I think GTA5 is just trying to move away from the way Saints Row is. People complained about GTA4, saying Saints Row is more fun, GTA4 is too realistic. Now with GTA5, people are saying the exact same thing, like all of a sudden you'll be wearing cat costumes and beating each other with marital aids.
GTA isn't like other open world games, it's a genre all it's own, and people tend to like it. If causing carnage results in being chased by police, then so be it. In GTA5 evading the police has improved a lot, it's possible to flee and find a hiding spot, under a bridge, something like that - it feels a lot more sensible compared to GTA4, usually a minor infraction is just a case of getting away from the scene and not being too obvious. Half the fun is in being chased by the cops, if they spot you in a stolen car (a car they already chased you in), they will come after you again. The police cars are much more pro-active, they don't just try to ram you too late, they seem to be a lot more efficient now.
The heist style missions are a great idea, it does smell a little bit of Payday2, but that's no bad thing really. The stranger missions and other side missions are decent, but there is a bit of grinding to be done. I liked Trevor's rampage missions, but the races are incredibly easy, the last triathlon is 30 minutes of button tapping, really tedious.
As a whole though, it's an amazing game IMO, no amount of exaggerated YouTube comments or negativity can change that. It's head and shoulders above the other big titles in the last year. Heck, I barely even remember any of Halo4, I don't even play Payday2 these days, Farcry3 lasted me about 3 days - it's been a decent year for games, but GTA5 is the cherry on top without a doubt.
I am the one who knocks...
