed.
When he died, it felt like it was my fault.
But this first heist was, sadly, not as well replicated in further missions. Again we won’t spoil it because those missions – however limited – are just as entertaining.
On more than one occasion these heist missions failed to even provide an alternative method, and while it’s fine to accept a more linear mission – it’s no different to the majority of GTA 5’s missions, after all – the potential didn’t always match the opportunities initially on show.
Some of my favourite parts of the game were when I was looking for a getaway car. It could’ve been any four-door with working wheels, but somehow I felt compelled to find something ‘discrete’, something that could blend in.
It wouldn’t matter, I knew it wouldn’t; the cops didn’t care if I drove a non-descript family car sprayed black or a bright pink limo with a horn that sang Spanish Flea.
But to me, if I was going to do it I’d do it properly. Replace the engine, add some armour and tint the windows dark black. I’d park it in a spot that was easy to access and escape from, as if it really mattered.
This is how involving the heist missions could have been. But they’re not, sadly.
Looking at it mechanically, after finishing the game, it’s clear GTA 5’s heist missions were little more than a set of binary choices. At least those that allowed choices.
Referring back to the gunman – each one has a series of stats, from weapon choice, accuracy and health. But that didn’t really matter. Sure, when caught in a firefight you’ll need a guy who can take a bit of damage, but it seemed this choice was far simpler than that.
The most important stat, then, was the demand of pay. It was here that the henchman’s survivability was rated. At 7% they’d likely die at the specified moment during the heist, but at 12% or above they’d also guarantee their life.
Outside of that, the freedom to stakeout a location and come up with a plan was far more limited than it needed to be. There was only ever two options, a stealthier, concealed method – usually in disguise – or a more brazen all-out assault.
That would be fine, but all it means is that these are little more than picking one of two missions. It’s not as dynamic as it first seems, and that’s a wasted opportunity.
The potential of that first heist mission is never truly realised and though it doesn’t stop the missions themselves from being brilliant, it does mean the initial tease leaves you wanting more.
Thankfully there is room to see this potential come to fruition – not in the single-player but, instead, in GTA Online.
A large focus of the multiplayer mode is the ability to take part in heists. Here, outside of the AI scripting of story mode, Rockstar will be forced into being a little more dynamic.
Rockstar even suggested that the reason for the delay to GTA Online’s release – which is 1 October 2013 by the way – was to give players the chance to familiarise themselves with the mechanics of GTA 5 before heading online.
If true, this could mean the single-player’s heist missions are little more than tutorials, examples of some of the ways you’ll be able to assault banks or stores online with your friends.
The potential for heists lies with GTA Online, then, where Rockstar plans to continually update the game with new content and, perhaps, new, more dynamic heists.
Because it’s impossible to plan every inch of a heist perfectly when you’re playing alongside other players who could, in theory, be out to claim the money all for themselves.
We’ve seen the promise that heist missions could bring to the GTA franchise, let’s hope that GTA Online will give us that since the single-player doesn’t quite manage it.
