Yeah, this is everything that's fun about GTA without any of the downtime, plus an absurd sense of humor that thankfully permeates the entire game, including the main story, and the game also has a far, far better sense of progression between taking over the city and the fact that you can upgrade practically every fucking usable element in one way or another. I'm honestly amazed, and this has completely changed my opinion of this franchise. I used to think it looked like a stupid knockoff for thugs... but this game is a masterpiece.