Grand Theft Auto V launches Premium Online Edition
Eh!
A new edition of Grand Theft Auto V launched today, though it's not much to get excited about. The £68 Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition contains Rockstar's open-world murder simulator plus a bundle of not-very-exciting vehicles, properties, weapons, cash, and clothes for the multiplayer side, GTA Online. It's not really worth it.
That bundle is the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack, which Rockstar launched in December 2017. It contains instant unlocks for all the properties needed to start the major crimeboss activities, clothes, tattoos, weapons, a range of vehicles, plus a million dollars in GTA virtuacash.
All of the contents are functional but not good or even that interesting. They're at the cheap and bland end of the spectrum of options in each of their classes - the cheapest biker clubhouse, the most remote corporate bunker, some unremarkable cars, boring clothes, and so on.
Sure, it's billed as a 'Starter Pack' and it does let you skip a fair bit of the unlock grind but if I'm paying an extra £28 of real money I'd hope for cooler things.
GTA Online was mighty boring when it first launched but I've come to really enjoy it after years of updates. With pals or some friendly randos, doing crimes and pootling about can be a right lark, and I had some lovely times just cycling around listening to podcasts and seeing what other people were up to. If the cheaters don't ruin it. Or the griefers. And if you don't end up having your account wiped and temporarily banned for reasons that Rockstar don't explain but you suspect might be connected to exploring diorama mods though you thought that was safe so oh god I'm just so annoyed about losing all that progress I will never play ever again. TOO BAD.
The Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition bundle is on Steam for £67.98/€89.23/$84.98. That's 15% cheaper than buying the game and Starter Pack separately.
Disclosure: Like half the population of Edinburgh, I know some folks who work at Rockstar.