Editor: Brady Ruiters
The Grand Theft Auto (or commonly known as GTA) series has amassed a gigantic following over the years, ever since the first game was released in 1997. The first and second game sported a top-down view of the action, with players doing some crazy missions for different crime syndicates in order to gain favour with them. The release of GTA III however featured a 3D view, more developed story and more memorable characters. Following this, the games in the series just kept improving in terms of story and gameplay. Many celebrities have also taken to lending their voices to some of the many memorable characters that have been introduced over the years; James Woods, Burt Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are but a few.
After being delayed until September 2013, the month when Grand Theft Auto V will be released has finally arrived and everyone is anticipating the international launch date of the 17th. Developer, Rockstar Games, have been mostly tight-lipped when it comes to their latest addition to the series but have also revealed just enough to keep fans wanting more with each sliver of news or brand new trailer shown. It has been confirmed that the game will take place in Los Santos and will possibly feature the largest map in the series thus far.
The first trailer was met with an abundance of speculation about who the next protagonist would be. Little did everyone know that Rockstar planned to use three different main characters to convey the story; they are Michael, Franklin and Trevor. This revelation sparked another phase of speculation about how the game would play out when using the three characters as opposed to the usual one.
The official gameplay trailer answered fans’ questions after showing off a situation where a player would use all 3 characters to pull off a job. It’s a first for the series but it sure looks good. Each character also has their own special ability which requires a recharge after each use; these abilities can make mission completion a little easier. Jobs will require the player to plan how it will play out and who will be hired as assistance during a job.
Making a return after being last seen in GTA: San Andreas, are the skill metres; these fill up the more you perform a certain activity, such as using weapons or operating certain vehicles. Other metres include Stamina, Strength and Stealth. Also, when not on a mission players will be able to switch between characters whenever they please; they won’t just be standing in one place until you activate them but will instead continue with their daily lives. One of them might be cycling while another might be evading the police; it’s all rather dynamic.
The gameplay trailer and certain released screens also showed off some new activities that will be present in the game including scuba diving and hunting. A new vehicle in the form of a submarine has also made its way into the game, but whether it is for one mission or available throughout the game is unknown. Money made in the game can be used to purchase clothes, pay for tattoos and even buy and sell shares on the stock market.
Another feature that has been causing quite a fuss as of late is GTA Online, the online multiplayer portion of the game. Just like the single player portion of the game, the multiplayer will feature an open-world environment in which you can make friends or enemies. Jobs available online will reward the player with cash and reputation. Crews, which are essentially groups of players, have now also made it into the game. This allows players to run around and wreak havoc with their friends. A pretty cool feature that I like is the ability to buy an apartment and then invite your friends over; this can also be done with a garage, which can then be filled with vehicles for online races. GTA Online will feature a content creator for fans who may be feeling the need to make something their own; the creator can be used to create races or even deathmatch grounds. After the creation process, these can be shared online for friends and other players to try.
The ambient events in GTA Online have me intrigued. It also has me wondering if other crews can take part in ongoing events. For example; if a group is in the process of robbing a bank, would it be possible for another crew to interrupt the heist or possibly take out the initial crew? This is something that I’m curious about as I think that it would be an awesome yet funny thing to experience. GTA Online is set to go live on the 1st of October.
With all these features and so much more just waiting to be unleashed upon the world, the week-long wait for Grand Theft Auto V’s release seems so close yet oh so far.
Grand Theft Auto V is scheduled for an international release on the 17th of September for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. Not sure where to pick up a copy? Click here to check out the BT Games midnight launch store guide.
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