Despite releasing almost nine years ago, Grand Theft Auto Online is still one of the most popular multiplayer experiences on the planet. An extremely unique premise managed to capture the attention of millions all those years ago, and a steady stream of content over the years has managed to keep much of that original player-base invested along with bringing in a healthy amount of new players. But despite its longevity and unprecedented popularity, there's still a handful of gamers out there who haven't given GTA Online a try yet.
Well, now is the perfect time to dive into GTA Online for the first time. Released on March 15, GTA 5, and the now standalone GTA Online, are available on next-gen consoles. For those that haven't given GTA Online a go yet, now is the ideal time, especially as PlayStation Plus subscribers can redeem the online mode for free until June. While much of GTA Online's appeal is the freedom it gives players, there are a few things that players should do first to ensure they have the best possible experience.
Complete The Tutorial
As good of a place to start as any, new GTA Online players will be prompted to participate in a tutorial. Though seasoned gamers may be a little hesitant, this tutorial is pretty necessary, teaching the player about the various job systems in the game, along with teaching vital driving and shooting mechanics.
At the end of the tutorial, the player should have a pretty good idea of how GTA Online works and how to make money in the game. The player should also be rewarded with their first car and a bundle of cash to get them started.
Do A Crime, Save Money
After completing the brief tutorial, players will have full access to the entire GTA Online map, and from here, players can do whatever they'd like, in any order they'd like. That being said, there are a few things that new players should definitely do to ensure that they have a handle on GTA Online's money mechanics.
To start off, a new player should jump right into one of the game's many activities. Street races, robberies, any activity that earns the player a little bit of cash will do. Once finished, the player should make their way to the nearest ATM or Maze Bank to deposit their newly earned cash. Once cash has been deposited into the player's account, they won't lose that money upon death in GTA Online.
Buying Some Assets
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When a player has saved a decent chunk of cash, they should make their first purchase. For new players, a good first purchase is a garage. These properties can be found across Los Santos, and tend to have relatively low price tags, at least when compared to GTA Online's other investments.
Once a player has their own garage, they should buy their first vehicle in GTA Online. Once the thrill of seeing their owned car in their owned garage wears off, the player should then head to a Los Santos Customs and start to customize their vehicle. Along with changing the car's wheels, chassis, and paint job, the player should also buy vehicle insurance. This means that whenever the vehicle is destroyed, even by a player, the vehicle is returned in full working condition.
Start Exploring Los Santos
With their newly tricked-out ride, players are now completely free to explore everything Los Santos has to offer, and there's a lot to find. If the player fancies an aerial view of the city, then they'll need to head to the GTA Online airport, hop the fence, and steal one of the planes or helicopters found on the runway or in the hangars. For many new players, simply exploring Los Santos' sprawling map will probably take up the next few dozen hours of playtime.
Playing GTA Online's Story Missions
When the luster of GTA Online's open-world has started to wear off, players might want to turn their attention to GTA Online's story missions. Available immediately after the tutorial, these missions will start to pop-up via the in-game phone, with more unlocking as the player reaches higher ranks.
These missions don't offer too much cash or reputation points, but they do offer gameplay that's a little more structured than just simple free-roaming. There's about 70 missions in GTA Online so far, so there's plenty for new players to sink their teeth into if they prefer a more linear gameplay offering.
Buying a High-End Apartment
By its very nature, GTA Online doesn't really have an endgame. The general idea is that the player earns some money, buys the newest shiny thing, and starts the process all over again. That being said, there are certainly two different tiers of GTA Online player: those that have a high-end apartment, and those that don't.
They can be some of the most expensive properties in the game, but once a player has bought themselves a high-end apartment, they're given access to some of the best content in GTA Online: heists. From their penthouse, players will be able to plan out a series of heists, each one offering an intense series of missions along with a huge payout.
Leading a Full Life of Crime
With the money that comes with completing heists, players will then be able to expand their scope of operations, taking part in GTA Online's business mechanics to get a constant stream of passive income. This is where the GTA Online loop really reaches its full potential, as the more money the player makes, the more vehicle and weapons they can get. The more gamers expand their business, the more they can make.
This consistent loop of expansion never stops, with more expensive items, vehicles, and properties being added to the game even in 2022. It might take a while for new players to reach the position of CEO of their own company, but even when they do, they'll still have plenty left to do in GTA Online.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S.
