I picked up Grand Theft Auto V when it was released. It was generally very enjoyable. The amount of polish and detail was astounding, and the world felt like a great stylized summary of Southern California. Unfortunately, I simply stopped playing it.

I suppose this happens to me much more than I’d like. GTA5 features three different playable characters, and I didn’t even unlock the third before I stopped. I did, however, get Chop, the dog. I love Chop.

One of the great things about the game is just how over-the-top it seems. The series has always been a bit over-the-top, but it seemed to take a step back from that recently. Do you remember using an explosive RC car to blow up a car in the original Grand Theft Auto? I believe the person giving you the mission said something about “that’ll teach Mom to something something.” I forget what exactly, but that wasn’t organized crime. That was comedy. Plowing through the glass walls of a building or pulling a building off of a hill is pretty similar. It’s just so silly that it’s great.

Despite being pretty entertaining, it just didn’t hold my attention enough. GTA4 was similar for me, and I did eventually go back to finish it and all the DLC. We’ll see if I return to GTA5.