Rockstar has finally revealed gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto V, a game it has been working tirelessly on since 2008. The trailer is just under five-minutes long and is jam-packed with information, enough to make you dizzy. To make it all easier to digest, we’ve decided to deliver its major points in a concise format. Here’s what you need to know.
Control multiple diverse characters
GTAV will be the first in the series to have more than one main character, and is making the leap to three . First and foremost, each of the three characters are very different in personality. In previous Grand Theft Auto games you had no choice but to try and like the single protagonist. In GTAV, it’s likely that you’ll find at least one of the three to fit your style. Since you can decide who to deploy in missions, you won’t have to worry too much about playing a character you don’t like.
In some missions you’ll have access to more than just one character. While it might sound confusing to see the world from three perspectives, the system comes with a lot of benefits. The most interesting one is being able to switch between control of them while in the middle of a mission or just just enjoying the game’s sandbox. Since each character has a special perk, such as the ability to slow down time, you’ll find yourself in situations that make multiple character use rewarding and effective. In the case of the trailer, one of the characters was shown rappelling down a skyscraper and busting through a window before the player took control of another character who was setup with a sniper rifle on a rooftop. The effects were devastating.
The world is massive and detailed
Rockstar made it a point to describe that GTAV‘s world will be huge, and the gameplay trailer proved how large it really is. Landscapes, suburbs, and massive skyscrapers in downtown Los Santos were shown. More importantly, the attention to detail is well-beyond games of past despite the game being run on current-generation hardware. Think of it as the jump from Grand Theft Auto III to Grand Theft Auto III: San Andreas where it becomes so big that you can drive for miles without seeing the same thing twice. Due to its large size quick travel is crucial, and GTAV offers multiple methods for going place to place. Besides switching between characters to psuedo-teleport, you can fly planes, base jump, and drive incredibly fast cars. Los Santos will be a world that you get lost in and there will always be something new to see.
You’ll never run out of things to do
If you enjoyed GTA III: San Andreas‘ long list of activities to enjoy, you’ll be happy to hear GTAV has a ridiculously long list of its own. Cutting right to the point, you can golf, dirt bike, skydive, scuba dive, hunt, play tennis, invest, customize cars, buy clothing, and more. Activities such as golfing and tennis have fully-implemented mini-games. Meanwhile, hunting takes hints from Red Dead Redemption. All the little things scattered around the game’s humongous virtual world mean that you’ll have months of content to discover.
Cover and gunplay mechanics have been polished
When GTAIV came out its cover system was a huge step forward for open-world games—although it aged very quickly. GTAV takes the same leap for the series. Its cover system has been refined to make popping in and out of cover a non-hassle. Its shooting mechanics feel much more organic and make long gunfights enjoyable. The inclusion of over two dozen weapons and weapon customization will give it some extra variables beyond the more simple design of past GTAs. Needless to say, battling your way through waves of enemies will be a lot more fun than in previous games.
Online looks great
To end the trailer Rockstar showed a tease of what GTAV‘s online component will be like. It included a dozen players all exploring the open-world space with jets, helicopters, and supercars. The game’s massive world and refined mechanics will ensure that there’s even more play value once you’ve experienced everything the singleplayer has to offer.
Actually… the whole game looks great
The GTA series is a big deal, and Rockstar knows that as long as it makes a great game it can sell millions of copies. As such, GTAV has had five solid years invested into it, and just a small portion of that was shared in the latest trailer. It’s not easy to make a good impression for an open-world game in under five minutes, but it accomplished its task and then some. This is a huge game you’ll want to keep your eyes on, and this September 17th you can play it for yourself.
