Grand Theft Auto Online started off rough, but Rockstar Games has turned it into one of the most popular living games through constant updates and quality of life improvements. One of the more recent updates, the Cayo Perico heist, proves one of the more unique additions for several reasons.
It made some big promises before release, and fortunately delivered in most areas. It is not perfect, however, and definitely could have been improved in several ways. Ultimately, it is a step in the right direction and we hope future content updates take what was great and run with it.
10 Loved: Can Be Done Solo
Most heists require several players in order to pull off. Cayo Perico throws lone wolves a bone by allowing players to tackle it alone. Admittedly, it is better with a friend, but the ability to go it solo feels like the closest GTA 5 will ever get to honest to goodness single-player DLC. It seems like future content for GTA Online will also have content for those going it alone.
9 Didn’t Love: Stealth
Stealth is incredibly difficult to do in games that are not specifically designed around it. GTA 5 handles it better than most, but given the choice we would rather go in guns blazing.
The first part of the heist involves sneaking around the new island for intel. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to use guns or attack guards, which makes this part a boring slog. At least let players shoot the guards with silenced weapons. Thankfully, the actual heist can be done in an action-packed way.
8 Loved: New Area
Fans have been blissfully playing in the Los Santos playground built in 2013. The Cayo Perico heist actually has a new landmass for players to explore. The island is different from anything else you can find in Los Santos, making the heist worth doing just for the opportunity to jaunt around the new area. Comparing it to chapter 5 of Red Dead Redemption 2 really highlights the graphical differences between the two games, however, and makes us wish the game would get a visual facelift.
7 Didn’t Love: Expensive Buy In
In order to do the heist, you need to buy a submarine. Obviously, such a vehicle is expensive, and those who regularly live the high life in GTA Online might not have enough money to purchase the vehicle at first. It is over 2 million just for the base submarine, and can easily go to over twice that if you want some upgrades. Having a helicopter at the ready is recommended, since it will make the prep missions more convenient.
6 Loved: Cameos
Seeing the work put into the cinematics and voice overs is encouraging for those into the experience for the narrative. Before departing for the island for the first time, the player is greeted by Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine, and DJ Pooh. They are supposed to fly to the island with you, but the three ultimately have to back out at the last minute. Seeing their cameos had our jaws on the floor.
5 Didn’t Love: The Humor
Even though the team put a lot of effort into the heist’s story, the writing and humor falls pretty flat. It is cool to see new characters like Martin Madrazo’s son, Miguel, and Pavel, the submarine captain, but their dialog is often forgettable. Pavel is supposed to be the comedic relief, but his jokes are yawn-inducing. It becomes more apparent when you compare it to the high quality of the single-player campaign’s writing, which expertly combines humor with serious messages.
4 Loved: The Variables
Like the other heists, prep missions are required before pulling off the big job. Along with the required objectives, there are some optional ones that significantly affect the enemies, including giving them weaker guns or weaker backup once they are alerted to your presence. Giving you such power over the way something plays out in a game always feels great. You can also fail these optional missions, raising the stakes.
3 Didn’t Love: The New Island Is Pretty Sparse
While having a completely new landmass is enticing, the finished result leaves much to be desired. We appreciate how it looks different than what is in Los Santos, but you are never really able to freely explore it. Even if you could, there is not a lot to see other than some outposts. The dream is to have a new landmass for players to explore and do activities in together. Until a future update actually does that, we’ll have to keep dreaming.
2 Loved: Submarine
While we complain about the price of the submarine, we cannot get over the fact that we now have a giant submarine at our command. The interior is big and fully explorable, and you can drive it around the seas of Los Santos.
Adding such giant vehicles to an already seven year old game is impressive. The vehicle is flashy and unbalanced like those pesky Oppressor MK II. jet bikes.
1 Didn’t Love: It’s Short
As good as the heist is, all the content adds up to only about four to five hours of gameplay. It is difficult to complain when it is all free, but we were hoping for something a little longer, considering it adds new environments. The time spent on the map is guided and few side actives are present, so do not expect to spend a dozen hours finding new things. All in all, however, the experience is commendable for being so unique.
