Grand Theft Auto V, also known as GTA 5 or GTA V, was announced on October 25th 2011. The first trailer was released on November 2, 2011. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games’ parent company, shares jumped seven percent following the revelation that Grand Theft Auto V is in development. On January 7, 2012 Rockstar North has most recently begun accepting applications for Game Testers in Grand Theft Auto V. On October 30th 2012, Rockstar announced that Grand Theft Auto V is due for a release in Spring 2013 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, although no PC release was announced. Pre-ordering was announced to commence on November 5th 2012.

Here is the trailer video

video

On November 3rd 2011, Rockstar Games confirmed that the game will take place in Los Santos and the surrounding countryside – and will not feature a recreated rendition of an entire State of San Andreas – in a statement on their Newswire:

“We are very proud to officially announce that Grand Theft Auto V is in full development.”

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.

“A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California.”

Los Santos is a fictional city located in the southwest part of United States in the state of San Andreas in the Grand Theft Auto series and is its 2nd appearence. The city will be the main setting of Grand Theft Auto V. Los Santos is based on Los Angeles, California. Los Santos is spanish for “The Saints”, a play on “The Angels”.

The city was first revealed in the debut trailer of GTA V.

As seen in the trailer, it seems that protagonist may be a middle-aged Caucasian American. However, it must be stressed that it is not confirmed that this middle-aged Caucasian American is the protagonist, as he could be a story character who happens to be narrating the trailer.

According to the trailer, Grand Theft Auto V will have a variety of vehicles, including airplanes, helicopters, convertible cars, utility vehicles, emergency service cars, motorcycles, and jet skis. It has been confirmed that players will be able to fly planes, this was not possible in GTA IV because of the size of the map but will be in GTA V because the map is bigger.

• GTA V “evolves nearly every mechanic, features the biggest world in series history, and introduces a new technology that radically changes the way players control the game.”
• The game’s three main characters are called Michael, Trevor and Franklin
• Michael is retired, early 40s, a highly successful former bank robber. He retired in luxury after making a deal with the FIB. He’s in the witness protection program, he hates his wife who spends his money and hates him too. He doesn’t understand his two teenage kids Tracy and Jimmy, and is forced back into the game as his money is about to run out.
• Trevor is a career criminal, early 40s, drug user governed by his desires, prone to violent outbursts and destructive rampages, loose cannon, former military pilot, used to work a bank job with Michael back in the day, always up for a heist.
• Franklin, repo man, mid 20s, a young and ambitious hustler, works for an Armenian luxury car dealership that sells cars to those who can’t afford them, and when they can’t pay up he plays repo man. He stumbles into Michael while looking for a hustle.
• A quick menu can be called up to switch characters, the camera pulls away into a Google Earth-style vantage point and then drops into wherever the chosen character is.
• Trevor is described as having a “maniacal personality”
• Trevor is in Blaine County, a barren, rundown desert region filled with bikers, meth heads, and other people from the fringes of society.
• Characters can “flick off” people and people react differently depending on the area. In a rough-and-tumble neighborhood the reaction will be different from someone in a posh boutique store.
• Rockstar’s play tester pours a trail of gas away from a vehicle and drops a zippo lighter on it, the flame travels back and causes a huge explosion.
• Franklin is seen on Vespucci Beach looking for a car he’s to repossess.
• Waterfront activities include a muscle beach gym.
• Ammu-Nation is back.
• Each character has his own personality motivation and skillset.
• The three characters go about their daily business when you’re not in control, so you might find them in surprising situations when you take control of them again.
• Each character has a fleshed out story arc.
• Complicated, multitier heist missions inspired by GTA IV’s Three Leaf Clover are “peppered” into the game. Heists are a big theme.
• Rockstar is addressing mission diversity in pairing characters. It showed off a mission involving all three characters. The trio need to perform a snatch-and-grab to get the FIB off their backs. Trevor berates the security agent guarding a chopper, Michael urges him to calm down but he keeps running his mouth. He only agreed to do the mission in exchange for help springing his friend Brad out of jail. Franklin isn’t to comfortable with Trevor.
• The three change outfits and rappelled down the side of a skyscraper. When they arrive players take control of Michael rappelling down, the mechanic is reminiscent of Rainbow Six Vegas.
• The musical score seems to react to the action.
• They extract the target by holding him hostage with one arm while pointing a gun at interrogators with the other; at that point an icon appears giving the player the option to switch character.
• You can stay as Michael and try and pick off the enemies or select franklin, switch to his perspective and snipe them from afar. Transition is smooth and camera angle helps you adjust
• During the chase through Los Santos the player can switch to Trevor to pilot the getaway, snipe the other pilots as Franklin, or fire an assault rifle out the back of a chopper as Michael.
• Rockstar is leveraging cinematic tricks learned from Max Payne 3.
• Rockstar thinks GTA V is its strongest plotted game yet.
• Most of the gameplay mechanics have been built from the ground up.
• Cars “hold better to the ground”.Rockstar thought they were a bit “boat like” in GTA 4. It “feels more like a racing game”.
• Shooting has evolved “a long way” in terms of feel and mechanics.
• Melee is better; “it’s never going to be as big a deal as shooting” but Rockstar “wants to make it feel really fun and strong.”
• Sam Houser and lead artist Aaron Garbut were both really interested in doing a proper LA, which R* felt it didn’t do with San Andreas.
• The world is described as “the largest open-world playground in Rockstar history.”
• R* chose one large city over three small ones to create the best possible experience and realise its proper version of LA. The world is ‘bigger than RDR, San Andreas and GTA4 combined’.
• The ocean floor is fully detailed and can be explored
• Confirmed vehicles include BMX, mountain bikes, roa
  d bikes, dirt bikes, huge variety of cars and trucks, helicopters, planes, ATVs, Jet Skis, planes, helicopters.
• R* has big plans for side-activities, with sophisticated minigames in the vein of RDR’s poker planned.
• Each character will have unique hobbies only they can do.
• No RPG-style customization as the three characters have specific skills and traits.
• No weight loss and gain as they pose a technical challenge pertaining to scale of the character. It was easier in San Andreas because standard definition visuals were forgiving.
• Entertainment inside entertainment is back in GTAV, so expect more cartoons and other forms of in-game media.
• Outdoor activities mentioned include yoga, triathlons, Jet Skiing, base jumping, tennis, and a full golf game on a full golf course.
• Houser doesn’t think there will be romances as ‘it wouldn’t work’.
• Each protagonist has a set of friends to interact with.
• Lamar: Franklin’s friend, a good sort of crazy. He’s very funny.
• Jimmy: Michael’s friend, lazy pot smoking 20 year old, they have a confused father-son relationship.
• Ron: Trevor’s best friend, paranoiac conspiracy theorist living in a trailer.
• Amanda: Michael’s wife, he’s been awful to her, she’s a strong personality, bound to him but they can’t stand each other
• Familiar faces from GTAIV and Episodes from Liberty City may resurface, just not major ones like Niko or anyone from PS2 era. PS2 era characters are in their own universe, GTAV takes place in a ‘HD universe’, and they don’t co-exist.
• CJ and Tommy are more like mythical characters in the GTAV world
• R* is learning from criticisms about its economy system and will have a fun, vibrant system. No properties, but lots of other stuff.
• Mobile phone concept is back, but you won’t be getting calls all the time, it’s mainly used for activities.
• Random encounters with citizens are coming back in a big way.
• The dynamic mission system is similar to that of RDR, examples given include helping broken down motorists, figuring out the cause of a pile of dead bodies, being opportunistic and ripping off cash vans, or being a nice guy and catching muggers.
• Multiplayer reveal is coming later.
• There won’t be any “major” celebrity names cast as main protagonists.