For those who are lazy, some highlighted new details about the game that are mentioned in the article:
-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”.
-Most of the gameplay mechanics have been built from the ground up. Cars hold better to the ground than GTA IV and feel more like a racing game. Shooting has also evolved “a long way” in terms of feel and mechanics. Melee is improved, “it’s never going to be as big a deal as shooting, but we want to make it feel really fun and strong”.
-The player controls three main protagonists, Michael, Trevor and Franklin. Each with a fleshed out story arc and skillset.
-Michael is retired, early 40s, a highly successful former bank robber. Retired in luxury after making a deal with the FIB in the witness protection program, he hates his wife who spends his money and hates him back, 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. He’s also the narrator of the first GTA V trailer released last year.
-Trevor is a career criminal, early 40s, drug user governed by his desires, prone to violent outbursts and destructive rampages, a loose cannon, former military pilot, used to work a bank jobs with Michael back in the day, always up for a heist. Lives in Blaine County, a barren rundown desert region filled with bikers, meth heads and other people from the fringes of society. Trevor is described as having a “maniacal personality”.
-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, when they can’t pay up he plays repo man. He stumbles into Michael while looking for a hustle. Franklin isn’t too comfortable with Trevor.
-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. They 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.
-Characters can “flick off” people and react differently depending on the area. In a rough-and-tumble neighborhood, the reaction will be different from someone in a posh boutique store.
-Bicycles, planes, and jets are back.
-A variety of side missions and “more sophisticated” minigames, including yoga, triathlons, Jet Skiing, base-jumping, bowling, tennis and golf. There’s a full golf course in the game. You can go scuba diving along the coastline of Los Santos, or go to the gym on the seafront.
-The RPG-level character customization from GTA: San Andreas (being fat, skinny, or muscular) won’t be present due to Rockstar finding the mechanic difficult to pull off with the game’s animation and engine presets, clothing customization is expanded from GTA IV however.
-Dating will also not be present, but will return in future titles. Hanging out with friends will still be there.
-Complicated, multitiered heist missions inspired by GTA IV’s “Three Leaf Clover” are peppered into the game, which are a big theme.
-Rockstar is addressing mission diversity in pairing characters, in a demo they show off a mission involving all three characters, in which the trio need to perform a snatch-and-grab to get the FIB off their backs. The three change outfits and rappel down the side of a skyscraper, when they arrive players take control of Michael rappelling down, the mechanic is reminiscent of Rainbow Six Vegas. An icon will appear from time to time giving the player the option to switch between characters.
-Rockstar is leveraging cinematic tricks learned from Max Payne 3.
-Rockstar claims that GTA V is its strongest plotted game yet.
-Rockstar chose to recreate one large city over three small ones from GTA: SA to create the best possible and proper version of Los Angeles to ever be presented in a game. Sam Houser and lead artist Aaron Garbut were both really interested in doing a proper LA, which Rockstar felt it didn’t do with GTA: SA.
-Areas in the game world include beachfronts, mountains, countrysides, a “Salton Sea” region, a military base and suburbs.
-The ocean floor is fully detailed and can be explored.
-The game world is described as “the largest open-world playground in Rockstar history, bigger than Red Dead Redemption, GTA: SA, and GTA IV combined.”
Also,
a new trailer (finally) will be released on Wednesday, November 14.