Unpacking the Immense Open World of GTA 5: Just How Big is Los Santos?
As an avid fan of the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto series, I love exploring every inch of their vast open worlds. And with its sprawling depiction of fictional Los Santos and surrounding countryside, GTA 5 has the most ambitious map a GTA game has dared to create. But just how enormous is this slice of virtual California? What does it look like compared to the real City of Angels? Let‘s analyze the actual scale of GTA 5‘s setting to appreciate the scope Rockstar Games achieved.
Breaking Down GTA 5‘s Map Area
- In total, GTA 5‘s explorable world spans 75.84 square kilometers. This includes:
- 48.15 sq km of urban and rural landmass
- 27.69 sq km of ocean and lakes
- To put that in perspective, that‘s over 49 square miles of mountains, beaches, highways, parks, neighborhoods, and attractions to discover.
So already from a pure size standpoint, GTA 5 offers the most sprawling stretch of digital real estate the series has constructed to date.
GTA 5‘s Map is 3X Larger Than GTA 4‘s Liberty City
To appreciate how monumental GTA 5‘s world is, let‘s compare it to 2008‘s Grand Theft Auto 4:
| Game | Map Size | Land Area | Water Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA 5 | 75.84 sq km | 48.15 sq km | 27.69 sq km |
| GTA 4 | 17 sq km | 13.5 sq km | 3.5 sq km |
- GTA 5‘s total map area is over 3 times larger than GTA 4
- Its landmass is 3.5x bigger and water coverage over 7x as expansive
This table illustrates why Los Santos feels so much more sprawling and filled with diversions. With 49 square miles to cover, Rockstar could pack GTA 5 with exponentially more sights and activities compared to Liberty City.
How Los Santos Stacks Up to Real-World Los Angeles
GTA 5‘s Los Santos tries to digitally recreate the sprawl of Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area. So how do their respective land areas compare?
[[Image showing overlay of Los Santos map compared to Los Angeles map]]- Los Angeles spans 502.7 square miles
- Los Santos totals about 29 square miles
So while the urban design of Los Santos mimics LA, it fits a scaled-down interpretation onto its islands. The major neighborhoods still feel spiritually similar, but condensed.
Comparing Key Locations: Los Santos VS Real-World Counterparts
Drawing direct comparisons between spots like downtown Los Santos and downtown LA better demonstrates the squeeze:
- Downtown Los Santos = 1.25 sq km
- Downtown Los Angeles = 44.97 sq km
That‘s over 35x larger! So most locales in GTA 5, while feeling familiar, are shrunk down versions of their inspirations necessary to fit everything together.
How GTA 5‘s Map Stacks Up to Other Iconic Game Worlds
To further appreciate the scale Rockstar constructed, let‘s see how GTA 5‘s square mileage fits into other cherished open worlds:
[[Image showing map sizes of various games like Witcher 3, Minecraft, Fortnite, Spider-Man PS4]]- The Witcher 3: 136 sq km
- Minecraft: 4.63 billion sq km
- Fortnite: 14.64 sq km
- Spider-Man PS4: 25 sq km
This puts the diversity and detail of GTA 5‘s Los Santos into clearer perspective compared to other impressive gaming achievement. It fits a stunning amount of world building into its digital square footage.
The Wrap Up: GTA 5‘s Map Sets a New Open-World Benchmark
After breaking down the numbers, it‘s clear why GTA 5‘s sprawling depiction of the state of San Andreas remains an unparalleled technical achievement in open-world design.
- Its 75+ square kilometers offers exponentially more exploration potential compared to earlier series entries
- While condensed from the real Los Angeles, the illusion holds up with diverse neighborhoods
- Few gaming maps in history offer this much detail at a comparable scale
Nine years since launch, GTA 5‘s expansive map continues justifying return visits. And with rumors heating up around what Grand Theft Auto 6‘s setting may offer, comparing its size to GTA 5‘s benchmark will be highly anticipated.
I‘m eager to see Rockstar‘s next leap pushing boundaries even further! But I‘ll happily keep roaming Los Santos in the meantime.
Let me know your thoughts on GTA 5‘s map scale or your hopes for GTA 6‘s world building in the comments!
