GTA V- The Best of Everything for the open world gamer

Yesterday was a big day for Rockstar since it released gameplay footage for what could quite possibly be their biggest and most ambitious open world game since Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto V.

            The gameplay trailer was more informative, and it explained new additions to the series, while letting the viewer soak in the new features the game has introduced such as diving underwater and hunting. The game takes place in Southern California, and Rockstar is bringing back many locations from their previous hit release, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. A minute into the video and they announce the first new feature to the game, which gaming communities have known for a while; you could now play as three different characters. This adds two whole new levels of gameplay to the much anticipated game, since there are now three interwoven stories to follow. What I find cool is that one of your characters could be the sniper on the roof, another the driver of the getaway car, and a third could be the one doing the crime, and with a click of a button, you could switch between all three! This will also make multiplayer with friends much more enjoyable if your friends can join your campaign or start a co-op campaign.

            The video does a sky view of the whole game and you really realize how big this game really is. It isn't just Liberty City anymore where you could pan left for about five to ten seconds and you could see the other city. This is a full blown location with huge cities, quiet suburban homes and a vast countryside with towering mountains. Another feature this game adds is the ability to buy and customize your car like never before. It takes the vehicles customization features that were Rockstar's competitor, Saints Row: The Third, to the next level with a huge menu of modifications one can do to their car. The jet makes its return from San Andreas, about time too if I do say so myself! Animals also now play a role in the new Grand Theft Auto since the player can now hunt, and be hunted, by the various animals in this game, a feature that is reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar's cowboy, mid west open world game. In addition to all of these changes, they make the ability to switch between guns much more fluid and simple than in previous games based off of the gameplay video. It seems much easier and not as much of a hassle, in comparison to GTA IV or their competitor Saints Row The Third.

            The overall presentation of this game is much more… lifelike then any of Rockstar's previous releases. Long gone are the days of being an immigrant arriving in a ship to the docks of Liberty City where your cousin helps you get on your feet. This game offers the player to play sports such as golf or tennis, spend money on luxurious and fast cars, invest money in the stock market, and pick what they wear. Although some of the features I have listed have appeared in previous games, Rockstar seems to have molded all of their best ideas into one visually stunning game, a game I cannot wait to purchase or see more of.

Here is the link to the GTA V Gameplay Video, for those who have not seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-xHcvug3WI