Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto V Gameplay
It’s been nearly two years since the first Grand Theft Auto V trailer announced the return to Los Santos. No, really. and in all that time we still have yet to see any indication how the game actually plays. The hell, right? Three playable protagonists, three interwoven stories, and a ton of potential for either awesomeness or failure. But finally, we get our first taste of what we’ll actually experience come September, as Rockstar has finally released the first Grand Theft Auto 5 game play trailer

For the most part, this video shows a lot that we already know. Definitely check our previous breakdown to see all of that. We still don’t have any clear idea of how multiplayer will work. Switching in and out of the three protagonists looks as smooth as promised. It was already revealed that the feature zooms you out into a Google Earth style view, but of interest here is the fact that each character will essentially go on living their lives even when you’re not playing them. Character and car customization is, as expected, vastly more robust than the paltry offerings in Grand Theft Auto IV, with a huge degree of auto detailing and the return of stores from San Andreas. And of course, a lot of this video featured cutscene content already shown off in previous trailers, or unseen parts of scenes used in those trailers

Even so, a few new items made their way into this. Here’s a brief look at what was revealed

The music featured in the trailer appears to be from the original score; not only does this suggest that retro wave will be a huge part of the aesthetic, it also gives the whole thing a very hotline Miami vibe

I. Gunshot noise seems to appear on the minimap
II. The minimap appears to change based on mode of transportation
III. The minimap also changes based on whatever building you’re in
IV. Character transition mid-mission is extremely smooth
V. Weapons selection takes a page from Saints Row, and suggests the ability to carry multiple types of the same weapon
VI. A shout-out to Love Fist from Vice City
VII. The possibility that the ability to become intoxicated returns with a splash of Saints Row’s version of it
VIII. Hunting returns from Red Dead Redemption, as confirmed by screenshot
IX. Your stats appear to increase upon the completion of missions
X. The list of confirmed side-activities now includes; shooting ranges, tennis, scuba diving, hunting animals, skydiving, golf, windsurfing and the ability to invest in stock market and real estate