GTA 5 News, Rumours, Release Date, Screenshots, Trailer, Gameplay

Publisher Rockstar continues to tease new GTA 5 features ahead of the game’s eagerly awaited release date next week. Will you be heading down to selected HMV and GAME stores for their midnight opening the night before the date you’ve been circling in your diary now for months – September 17?

Ramping up interest in the current-gen title once again, the latest snippet from Rockstar Games is the Official Trailer used to promote the game in the wider public eye. Offering an insight into how the GTA 5 storyline will pan out, revealing how the three protagonists know each other. Read on to find out how…

GTA 5 Gameplay Trailer

Rockstar Games has released the first official GTA 5 gameplay trailer, showcasing how you will be able to switch quickly between the three main characters, and some of the fun activities to take part in within the GTA 5 Los Santos world.

We’ve got the GTA 5 gameplay trailer right here for you, but head down after the break for the top five things we learnt about GTA 5 from the video.

Five things we learnt from the GTA 5 gameplay trailer

1. Character swapping is slick, quick and fun-filled
Rockstar Games showed how you will be able to switch between Trevor, Michael and Franklin for the first time in the GTA 5 gameplay trailer, and it looks to be a very slick transition.

During any mission, you get the option to access the action from each character’s viewpoint. In the heist demoed in the trailer, the player quickly changes from Michael as he smashes through a window to attack a room full of enemies to Franklin on an opposite rooftop poised with a sniper rifle.

The way you chose to switch the characters will tailor the way you experience the missions, and potentially how they play out too. Hopefully it will be flexible enough to allow a whole host of new mission tactics.

Outside of the heists, you can also change between the three characters or interact between them as you please. Drop in on any of the main characters and see what they’re up to in their down-time – a bit like the Sims 3 I suppose.

2. The graphics are incredible
Having already confirmed that the GTA 5 gameplay trailer was taken from PS3 footage, we can honestly say the graphics look amazing.

The hugely vast Los Santos world looks set to be the most immersive and expansive GTA map to date, and those graphics certainly look like they push the current-gen consoles to their very limits. Who needs the Xbox One and PS4 when you’ve got visuals like this?

3. Players will choose how to execute the heists
GTA 5 definitely looks like it will reward your creativity as it allows you to complete the major heists in a variety of ways. Making all the key decisions yourself, you can choose who to take on the mission, how to set it up and then how to play it out.

Rather than the fairly linear GTA 4 storyline, it seems you will get a lot of power as to how the missions play out, and the playable three-character line-up will certainly aid that.

4. There will be lots of mini-games
In the gameplay trailer alone, Rockstar Games lists hunting, scuba diving, tennis, cycling, visiting shooting ranges, gambling with the stock market, bounting hunting and animal hunting, sky diving and parachuting as some of the activities to take part in outside of missions.

We’re sure there’s many more pursuits to encounter in GTA 5, so you definitely won’t be getting bored in Los Santos.

5. Pimp your ride with enhanced customisation
Overall, it seems GTA 5 is just going to be a lot more fun than the dark, gritty world of GTA 4. A lot of this will come from the characters, but with clothing, tattoo and vehicle customisation it’ll just be a lot easier to mess around.

You can customise your weapons too, so expect dozens of different combination options for getting that perfect gun your little character desires.

GTA 5 Multiplayer: Grand Theft Auto Online Trailer

Rockstar has launched the trailer showing off the Grand Theft Auto Online trailer, showcasing the GTA 5 multiplayer for the first time.

With a distinct Red Dead Redemption multiplayer feel, GTA Online “brings the freedom of the Grand Theft Auto experience to multiple players in a dynamic shared world”.

“The game combines a persistent and continually expanding world full of personalities. With a wide array of redesigned mechanics, and a huge range of structured and unstructured activities for you to do.”

Up to 16 players will be able to take part in the GTA Online world at any time. You can explore and make trouble on your own, or band together to form a crew.

You can completely customise your multiplayer character in GTA Online too, from their outfit to their weapon and vehicle of choice.

Anyone purchasing GTA 5 for Xbox 360 and PS3 will automatically get access to Grand Theft Auto Online for free.

Unfortunately, it won’t launch until two weeks after the GTA 5 release date on September 17.

Rockstar Games director Leslie Benzies said that there will be around 700 GTA Online missions in total, with 500 of those “renewed continuously” to keep the multiplayer experience fresh.

If your mates aren’t online and you’re desperate for a GTA Online session, the game will pair you with players of a similar rank, making sure you’ve always got someone to play with.

Official GTA 5 Trailer

Rockstar has released the Official GTA 5 Trailer, which will be used to advertise the game in the mainstream media.

Offering a little snippet of the GTA 5 storyline, you actually find out that Michael, Trevor and Franklin all knew each other ten years previously.

“A few weeks ago I was happily sulking by my swimming pool. My psychotic friend shows up out of nowhere to torture me over mistakes I made over a decade ago,” explains Michael in the trailer.

Nervous Ron also makes an appearance in the official trailer. Although we still don’t quite know what role he plays in GTA 5, it seems that he is a tech expert who is somehow involved in the shenanigans from a decade ago and is still embroiled in a life of cyber crime in the present day.

There’s a few unknown characters in the official trailer too, including one tattooed lady who is obviously part of the heist in some way. But, don’t just take our word for it, check out the trailer yourself below.

GTA 5 News

With the first official teases about Grand Theft Auto 5 appearing online in the closing months of last year, the excitement surrounding the next GTA instalment is definitely building with each month.

Rockstar Games has deliberately kept information on the game to a bare minimum, choosing to dispatch bundles of screenshots and a handful of trailers intermittently throughout the year.

“As we have said before, we have often had long gaps between asset releases on previous games and will continue to do so in the future,” said Rockstar Games. “We are sorry if you find this frustrating, but please understand, we don’t do this because ‘we don’t care about our fans’. ‘We don’t respect our fans,’ ‘hate GTA fans etc’.”

“We do it because we want to make sure we only release 100 per cent correct information, and because we want to keep plenty back for the actual release so there are still lots of surprises when you play it.”

Eagerly one of the most highly anticipated games of 2013, fans will have to wait until September 17 to get their hands on a copy of GTA 5. Until then, we’ll keep you up to date with the latest content instalments.

Xbox One and PS4 release on the cards after all?

Box art for the Xbox One and PS4 editions of GTA 5 cropped up on Amazon Germany, but were swiftly removed, suggesting there may be some truth in a next-generation release for the game.

Usually a fairly creditable source, the box art featured on Amazon were most likely to be mock-ups, especially as the PS4 edition bore a picture of the Xbox 360 hard drive.

The Xbox One box art may not have been the real deal though, but it makes us think there may be a pair of next-generation editions of GTA 5 available at some point – despite Rockstar’s repeated denials.

Read more – GTA 5 Xbox One and PS4 box art shown on Amazon Germany – September 12

GTA Online: muggings, murders, women and 500 plus missions

There have been loads more information on GTA Online given out prior to the GTA 5 release date next week, including the fact your character can be mugged and murdered in the GTA 5 multiplayer experience.

To design your GTA Online character, you’ll have to do a bit of The Sims 3 style character creation, choosing their grandparents and parents in order to develop a genetic heritage. You’ll have to pick their lifestyle choices and attributes before you start playing too, which will not only change how they behave but what role they’ll take in missions.

As far as we can tell, the character will automatically be assigned a role in the group and gang missions according to the choices you make when creating them.

There’s tonnes of other new features too, like the fact you can play as a woman, and “almost” all the activities available in the main GTA 5 game will be accessible in GTA Online.

“Grand Theft Auto Online has been in our minds for a long time – since we started on Grand Theft Auto 3,” said Leslie Benzies, Rockstar North President. “We’ve always wanted to create a world with the complexity of a single-player Grand Theft Auto game with the addition of real players.”

“We wanted a world where people could spend years without getting bored of playing the same content over and over. I think we’ve managed to achieve something very close to our dream.”

All the GTA Online missions are accessed via the Rockstar Social Club, meaning that the developer can continually keep them revolving and fresh.

Excitement doesn’t even cover it.

Read more – GTA 5 Online gamplay show continually expanding experience – September 11

Rockstar Games spent £170 million on GTA 5

GTA 5 is officially the most expensive game ever made, with developer Rockstar Games admitting the title cost a whopping £170 million to produce.

The upcoming GTA title’s production costs eclipse those racked up by other AAA games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and the upcoming Watch Dogs.

This may seem quite the sum, but seeing as over three million copies of GTA 5 have already been pre-ordered, Rockstar Games is expected to recoup a large amount of that cost pretty sharpish. In fact, it is predicted that 25 million copies will be sold in the first year of release, amounting to a rather healthy figure of at least £1 billion.

“What we’ve done is create a world that you can lose yourself in. a place that’s interesting and fun to live in,” said Aaron Garbut, Senior Art Director at Rockstar North.

“It’s coming up to 17 years since GTA began and it’s becoming something I don’t think anyone involved with the original game would have expected,” said Brian Baglow, a writer on the first GTA game. “The series has come on not just in leaps and bounds, but in long jumps since then. It’s become far more than a sum of its parts, it’s a fully global phenomenon. This is the fifth major release, and the nice thing is that all of them have been made here in Scotland.”

Read more – GTA 5 is the most expensive game ever costing £170 million to make – September 9

GTA 5 already ‘feels next-gen’, but don’t ask about an Xbox One or PS4 release

According to Rockstar Games, GTA 5 has a distinct next-generation title feel to it, but the developer is still adamant an Xbox One and PS4 release isn’t on the immediate horizon.

“Compared to GTA 4, [GTA 5] definitely feels ‘next generation’ to us,” said Phil Hooker, Associate Technical Director of Rockstar North. “When we started we knew the scope of GTA 5 was huge and incredibly ambitious. Fortunately from completing GTA 4 we had a team that was already very familiar with the hardware.”

“In the end we surpassed our own expectations and during development I think everyone working on the game has been astounded by improvement to the graphics, or new mechanics, or AI, or mission scope along the way. Hopefully the gamers will see all of these improvements at once in one go.”

Read more – GTA 5 ‘feels next-gen’ despite continued Xbox One and PS4 omission says Rockstar – September 7

You may not get your copy of GTA 5 on September 17, despite a pre-order guarantee

Rockstar Games has imposed pre-order shipping restrictions that mean copies of GTA 5 won’t start shipping until September 16. Potentially, this could mean that you won’t get your game on the morning of that long awaited GTA 5 release date, despite all those pre-order promises.

“GTA V is released on September 17 and Rockstar, who publish it, have work very hard to make it the biggest gaming launch ever,” said UK retailer GAME in an email to those of you who have already pre-ordered GTA 5.

“They have requested that no UK retailer despatch GTA V before the 16th September and GAME, along with all reputable retailers, will respect this request.”

UK retailers have attempted to combat this by holding midnight openings on the eve of the September 17 GTA 5 release date.

Read more – GTA 5 pre-orders could miss release date arrival as Rockstar imposes shipping restrictions – September 3

Rockstar offers official GTA 5 soundtrack samples

Official samples from the GTA 5 soundtrack have been released courtesy of Rockstar Games. The developer also informed fans that the soundtrack and score for the game will be as big as GTA 5 itself.

Containing 240 licensed songs, two talk and 15 music radio stations, the game’s soundtrack also has exclusive content from Flying Lotus and Tyler the Creator.

“We have 15 radio stations, two talk radio stations, 240 licensed songs, and somewhere in the proximity of 20 movies worth of score,” said Ivan Pavlovich, Rockstar Games’ Soundtrack Supervisor. “It’s the largest soundtrack that we’ve done, and the largest score that we’ve done.”

GTA 5 is actually the first in the game’s series to boast its own score. It has been composed by Woody Jackson, who is already responsible for the Red Dead Redemption score and partly L.A. Noire too, Tangerine Dream and L.A. hip-hop producer Alchemist and Oh No.

The GTA 5 radio stations also have special games like DJ Pooh, Cara Delevigne, Wavves and Flying Lotus himself.

Read more – GTA 5 soundtrack officially detailed by Rockstar Games – September 2

Rockstar outlines further exclusive content for the Collector’s and Special Edition games
Available to pre-order now, the Special and Collector’s Edition of GTA 5 will get “a bevy of enhancements and accessories for all three protagonists as well as your characters in Grand Theft Auto Online.”

You’ll get a .50 Caliber Pistol and Bullpup Shotgun from the Ammu-Nation stores, plus a brutal melee weapon called the Hammer. Also, you’ll get 20 per cent discount at any shops in Los Santos and Blaine County, and one special outfit for each character in their wardrobes.

Trevor, Franklin and Michael all get a unique tattoo each and one additional piece of clothing with the Special and Collector’s Editions.

The Special Ability bar will fill 25 per cent faster with the limited edition versions of the game, and you’ll get access to five thrilling and unique challenges for the Stunt Plane trials.

If you’re willing to splash out on the Collector’s Edition, you’ll receive exclusive Grand Theft Auto Online, including GTA 4’s Niko Bellic and Claude and Misty from GTA 3. You’ll also get the keys to an exclusive garage that contains the CarbonRS sports bike and Hotknife hotrod in the main game, while in GTA Online there’s the high-end electric car, the Khamelion.

Read more: Rockstar offers further details on GTA 5 Special and Collector’s Editions – August 27

GTA 5 storyline details teased by its ESRB ratings
You can get a faint hint of how the GTA 5 storyline will play out just by looking at the game’s ESRB rating. Obviously the game has received an “M for Mature” rating, but the ESRB details offer a little more insight as to how the main storyline will play out.

GTA 5 will include nudity, sex, drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll along with necrophilia, the genitalia of “male cult members” and torture. All these are alluded to by the GTA 5 rating details, which certainly left us feeling intrigued, we’re not sure about you!

Read more – GTA 5 storyline teased by ESRB ratings – August 21

All the achievements and trophies for GTA 5 have already leaked online
The full GTA 5 achievements and trophies list has leaked online a full month ahead of the game’s release date. According to Xbox360achievements.org, you’ll be trying to accomplish 49 achievements worth 1,000 gamer points in the Xbox 360 version.

There’s a wide selection of challenges to complete both in GTA 5 and GTA Online, which range from the fairly mundane to the rather bizarre – such as “Collecting and returning all spaceship parts.”

You’ll also have to work out 11 secret achievements, details of which are still not yet known.

Read more – Full GTA 5 achievements and trophies list leaked ahead of release – August 18

Xbox One and PS4 GTA 5 release possible after all?
Rockstar has confirmed that it is monitoring interest in both next-generation consoles for a potential GTA 5 release. Despite previously saying it would not launch GTA 5 for the PS4 and Xbox One, it seems that the publisher is changing its tune.

“We’ll get the current gen version out first and see what happens in teh future,” said President of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies. “We already have plans for what the next world holds in terms of missions, new content, clothes, apartments, for the next while.”

“We really want to see what people are playing, and we’re putting a lot of effort into the back end, so we can keep an eye on exactly how long people are spending in deathmathces, races, and all the other modes – just to see what they’re doing. And if we see any peaks anywhere, then we where to concentrate our efforts.”

From this rather cryptic statement, it seems Rockstar Games are fairly interesting in the cloud gaming capabilities of the Xbox One and PS4, so watch this space for any updates.

Read more – GTA 5 for Xbox One and PS4 could happen, says Rockstar – August 16

Rockstar launches interactive Los Santos guide on official site
Offering you a chance to preview the sights and smells of Los Santos and Blaine County ahead of the GTA 5 release date, it has launched an interactive travelogue on the official website.

“Visit Los Santos and Blaine County – where plastic surgery, bad movies and big sharks rule the roost – see for yourself…” reads the official site.

You can click through up to twenty specific descriptions for the various activities offered by the huge GTA 5 map, including car customisation, outdoor sporting activies, shopping, air travel and healthcare.

Rockstar even outlines what the locals are like, inviting you to “stop and chat with a member of the Epsilon Program for some enlightenment, or head to Blaine County, where the always extend a helping hand to outsiders.”

Is that sarcasm we smell?

The Art & Downloads section has also been given an update, with one of the wallpapers showing off a new (unplayable) character called Nervous Ron. Described as “Trevor’s acquaintance”, he’s sure to have quite a personality, if he’s a mate of the drug-dealing redneck himself.

Read more – GTA 5 interactive travelogue launches on official website – August 14

PC gamers to get a GTA 5 game after all?
Despite Rockstar’s protestations, It seems those eager to get their mitts on a GTA 5 PC edition may be rewarded after all.

Nvidia revealed that a PC edition of GTA 5 may launch in the “fall”, dropping the bombshell during its Q2 2014 earnings call with investors.

Speaking on the decline of PC sales, Nvidia added that gaming PCs sales are on the up.

“Gamers are preparing their systems for a strong roster of games coming this fall, including blockbuster franchises such as Call of Duty: Ghosts, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Assassin’s Creed 4.”

If you’re expecting a six month wait between console and PC GTA 5 release dates, it seems you might be in luck.

Read more – GTA 5 coming to PC this autumn, says Nvidia – August 13

Huge second GTA 5 mural started in Los Angeles
A second hand-painted GTA 5 mural has been commissioned down the sides of the Figueroa Hotel in Los Angeles.

Previously a site for equally massive ads for GTA 4 and Max Payne 3, the Figueroa Hotel is now hosting a new GTA 5 ad showing Franklin, Trevor and Michael.

When this story was posted the mural wasn’t quite finished but the three protagonists are clearly visible, with Michael and Franklin flanking Trevor.

Read more – Second GTA 5 mural being painted on Los Angeles hotel – August 13


Trevor mural pops up in New York ahead of next month’s release date
In an attempt to build the hype surrounding GTA 5 ahead of its release on September 17, Rockstar Games has commissioned a hand-painted mural of one of the game’s protagonists.

Located in a hipster area of Brooklyn, New York, the Trevor mural is on North 11th Street and Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg.

Trevor, a red-neck drug dealer and potentially the main source of the comedy in GTA 5, is shown running two fingers across a “cut here” tattoo on his neck.

Seeing as the mural only shows one of the GTA 5 character line-up, the mural could be the first of three artworks to appear in New York, or other American citites before the game hits store shelves.

Read more – GTA 5 mural spotted ahead of release next month – August 8

GTA 5 will offer “immediate and total immersion” says Rockstar

Rockstar Games is aiming for “immediate and total immersion” for GTA 5 players, deliberately making it so the majority of the game mechanics are available from the start.

“From the beginning, we want to show off the new game mechanics while creating intense, action-packed gameplay, to capture the player’s attention immediately,” said Leslie Benzies, Rockstar North president.

The GTA 5 storyline has also been written in a way that all three of the protagonists are already living in Los Santos, complete with existing friends, relationships and favourite hang out spots.

“They already have contacts, they are integrated with the world and lead a busy life – these characteristics should give players a sense of immediate and total immersion.”

Apparently these are just some of the ways GTA 5 will have you hooked from the opening sequence. We don’t need to be told twice.

Read more – GTA is all about “immediate and total immersion” says Rockstar Games – July 16

GAME is giving away GTA 5 with new Xbox 360 bundles
The UK videogame retailer, GAME, has announced that it will offer free copies of GTA 5 with certain new Xbox 360 console bundles come the September 17 release date.

The new matte black 250GB Xbox 360 bundle with Forza Motosport 4 or Batman Arkham City will set you back a penny shy of £200, but both with also come with a wonderful added bonus – a shiny new copy of GTA 5.

Read more – Free GTA 5 copy to be offered by game in console bundles – July 14

Players forced to install GTA 5 before playing
GTA 5 will require a mandatory install on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 you’ll be able to play it, due to the sheer size and scale of the game.

Shipping on two discs for the Xbox 360, the first disc will solely be used to install GTA 5, while the second disc is to actually play the game.

For the PS3, players will only get one disc, but the console will automatically install the GTA 5 content as soon as the disc is inserted.

Both installs will require 8GB of space to install, which may be a problem for some players with smaller hard drives.

“Grand Theft Auto 5 is the largest and most ambitious game we have yet created,” explained Rockstar Games. “In order to provide the best possible experience for such a massive and detailed world, the game will have installation requirements on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems.”

However, this announcement (made as part of a dedicated GTA 5 Asked & Answered session by the developer) came with further confirmation that Rockstar still doesn’t have a PC, Xbox One or PS4 version of the game in the works.

“The only versions of the game that we have announced are for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 which are set for a September 17 worldwide release. We don’t have anything to share about the possibility of a next-gen or PC platform release at this time and we are completely focused on delivering the best possible experience for the consoles people have right now.”

Read more – GTA 5 demands mandatory installs; PC, Xbox One and PS4 versions still in the wind – July 2

Retailers predict record-breaking 3 million GTA 5 copies sold on release day
Latest reports suggest retailers are setting aside millions of copies ahead of the September 17 GTA 5 release date.

According to an “enthused retail source”, 3 million copies of the game are being set aside for launch, meaning GTA 5 could become the UK’s fastest ever selling game, overtaking previous record holder Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Those 3 million GTA 5 copies would account for a little under a quarter of all the 13 million PS3 and Xbox 360 currently in use in the UK.

When GTA 4 launched in 2008 it sold 630,000 copies, which then equated to a quarter of all console owners purchasing the game on launch day alone.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is currently the fastest selling game in the UK, shifting 1.4 million copies when in launched in 2010.

Read more – GTA 5 release date set to see records broke 3m copies set for UK launch – June 29

Nine new GTA 5 screenshots unveiled
Rockstar Games has released nine new GTA 5 screenshots that offer further details on the game’s storyline. The screenshots show air, sea and land-based action, highlighting once again that the game will be the first in the series to allow underwater adventures with the scuba diving gear.

Also showcasing the new weapons available in-game, the screenshots were first shown at the Sony E3 press conference on June 10.

Read more – GTA 5 screenshots: Rockstar launches nine new images at E3 – June 12

Coming September 17, the GTA 5 PS3 bundle
During its pre-E3 press briefing Sony has unveiled the GTA 5 PS3 bundle that will be available to buy with the game from launch on September 17.

The bundle will containt a 500GB Super Slim console and a limited edition GTA 5 Pulse Elite Edition gaming headset with a custom audio mode. This special audio mode is said to provide more true-to-life and impacting audio experience using the headset.

“The custom Grand Theft Auto 5 audio mode for Pulse – Elite Edition takes full advantage of the BassImpact technology embedded in the Pule – Elite Edition headset to provide the ultimate Grand Theft Auto 5 experience,” said a Sony spokesperson. “This exclusive mode enhances the game’s most epic moments like car crashes, explosions and more.”

Sony and Rockstar Games have yet to announced the pricing details for the GTA 5 PS3 bundle, but it will share the September 17 GTA 5 release date.

Read more – GTA 5 PS3 bundle announced, will land alongside game on September 17 – June 11

New GTA 5 screenshot appears in Red Dead Redemption GOTY Edition box
Attached to a promotional flyer within a Red Dead Redemption Game of the Year Edition Xbox game, a new and previously unseen GTA 5 screenshot was discovered by a gamer going under the name TheSmutPeddler.

The screenshot, which still hasn’t made it onto the GTA 5 official screenshot list, shows a bank heist in action with the three playable characters, Michael, Trevor and Franklin, all gassed-masked up and ready to go.

The latest in Rockstar’s deliberate low-key releases generating hype prior to the September release date, the screenshot actually offers no new details on the game, but gamers may start wondering what those gas masks are for…

Read more – New GTA 5 screenshot released, brings together Michael, Trevor and Franklin – June 7

Is the full GTA 5 map?
One GTA 5 fan make an decided effort to create a complete version of the GTA 5 Los Santos map from a composite of all the snippets of information revealed so far by Rockstar.

The fan-made map was formed by collecting screenshots, trailers and the GTA 5 Collector’s Editions content to build a full overview of the game’s version of Los Santos.

Rockstar’s Los Angeles parody is far more elaborate than previous iterations and will include small townships and island locations to compliment the main city.

Tipped to be around three and a half times larger than the Wild Western expanses of the Red Dead Redemption world, we think it’ll be a good job GTA 5 lets you have access to the widest range of vehicles yet. Don’t forget you can properly swim in those watery parts too with the new scuba-diving functionality.

Read more – GTA 5 map revealed by fan project – June 3

The GTA 5 Special Edition and Collector’s Edition are here!
Rockstar Games has unveiled the GTA 5 Special Edition and GTA 5 Collector’s Edition bundles, available to pre-order right now.

Both bundles offer a selection of in-game and real-world goodies, including the exclusive flyable Atomic Blimp (yes, you read right) that features within the game.

The GTA 5 Special Edition includes a full copy of the game, a collectible SteelBook containing exclusive game artwork and a blueprint map of the GTA 5 Los Santos in terms of real-world content. In-game though, the Special Edition offers stunt-plane trials, bonus outfits, tattoos and a special boost ability that allows 25 per cent faster special ability bar regeneration than the regular game.

A Bullpun shotgun and melee hammer are also available with the Special Edition, which sounds like a bit of violent fun to us.

The GTA 5 Collector’s Edition includes all of the above, plus a GTA 5 branded security deposit bag to make you feel like part of the heist and a logo keyring. Anyone purchasing the Collector’s Edition will also get a Los Santos themed New Era 9FIFTY cap and a selection of custom, classic GTA characters to use within the game’s online multiplayer character creation system.

Encased in a special box with foil embossed logo, the Collector’s Edition owners will also have access to a unique collection of vehicles and garage properties, which includes a 1930 Hotknife Hotrod and CarbonRS sports bike.

No UK pricing for either edition has been released yet, but you can count on TrustedReviews to keep you posted.

Read more – GTA 5 Special Edition and Collector’s Edition confirmed, lets you fly a blimp – May 23

No E3 2013 GTA 5 demo
GTA 5 publisher Take-Two has confirmed that there will be no GTA 5 presence at E3 this year, as Rockstar is choosing to focus it marketing and PR efforts on a series of spring and summer events outside of the E3 gaming conference.

Take-Two president Karl Slatoff did confirm that GTA 5 is on track for its release date in September and predicts it to be “the biggest and most important launch of the current console generation.”

Read more: GTA 5 won’t make E3 appearance, says Take-Two – May 14

GTA 5 Gameplay

GTA 5 will mark a move away from the gritty, darker tone of GTA 4. Instead the game will be more like GTA 3 and its immediate successors, revelling in humour, chaos and the personal lives of the three GTA 5 protagonists.

Presenting the first multi-character line up in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA 5 will revolve around Franklin, Michael and Trevor as the trio look to make their way in the world of Los Santos, a virtual replication of the real city of Los Angeles.

“Grand Theft Auto V continues to push the series forward in new ways; Rockstar North are creating our deepest, most beautiful and most immersive world yet,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited for people to learn more about the game in the coming months.”

Players will be able to control all three characters, swapping between them at will – apparently even during missions, which will include eight major heists.

“It’s worth noting that people are responding not only to the game’s vast size and scope but also to its innovative three-character structure and heist mission design, which offer immense opportunities for game play and storytelling that should raise the bar, not only for this franchise but for all interactive entertainment,” said Take-Two president, Karl Slatoff, during the publisher’s earnings call.

Although it would have been interesting to see a woman as one of the game’s protagonists, the three men are certainly diverse enough to provide variety in GTA 5.

In a recently released GTA 5 characters trailer, Rockstar Games provided a little more insight into the three protagonists.

The first, Michael, is a rich ex-con unhappy with his life, including the lack of crime and the presence of his family. In a nod to the Sopranos, the majority of the narrative for Michael’s life comes from the conversations between him and his shrink and the relationship between him and his tubby son, Jimmy.

Next we are presented with Franklin, a young, inner-city gang member whose story centres around violence and reckless action. Working as a repo man for a group of Eastern European men dealing cars, we assume this is how he connects with Trevor and Michael, but of course the trailer still gives little away on the GTA 5 storyline.

The final protagonist, Trevor, is a drug-dealing redneck who lives in a trailer park. Also apparently ex-military, Trevor is a capable pilot and is depicted flying about in a helicopter. His presence in the GTA character trailer is littered with explosions, jokes and violence, so we expect him to provide the comic relief for the otherwise fairly serious characters.

GTA 5 Release Date

Having previously been confirmed for a spring 2013 launch, Rockstar Games recently confirmed an official and somewhat delayed GTA 5  release date for September 17.

Many have suggested that this delayed GTA 5 release date is due to the launch of the PS4 and new Xbox 720 next-generation consoles, although publisher Rockstar has as yet failed to confirm plans for next-gen consoles.

GTA 5 will ship for the existing Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, but a GTA 5 PC release date is still being played down by Rockstar.

GTA 5 Screenshots

There are already over 85 GTA 5 screenshots available on the Rockstar Games website, so we’ve selected some of the most interesting to drop in below. From what the screenshots depict, we could be seeing a lot of new vehicles available to mess around with including fighter jets. GTA 5 could also bring back the good old bicycle, which was a huge part of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Showcasing some of the new locations encapsulated in GTA 5, the screenshots also show some of the activities players will be able to do. Potentially, GTA 5 could be the first Grand Theft Auto title to offer underwater swimming, as scuba diving is depicted in several screenshots. The game should also include more realistic skydiving experiences.

GTA 5 Trailers

The first GTA 5 trailer was released in November last year, and was followed shortly by a second, raising the fervour surrounding the upcoming series instalment. At the end of last month, the two official GTA 5 trailers were joined by a trio of GTA 5 character trailers that revealed more about the game’s three protagonists: Franklin, Michael and Trevor.