GTA V

Special and Collector's Edition announced!

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:07:08 UTC

Rockstar have just updated the official GTA V website with specifics about the Special and Collector's Edition, along with a special Pre-Order bonus!

PRE-ORDER BONUS

Pre-ordering either of the editions, including the standard one, will grant you access to the fabled Blimp, which has been the subject of many a discussion, especially concerning whether or not it was actually driveable.

SPECIAL EDITION

The cheaper of the two extra content laden editions contains the following:

Collectible steelbook with exclusive artwork
Blueprint map
Stunt Plane Trials
Special Ability Boost
Bonus outfits, tattoos and more
Additional weapons

Click here for all the details!

COLLECTOR'S EDITION

This is the full package, containing everything a die hard GTA fan could want:

Collectible steelbook with exclusive artwork
Blueprint map
Grand Theft Auto V New Era 9FIFTY Snapback Cap
Grand Theft Auto V Security Deposit Bag with Logo Key
Stunt Plane Trials
Bonus outfits, tattoos and more
Custom characters for Grand Theft Auto Online
Special Ability Boost
Unique vehicles and garage property
Additional weapons

Click here for all the details!

Along with all this, the aforementioned Blueprint Map is depicted both in rolled-up form and as a partial cut out, leaving a good portion of the map visible. This prompted forum member gorgeprofondegta4 to reconstruct the map from the few snippets shown:

This really gives us a good look at a vast portion of the city, and parts of Blaine County. He also scaled it to the listed proportions of the map, showing that it's quite a bit larger than the visible areas, leaving lots of space for a few smaller towns, and much more countryside. Check out his post at the forums - splendid work!

The Hotknife returns!

New Vehicles and Weapons!

In addition to the Atomic Blimp, the return of the Stunt Plane was also confirmed, this time in the shape of an Extra EA-200, which is quite a popular model. Ordering the full Collector's Edition will also grant you a Hotknife, which looks bloody gorgeous, and the CarbonRS sports bike seen earlier in a screenshot on May 7th. Online, players will get access to a high-end electric car called the Khamelion.

Owning the Collector's Edition will further hook you up with three free exclusive weapons: The Bullpup Shotgun, Pistol .50 and a hammer. What else could you ever need?

Join in on the discussion at the forums!

CVG Preview Series and A Few Good Finds

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:19:53 UTC

With so much information to digest over the last month or so, a video round up is always handy and often a good reminder of tidbits of information you may have forgotten. The guys over at CVG have been doing exactly that with their weekly GTA 5 o'clock series, and have this week treated us to a lengthy discussion mixed with ample speculation about some key aspects revealed in the previews, including a well-rounded interpretation of just how the graphics might turn out.

It's important to note that these guys have actually seen the press demo, manned by Rockstar, so it's always interesting to hear their take on the up-close and personal details about the game and their impressions of what may be to come.

Though likely seen before and not an exclusive list, some interesting tidbits include:

Confirmed mini games include yoga, skydiving, scubadiving, golf, tennis, triathlons, bike racing, picking up hitchhikers, basejumping and ATM robberies
You won't drop/lose your gun your character is wielding if you run out of bullets
The money earned from heists will be millions of dollars
Shipwrecks won't only contain hidden money, but also useful items
Every vehicle is customisable; performance and aesthetics on the level of Midnight Club. Overtuning your car can make it useless and you can customise licence plates
Buying into property gives you perks, for example investing in a taxi firm will mean never having to spend money on a cab again
Infinitely the most ambitious game seen on current generation consoles
Certain purchases need other purchases to unlock; you need to buy a helipad before you can buy a helicopter, and the same can go for marinas

Something interesting also noted is that, after receiving a tip from a viewer, one of the images in the Los Santos photoviewers released in November last year as a pre-order perk is "exactly" if not identical to how the demo shown to the press started out, with Franklin skydiving over the mountains.

On the topic of fun finds, GTAForums member LackedMushroom0 has found this little gem all the way back from the very first trailer. You may have looked at this screen 100s of times, but he appears to be the first to have spotted Michael and Franklin together in the background of this security-guard-pushing-drunk-over scene outside the Tequi La La nightclub. Good eye!

GTAV.net Podcast Episode 2

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:26:11 UTC

There's nothing we enjoy more at GTANet than talking about GTA V, so it's a treat when long-time fans and GTAForums members meta187 and Pusher get together for a chinwag and let us hear their thoughts and reviews of any recent headlines regarding the upcoming game.

For the second episode of the series so far, fellow forumer Voodoo joins the guys for a brief recap of the latest news as well as some interesting fan insight and discussion about the GTA series and more.

Listen, watch and enjoy!

Related Links
• GTAForums topic - tell us your thoughts
• GTAV.net Podcast 001

New Deep Sea Screenshot

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:24:11 UTC

Rockstar have uploaded all outstanding screenshots to their gallery on the official GTA V website this evening, most of which were seen recently in the EDGE Magazine preview.

They have also uploaded this additional screenshot, showing presumably one of the main characters scuba diving next to a submarine and possibly an explorable shipwreck in the background. Thanks to GTAForums member sarvesh25 for alerting us to the update!

Find all the latest screenshots in our media gallery

New GTAV.net Podcast!

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:11:14 UTC

With the release of GTA V a mere four months away, we felt a need to take a moment out this weekend to launch GTANetwork's first official podcast #001 to comment on our thoughts and impressions in regards to all of the new information and how the GTAF Community is processing their thoughts over the revealed features and details as well as the three new protagonists trailers and the sort of feeling they left us with.

You've heard all the gaming publications and industry insiders comment on the 30 minute game demo Rockstar Games provided and allowed to be publicly shared on May, 2nd 2013, in the form of several resulting articles and screenshots.

Now listen to the genuine article, as GTA Forum veterans Meta and Pusher weigh in on the finer points of all this information with a unique audio presentation, with a fun visual element. Be sure to watch and chime in we're eager to hear your thoughts as well.

Edge Release New Screenshots & New Info

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:36:32 UTC

Yet another day, yet more screenshots. Edge have released their preview of GTA V which sees us greeted with three new screenshots for GTA fans to analyse. The three new screenshots showcase Trevor and Franklin eluding the authorities and Franklin stealing a car in Los Santos.

The preview also includes some new info which we've listed below.

"Time will sometimes pass when you switch, allowing Rockstar to subtly nudge the story forward"
The camera is "grainy" when pulling up into the Google Earth style view, during switches.
"They'll each stick, broadly speaking, to one area of the map". [When you're not controlling them.]
The descent when Franklin drops from the Helicopter, that opens the demo, took 3 minutes.
"We're in Red Dead country, then, with the soporific rhythm of hooves on dirt replaced by the whistle of wind through silk, and a new, dynamic score". [The hooves are probably referring to Red Dead, and not confirmation of horses.]
The hotel Michael is leaving during the demo is called Von Crastenburg (I couldn't remember if the name has been mentioned before, though the hotel part has, but I included it anyway).
The ambient score when Franklin descends has a soft-synth reminiscent of something out of the Drive OST.
The view of the land is flatter in the radar/mini-map, reminiscent of a GPS (whatever that means), and three colour meters for health, armour and Special are below it (mentioned before as green, blue and yellow respectively).
Michael looks like a tough guy, in his walk, but his sprint shows his age.
"80's Soul" heard from one car.
Handling is more forgiving, but not "dumbed down".
You'll only be able to switch characters, when a menu overlay appears in the bottom corner during missions. A lot of the switches in mission are made automatically. There are also text prompts suggesting character switches.
During the demo of the Blitz Party mission, Michael, Trevor and Franklin were donning the hockey mask, skull mask and monkey mask (respectively). [Whereas in Michael's trailer they were wearing gas masks; perhaps a development change, or an idea on the choice we have?]
The characters' turning circle is more like Max Payne's, and less like Niko's (so smoother movement).

We're still working on getting high-resolution versions on the images, but in the mean time, check out the standard resolution versions and share your thoughts over on GTAForums!

GameInformer Release New Screenshots

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:24:55 UTC

Thanks to Game Informer, we have another batch of screenshots to analyse. Twelve unseen images have emerged showing Michael, Trevor and Franklin in plenty of action; as well as some sweet new surroundings of Los Santos and the underwater environment.

Check out our gallery for a slideshow of all the screenshots released so far, and post your thoughts on GTAForums!

Vehicular round-up!

Sat, 04 May 2013 22:00:20 UTC

Since this is my first article here, how about a short introductory speech? I'm Azazel, your resident vehicular crackerjack. And now, onto the interesting stuff.

It's been a busy week! With all these new features announced and things revealed, there's a lot to keep track of, and a lot you could potentially miss out on. The aim of this little round-up is to give you an overview of all the new vehicles that have surfaced with this recent surge of trailers, previews and screenshots.

New vehicles added!

Below is a tally showing how many vehicles were added to their respecive categories. Clicking one of the images will take you to the category in question - new entires are at the bottom.

+16

All in all, an additional 27 vehicles have been added to the already extensive list available in GTAV. Furthermore, we got a better look at some cars already discovered - the 9F has a coupe version, and we got a better look at the Picador and the LSPD SUV, to name a few. All relevant thumbnails and screenshots have been updated.

You will notice that two of these new cars have already been named - the Surano and the Gauntlet respectively. Game Informer, observant as always, gave us the Benefactor Surano, and the Gauntlet name was deciphered by forum user sddales, from the hardly discernable writing on the car's rear quarter panel. Cracking job, I say.

GTA V has the largest selection of vehicles, from boats, cars, bikes, air vehicles and more. Cars can be completely customized from their outside appearance to even their handling and performance now at Los Santos Customs, the replacement to Pay N' Sprays.
- Destructoid

Yes, the game will feature extensive vehicle customization, including, but most likely not limited to:

Paint jobs
Wheels
Window tinting
Grilles
Spoilers
Custom license plates
Engine tuning
Suspension
Brakes

I don't know about you, but reading this made me slobber all over my keyboard. Game Informer stated that the level of customization will be "on par with Midnight Club: Los Angeles" - I would take that with a grain of salt, though. MCLA had very in-depth customization, which might be a bit too fiddly for a game like GTAV, which is about cars, but by all means not a racing game.

Trick your engine out too much and you can overtune it, so be careful.
- Game Informer

Speaking of racing, the handling has also been spruced up according to many previews. I for one loved IV's driving physics, but there was something off about how the cars cornered - it was as if all the cars, even the old beaters, had a built in traction control system, which just killed all the fun before it even got started. The journalists didn't get a hands on feel of the driving, of course, but the general consensus seems to be that it has improved substantially.

That just about concludes this little summary. Drive safe, everyone!

GTAV Preview Video Roundup

Sat, 04 May 2013 21:40:30 UTC

By now you have probably read our summary and collection of this week's GTAV Previews, but we also wanted to highlight a few videos where some games websites discuss their impressions of the press demo that they recently saw - in addition to an overview of what we know so far.

As a fan of GameSpot's original weekly OnTheSpot internet show (before the days of YouTube and back when videos were still being streamed through Microsoft's video technology), it was was nice to see the original crew again sharing their thoughts on the game via their new home Giant Bomb. Definitely worth the watch.

And if that's not enough, also take a look at videos from other sites:

GTAV Online Previews and Screenshots

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:16:54 UTC

The new previews for GTAV have started to show up. Find the links below, in addition to our summary and the new screenshots and new artwork.

Over 20 new screenshots in our gallery

Previews:

English:

Foreign Language:

GamesAktuel (Deutsch)
JeuxVideo (France)
Meristation (Spain)
Multiplayer.it (Italian)
GameKings (NL)

Summary

Features

You can buy property; houses, garages, businesses and marinas can all be purchased for extra revenue sources.
You can pick up hitchikers, do stunt jumps and flying challenges, take part in yoga, golf, tennis, bike races and triathlons.
iFruit, the game's new phone, can be used to snap pictures and upload them to Rockstar's Social Club
The phone also has apps. In addition to the camera there is internet, contacts, social media, a calendar, and a replay missions app. There are three more Rockstar hasn't yet revealed.
A combat roll has been introduced for moving between cover
Liquor store and ATM robberies is possible.
Side missions will be making a return. One would involve Michael in Vinewood Boulevard racing a starlet away from the paparazzi.
Citizens will react to what you do, and if they see you robbing someone they could alert the police, film you, or even try to take you down themselves.
Hunting animals.

Customization

Player customization - tattoos, haircuts, clothing
Vehicle customization - paintjobs, wheels, window tints, grills, spoilers, along with robust performance upgrades to suspension, engine, brakes, and more that make meaningful changes to the way vehicles feel and handle
Weapon customization - Silencers, scopes, extended mags, laser sights, and more

Police Encounters:

The classic wanted system will be making a return - with five stars instead of the usual six.

They make the police encounters sound better, too. In this new game, we can still try to escape the circular zone that flashes on the mini-map when cops come after our malcontent protagonist(s). But, this time, we'll be able to try to hide inside that alarm radius, if we'd like. The cops will use a line-of-sight system, so they won't just magically know where you are. If they have a helicopter in the sky, they'll be able to see plenty. And you'll see them use hand signals to communicate what they're doing.
- Kotaku

Skill Categories:

Each character is rated in a series of skill categories: Stamina, Shooting, Strength, Stealth, Flying, Driving, Mechanic, Lung Capacity.
Each character has a 'Special': Franklin is an adrenalin junkie and can slow down time while driving; Trevor has a frenzy mode, where he does double damage, takes half damage, and has a unique melee attack; Michael has his own version of bullet time
Specials are governed by a meter, it drains after use and recharges slowly
Other skill categories are shared and can be improved by completing missions, side missions, activities and more
Trevor will always be the best pilot, Franklin will always be the best driver but each can improve their proficiency a little
One of the skill categories is stealth, suggesting players will be able to take different approaches to missions

Map

Similar to previous GTAs, the map isn't landlocked (surrounded by water).
The map 3.5 times the size of Red Dead Redemption in terms of playable area above ground. Five times if you count underwater area.
The geographical scope is huge and spans:
Mountains
Rivers
Lakes
Military bases
Farmland
Desert
Dense urban environments...and more
An underwater ecosystem exits, "the sea is teaming with fish and sharks"
A deer and a wildcat were spotted in the mountains.
Treasures can be found underwater, but NPCs will be looking for them too
Shipwrecks, sharks, hidden treasures and more could be found underwater
The entire world is populated with fitting wildlife and inhabitants unique to specific areas

Heists/missions

'Mini heists' are used to teach the player about preparation. Players must secure vehicles, outfits, masks, the getaway vehicle.
These build up to a bigger heist where the execution must be flawless. They'll require the right crew (which you can recruit) and players will have to decide on the cheap option, which results in less skilled people, or paying more for skilled crew members that will take a larger cut of the money.
These additional characters will be able to specialize in different areas such as wheelman, gunman, technician, and so on.
Hiring the same crew members across several heists (assuming they survive) will allow their skills to improve
There will be visual and audio alerts from your other characters so you're not completely caught off guard in case things get hairy.
You can attack targets by stealth or brute force. This will affect the content of the heist.
A huge payout to split between the crew
After-action report that tallies your total cash haul, each surviving member's cut, and any profit you managed to earn

Refinements to combat:

Weapon selection has been overhauled: You now select your weapons from a weapon wheel.
Fluidly run and gun from the hip while still maintaining complete control of the reticule
'Combat jog' that allows you to move at high speeds with your weapon out, but not raised.
Camera pulled back when zoomed in over the shoulder to open up players' field of vision
Combat roll to move strategically from cover and evade incoming fire
Reticule switches from white to red to identity an enemy
Tiny 'X' flashes over the reticule when targeted enemy is killed
Variable targeting options including free aim, soft lock, and hard lock (similar to Max Payne 3)
Smoother transitions when moving in and out of cover

General

The character selection wheel is split into four triangles: Franklin, Trevor, Michael, and your multiplayer character
Some boats will include gear such as wetsuit, flippers and tanks for diving
GTAV rewards exploration, there's no signposting underwater, so you'll have to find the treasure the hard way
Dives won't offer massive payoffs, but will "help grease the wheels"
Pressing Down on the d-pad will drop the play in and out of multiplayer.
There are subtle differences in the way each character moves to reflect their personalities; Michael is slower and deliberate.
Rockstar says there will be five times as many pedestrians in GTAV as there were in Grand Theft Auto IV
There's a "crazy level of detail": Tourist buses can be boarded for a tour of celebrity homes, film posters are plastered on the walls, men in comedy costumes try to corner you outside the Cathay Theatre, including the Superman-like Impotent Rage and Master Chief riff, Space Ranger.
You can switch between Franklin, Trevor and Michael during a cutscene, manually, or automatically when the AI takes control for you
Each character has a job to do, how much you switch yourself in or let the computer do, is entirely up to you
If you die the game reloads to the last checkpoint, even if two other characters are alive
Although it's up to the player when they switch, dialogue will suggest ideal moments. For example, when Michael and Franklin are being overwhelmed by snipers, Michael might ask for Trevor's help.
There is a wider field of vision, and players can run-and-gun
There are some restrictions to character switching, such as how you can't abandon a character while you have a Wanted Level. Lose the heat first! The character selection meter will let you know when you can swap out.
Michael's obsession with classic films translates into in-game set pieces based on real world movies. In the demo the three characters mount a heist very similar to the one from Heat.

Fun Facts:

Franklin alone has more textures than the entire ped population of GTA: San Andreas
Largest selection of vehicles in any GTA game
Largest selection of weapons in any GTA game