Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Crime, violence, sex, drugs, and alcohol = not for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Grand Theft Auto V (2022)
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 808 parent reviews
Parents say that while the game has a reputation for being inappropriate due to its mature themes, many believe that the online mode is suitable for children aged 10 and up when monitored, as it lacks the intense violence and adult content found in the story mode. However, there are significant concerns regarding the portrayal of violence, crime, and the treatment of women, leading parents to recommend strict supervision and open discussions about its content for younger players.
- online suitability
- parental supervision
- mature content concerns
- story mode warnings
- age recommendations
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 1,470 kid reviews
What's It About?
Originally launched in 2013, Rockstar Games' decidedly adult-oriented GRAND THEFT AUTO V has been remastered for newer consoles, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The story mode puts players in the shoes of a trio of criminals in Los Santos, a fictionalized version of Los Angeles. One protagonist is middle-aged and begins the game as a recently retired criminal; another is unpredictable, cruel, and dependent on drugs; and the third is a young man just beginning his life of crime. Players have the ability to switch freely among these men as they work through a dramatic criminal saga set in an open world that sees them carrying out heists, stealing cars, taking revenge on rivals, and killing anyone who gets in their way, including police officers and innocent civilians. The popular multiplayer mode GTA Online, meanwhile, allows players to create a unique avatar before setting out on a freeform criminal career with activities ranging from bank robberies and car theft to assassinations and shooting down airplanes, in addition to more traditional adversarial multiplayer modes such as deathmatch and capture the flag. The 2022 remastered edition sports enhanced graphics -- including support for HDR, ray tracing, 4K resolution, and 60 frames-per-second refresh speeds -- as well as a Career Builder mode for GTA Online that lets first-time players begin with millions of dollars to help them buy properties and gear so that they can catch up to longtime GTA players who have the ability to transfer over their characters from older platforms.
Is It Any Good?
This isn't a game for kids. Beyond its glamorized depiction of crime, greed, and violence, Grand Theft Auto V is filled with mature satire both obvious and nuanced -- some of which hasn't aged very well -- that younger audiences are bound to take at face value. That said, it's also an expertly designed game that remains surprisingly playable and engaging. It gives players a vibrant and authentic world bursting with activities and things to discover, tight controls that seamlessly transition between various actions, and a cleverly designed story that puts the player in the shoes of three separate characters, pushing each narrative forward at its own pace. Newly added features in remastered versions of the game -- ranging from vastly improved loading times and enhanced audio to subtle new haptic feedback and contextual trigger sensitivity when using the PlayStation 5 controller -- have helped this game remain relevant and widely played much longer than most.
GTA Online is bound to be where most folks spend the bulk of their time, though. Newer editions allow players to skip the opening part of the story mode altogether -- which was required in earlier editions in order to teach people how to play -- and jump straight into Rockstar's multiplayer universe, where almost nothing's scripted and pretty much anything goes. What's more, the new Career Builder gives players $4 million up front and lets them set themselves up as a gun runner, the operator of a shady nightclub, a corrupt CEO, or a bike gang leader. GTA Online provides endless opportunity for players to indulge dark criminal fantasies while testing their mettle against other players. Just keep in mind, though, that just about everything here -- online and off -- is geared for adult audiences. And even then it won't be to all tastes. Grand Theft Auto V is well made and entertaining, but unequivocally inappropriate for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. Do you think violent games like Grand Theft Auto V have a different or more significant impact on behavior than violent movies, books, or music?
Villains make for popular protagonists across all media but might be viewed differently in games, since players actually perform their dirty deeds rather than simply observe them. So can an anti-hero ever be a good role model?
Does it do more harm than good to create a cast of diverse characters but then present the majority of them as common stereotypes, dimwitted, or malicious?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Xbox 360 , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 3 , Windows
- Pricing structure : Paid ($59.99)
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Rockstar Games
- Release date : March 15, 2022
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks ) , Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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