Ageing gamer

Yesterday I sat in cafe with a solemn constitution as the rain fell against the windows bitterly. My copy of the uncompleted GTA5 sat in my bag. My dark expression was directly relevant to my decision to return the least played GTA5 in my collection for in-store cash. This decision has never been weighed up in my head, in my whole 23 years of life.

I sat there and wondered why this was, GTA5 is possibly the best GTA in the history of rockstar. On paper the superiority of this game is ridiculously evident. Better graphics, gameplay, driving, action, car selection, custimisation etc. the list is rather endless. Even the characters are hilarious and deep and crazy. This is a build on my main problem with GTA4 and Red Dead is that the characters were regretful and remorseful for their actions. It didn't make sense that these characters would commit genocide on a load of civilians when the next minute they saying 'Cousin, you are getting me into trouble.'

Taking this into consideration I still enjoyed Red Dead and GTA4, even though the replay factor wasn't there I still completed them. GTA5 there is no drive there. I feel like I dove into a relationship, proposed to a girl after 1 week and then after a couple more days I realise I was just really horny.

It has literally got to the point in which I prefer GTA4 and Red Dead over this new game. That's when I came to the conclusion, after a conversation with a close friend of mine, that I am getting older. I still love games however. It took me two days to complete Bioshock:Infinite and another 2 weeks to get over the ending, it emotionally scarred me that bad. I've recently starting playing Skyrim again for another bout of dragon slaying (if this was a spoiler, commit suicide.) So that thirst to play games and invest my time into games is alive and well. Then came the second epiphany I am not getting older (mentally) I am getting older gamelly (its a word.) I am ageing, maturing in my gaming tastes.

Albeit there isn't exactly a lot to expand in terms of tastes with games. I think it started when I stopped playing football games because they are just the same every release. Except for new graphics and maybe every 5 titles there is change that, 'Totally revolutionizes the way you play' and all it is probably they change the shoot button for the pass button.  Then the Call of Duty copies started to become more evident, so many shoot 'em ups don't really expand the realms of how you play shoot 'em ups. They stick to the Call of Duty canon way of gaming, which isn't a bad thing but when the only really competition is Battlefield it makes you question the level of 'next-gen' we are at.

With the GTA5 I think its how when you walk into a gaming shop you trip over about 5 times on sandbox games. We are so used to sandbox games now that GTA doesn't really present anything new. With games like Dead Rising and Farcry they have several elements in the game, not to mention Just Cause, that sandbox becomes kind've secondary. What is GTA5 presenting that's new in terms of the whole sandbox genre?

For me GTA5 is not giving me anything that's revolutionary. Nothing that makes me excited about playing it or the future of games. I remember playing San Andreas and thinking 'Wow what will the next gen consoles do with the Grand Theft Auto series?' After GTA5 I am thinking I don't really care about what happens to the Grand Theft Auto series or even want to play another Grand Theft Auto for the next consoles.

This could be the case or I'm just becoming a cynical little bitch.

By the way I didn't trade in GTA5...yet.