'GTA 5': 'Grand Theft Auto 5' Review Roundup Including IGN, Kotaku, Polygon, More

Though "Grand Theft Auto 5" won't be officially released until Sept. 17, full reviews of the game are already coming in en masse. So, what are the critics saying about the highly-anticipated "GTA 5" release? Let's take a look.

Greg Tito of The Escapist gave "GTA 5" 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, saying that the game is a "technical achievement" but that "GTAV's driving and shooting gameplay in an excellently crafted open world is marred by a script that presents despicable characters as the protagonists." Tito goes on to say that you should only buy "GTA 5" if you're fine with playing as characters that do "awful things to people" with "no justifiable motivation." Note that this "GTA 5" review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game.

Chris Plante of Polygon gave "GTA 5" a 9.5, saying that "GTA 5" is the "closure of this generation" of consoles and "the benchmark for the next." Plante also says that while "Rockstar has expanded and improved upon so much of what's special about video game as mainstream spectacles," he also notes that "the developer's progress makes the aspects of the game left in cultural stasis -- the poorly drawn women, the empty cynicism, the unnecessarily excessive cruelty -- especially agitating." This review was also based on the Xbox 360 version of "GTA 5."

Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer.net gave the PS3 version of "GTA 5" a score of 9/10, praising the game's vibrant open world. Bramwell said that "there's so much excellent stuff to do" that "you'll easily overlook the inconsistencies in storytelling, if that stuff even bothers you in the first place."

Andy Kelly of CVG gave "GTA 5" a score of 10, saying that the game is a "vast, varied world filled with things to do." Regarding the game's script, Kelly says that it's "funny" and "well-acted" while noting that the game's character-switching feature "works brilliantly." Kelly concludes his review of "GTA 5" by calling it "really, really fun."

Keza Macdonald of IGN reviewed both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of "GTA 5," granting the game a score of 10 while calling it a "masterpiece." Macdonald also said that "Grand Theft Auto V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also an intelligent and sharp-tounged satire of contemporary America."

Xav de Matos of Joystiq gave the Xbox 360 version of "GTA 5" 4 1/2 stars out of 5, calling it "an ambitious game" that attempts to "meld three very different characters together to tell one encompassing story of survival." While Matos notes that the "story stumbles," he also says that "the open-ended gameplay remains a showpiece for the vast amount of content that can be poured into a virtual world."

Jon Hicks of The Official Xbox Magazine gives the Xbox 360 version of "GTA 5" a score of 10, describing the game as "something that could hold up the next console generation all by itself, even without the considerably potential of GTA Online." Hicks goes on to say that "Rockstar's Xbox 360 swansong is probably the console's greatest technical achievement, and as such it's unmissable."

Joel Gregory of Official PlayStation Magazine gave the PS3 version of "GTA 5" a score of 10 as well as a Gold Award. Gregory says that while "Grand Theft Auto 5" releases to perhaps the highest expectations of any game in history," "it, somehow, manages to surpass them all." Gregory goes on to say that while "GTA 5" doesn't have the storytelling chops of something from the Bioshock stable, the emotional resonance of The Last Of Us, or the artistry of Red Dead Redemption's ending," "GTA 5" is "everything you've ever wanted a GTA game to be, and a whole lot more."

Carolyn Petit of GameSpot UK gave "GTA 5" a score if 9.0 as well as an Editor's Choice award, saying that though the game is "an outrageous, exhilarating, sometimes troubling crime epic that pushes open-world game design forward in amazing ways," the game also suffers from being "politically muddled and profoundly misogynistic." Petit also cites inconsistent character behavior as a "GTA 5" flaw.

Jim Sterling of Destructoid gave "GTA 5" a score of 9 out of 10, calling it "superb" and a "hallmark of excellence." Sterling notes that while "GTA 5" may have flaws, he also says that "they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title."

Matt Bertz of Game Informer gave "GTA 5" a score of 9.75, saying that the game has a high level of replayability. Bertz also says that Rockstar Games pushed "the boundaries of its flagship franchise yet again with improved controls" and "great mission variety."

When it comes to the question of "Should You Play This Game?, "Stephen Totilo of Kotaku gives "GTA 5" a resounding "YES." Titolo goes on to say that "GTA 5" has "the gameplay polish and variation in scripted and unplanned events befitting the series' grand reputation." However, Totilo cautions that the "GTA 5" character switching feature "may work well mechanically but fails to live up to its storytelling potential."

What do you think of these "GTA 5" reviews? What do you think of the game overall? Are you looking forward to playing "GTA 5?" Why or why not? Sound off in the comments below.