It was inevitable. Critically acclaimed titles released towards the end of a console’s life cycle are bound to get some sort of update when the next generation arrives. It’s not an unwelcome trend, of course, but these things are almost a given at this point. Grand Theft Auto V for next gen is finally here, and it’s just as wonderful as it ever was. There are a number of improvements, some expected, and some not so much.

When it first released last year on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Grand Theft Auto V looked wonderful, but it was also clearly the result of an overhauled (but still aging) proprietary engine and Rockstar’s increased mastery of the hardware itself. And while the game certainly is a looker on PlayStation 4, you won’t be able to shake off your excitement at whatever Rockstar has in mind for the future. Still, if you’ve been following this series throughout its lengthy lifespan, take a step back and remember how the poor draw distance in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was (all that fog!).

Grand Theft Auto V’s version of California is a vibrant, living place. Simply existing in this world is an intoxicating experience, and engaging in the multitude of activities contained therein multiplies the euphoria tenfold. It isn’t as environmentally diverse as it was in San Andreas; I still have fond memories of going all Dukes of Hazzard in the hills of San Fierro and parachuting into the excessive neon lights of Las Venturas. But the visual disparity between Los Santos and the region of the map where Trevor resides is so stunning that the place as a whole still feels plenty huge.

In terms of presentation, Rockstar’s true strengths lie in sound design; I don’t think I’ve played a single Rockstar game whose sound design wasn’t completely perfect in every conceivable way. For starters, there is so much chemistry between the three leads (particularly Michael and Trevor), that it may make you hope for a direct sequel in lieu of the connected but different stories we have come to expect from the franchise. Truthfully, all of the voice acting is superb; it sounds like the cast had a lot of fun bringing this depraved group of horrible people to life.

When you think of the best licensed soundtracks, you think of Grand Theft Auto. That’s just how it is. Rockstar is so good at this (and is obviously willing to spare absolutely no expense) that each game in the franchise is a sort of time capsule. That being said, musical tastes stretch as far back as the horizon: though Grand Theft Auto V takes place in the modern day, its soundtrack encompasses several genres through several periods of time. You can be cruising down the interstate to Elton John’s "Saturday Night’s All Right for Fighting" at one moment, only to switch gears and stroll around to Willie Nelson’s soothing rendition of "Whiskey River." One of the best "oh my God, did they really just do that?" moments in the entire game makes use of a memorable track from one of my favorite movies from the 1980s.

Let’s not forget to show some love to the original material, however: German electronica group Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist, and Oh No collaborate to deliver perhaps the best original soundtrack since Red Dead Redemption. Talk radio returns, as well – and embattled franchise veteran Lazlow returns with a considerably larger role.

Tonally, Grand Theft Auto V is a major shift from its most immediate predecessor, Grand Theft Auto IV. Its not the interactive Scorsese picture that IV was. Instead, we have a return to the self-deprecating insanity of Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto 2, and even San Andreas. That being said, it’s a more grounded game.

Welcome back to San Andreas. Picking up nine years after a North Yankton bank robbery gone horribly awry, we are introduced to our three main characters. Michael Townley is a washed up former criminal now living the high life in witness protection, albeit in the throes of a brutal mid-life crisis. His wife Amanda is unfaithful, his son Jimmy is a manipulative, dependent loser, and his daughter Tracey has aspirations that would make any father’s blood boil. Franklin Clinton is a former Families gang banger who currently works as a repo man in the employ of a race-baiting Armenian crook. His eye is always on business opportunities, but his best friend Lamar is all about the street life. And then we have Trevor Philips, the seeming sole survivor of the Ludendorff heist. A meth distributor with the moral compass of Chairman Mao, Trevor is as sociopathic as he is brilliant… and he’s plenty brilliant. Explosively violent and positively dripping with menace, Trevor is a frightening man who steals every scene he is in.

Grand Theft Auto V brings these three misanthropes together in a fun, well-crafted crime dramedy that has you jaunting across the expansive city of Los Santos and beyond. Mission design is universally outstanding, with a select few rising above to stand tall as some of the finest ever conceived in an open world game. These are the heists. It would appear that the folks at Rockstar have been watching movies like Heat, because these multi-layered missions are perfectly paced and exquisitely exciting. But it's more than just breaking in, stealing the goods, and getting out -- you are actively involved in the planning. You'll scope out your targets, plan your methods of infiltration and rules of engagement, and execute. Michael, Franklin, and Trevor can't pull these risky missions off on their own, so you may find yourself in need of a professional who can help smooth things out on on particular facet of a heist. Of course, that means some of the cut will go to them, so choose wisely.

As someone who has fond memories of just goofing off in Grand Theft Auto IV's Free Roam, I admit that the idea of GTA Online was kind of a tough sell. After all, it's like a completely different game in some respects. But after spending more than a little bit of time with it, I can safely say that you will only get out of it what you choose to put into it.

Taking your persistent character into an online world with up to 29 other players is daunting at first, but once you build up some cash flow and hone your skills, you might find yourself with digs or a garage to be proud of. The experience sometimes feels incredibly impersonal, however, as a lot of the time, everyone just wants to kill indiscriminately without really making any kind of headway. But make no mistake, it can definitely be fun, especially if you've got a dependable crew to roll with.

Grand Theft Auto V is one of the easiest games in Rockstar's impressive backlog. This may hold true especially if you're fresh off of Grand Theft Auto IV, which can be brutally difficult in key moments. The character abilities have a large part to do with this game's relative ease, but the game controls so well and is so responsive to your commands that it often feels like an extension of your will.

That being said, you may be put down every now and then if you choose to get crazy with it. Cover exists for a reason, and there's definitely such a thing as bad cover. Hang out behind a car as it soaks up bullets, and you might as well be taking cover behind a bomb. Enemies are generally smart and engage you with a reasonable amount of realism. They'll try to flank if you get complacent, and they generally try to stay out of the line of fire. But you'll always have the tools you need to survive each encounter.

If you’ve played one of Rockstar’s open world games in the last ten years (save perhaps L.A. Noire, you have a pretty good idea what to expect from Grand Theft Auto V in terms of mechanics. The running, the driving, the shooting, the taking cover: all of it works just as it always has. Ever since it was introduced in Bully, I’ve absolutely hated the mechanic requiring the player to mash a button in order to sprint – and I’m surprised that they haven’t ditched it at this point, but the gunplay and driving mechanics are solid.

Having three main characters is a pretty massive step for Rockstar to take, and there are repercussions reflected in the gameplay. However, these all feel wonderfully organic and instead of breaking the illusion, they reinforce it. Once the terrible triumvirate is formally introduced, you are given the ability to switch freely between the characters – anytime, anywhere. Between Trevor and Michael’s past history and Franklin’s youthful wariness, the three aren’t the best of friends and they most definitely do not do everything together. And you definitely get the sense that they’re out living their own lives even when you’re not in control of them. So when you switch from Michael’s laughably wretched home life to Franklin in the middle of pulling Lamar out of the fire for the hundredth time, and from there to Trevor waking up on top of a mountain in his underwear, you won’t question any of it. But you will laugh.

Michael, Franklin, and Trevor control identically, but each has their own aptitudes. For example, Trevor is an accomplished pilot, Franklin is an expert wheelman, and Michael has money (and therefore, power). These advantages have mostly passive effects on the gameplay, but when things get heated, they have special abilities that are far more active in nature. Michael is capable of going into bullet time, much like in Max Payne. Franklin‘s driving skills are so fine-tuned that he can slow down time and increase his maneuverability to a rather absurd degree. And Trevor… well, he flies into a psychotic rage that increases the damage he deals while reducing the damage he takes.

This new version of Grand Theft Auto V brings with it one of the most startling and unique additions yet: a first-person mode. It's the only perspective that has (until now) never been seen with regards to this franchise. We've seen it from top-down and behind-the-back, but if you've got the stomach for it, you can step into the shoes of whatever character you're playing. It feels different, to be sure, but it also feels shockingly organic; even if you've played the game to completion already, seeing it through the eyes of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor is a very different experience. And a very welcome one, at that.

Grand Theft Auto V isn’t Rockstar’s best work, but it is their most ambitious game to date. It’s an open world masterpiece of such staggering scope and depth that it reinforces the standard for what the genre should gravitate toward. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.