Grand Theft Auto 5 on the PS4 - It's Gonna Be Bad Ass

Grand Theft Auto has captured the heart of many console gangsters since its original top-down release way back in 1998, the ability to totally disregard the law in almost every way possible seems to appeal to every generation of gamer in countries around the world. The series has come a long way, now offering fully mapped virtual cities, civilians that live their own lives, and enough guns and ammo to take a small country to war.

Arguably the most successful GTA title was San Andreas, offering depths of customization and interaction never before seen in the franchise, the game even spawned a highly successful online player mod, SAMP. Since then the series still remains popular but has never quite gripped gamers since GTA:SA was released. Grand Theft Auto 4, by most accounts, was a great game but it was linear when compared to San Andreas and left many gamers confused as to why they removed so many of the features that made SA as good as it was.

Official details on the next installment were practically non existent until the start of November when Rockstar released the first teaser video for Grand Theft Auto V. The internet exploded with gamers demanding more information. Was this going to be another linear GTA title or would Rockstar push the boundaries and give fans exactly what they're after? The video itself doesn't really give to much away, it seems to be a brief introduction to some of the characters and features but there wasn't enough footage to confirm anything ground breaking. If you are from Los Angeles you will instantly notice they really nailed the feel for the from Skid Row to Venice Beach. There has been a number of leaks that have released more information that has gamers everywhere biting their nails with anticipation. Below is a list on some of the leaked information so far.

The World Is Alive
One thing that many people felt was wrong with GTA:IV was the lack of civilian activities. There was no shortage of cannon fodder walking the streets but for the most part they lacked purpose and the only really interesting thing they did was buy a hot dog. In GTA:V players can expect NPC's to truly live out their own lives in realistic fashion. While exploring the woods players can expect to see civilian campers, hikers in various places, teenagers getting drunk by a campfire and even stunts on dirt bikes. Closer to the cities players will see NPC's flirting with each-other, being chased by cops, working out at the gym and even moving house. Waking up and leaving your home to see NPC's washing their cars, filling up their trunks and going on a camping trip is sure to create immersion unlike any of the predecessors. Animals have also been confirmed but it is not yet known if you can barbecue a cow with a flame thrower or attach a grenade to a kitty cat, throw it in a passing convertible and then walk away. Anyway...

Customization Returns
One of the biggest gripes with GTA:IV was the lack of customization compared to San Andreas, this prompted many gamers to express their concerns, in posts usually full of insults to Rockstar but they still had a valid point and it appears Rockstar were listening. Car customization returns in all its glory, players can mod cars out to their hearts content adding body parts and decals, you can also learn to repair your own car to avoid having to find a pay n spray. Another confirmed feature is the use of a real-time fuel gauge, players will have to keep their car gased up if they don't want to find themselves stranded at the side of the road. Although not really customization related another awesome feature confirmed is the use of fuel tracks. Players are able to puncture the gas tank on a car, which then leaves a trail of gas on the road, a smart shot with a gun can then ignite the trail, which obviously results in a rather large explosion and a lot of panicking passers-by. Character customization has also returned, much like San Andreas players will be able to choose from a huge selection of clothes and head to the gym to buff out their character. It is unknown whether you can choose to stuff yourself fat with Cluckin' Bell burgers but we would expect to see that if the gym system is back. If they really want to make it authentic adding a Popeyes or a Roscoes Chicken & Waffles would do it.

Los Santos (Aka Los Angeles)
The main city is Los Santos and it has been said that the city is at least 4 times the size of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto: IV. A magazine leaked that a journey from the center of town to the wilderness via car took them over 15 minutes to get there. It was also mentioned that the surrounding areas are far more alive than previous titles, farms were full of activity with farmers and workers, oil rigs could house as many as 100 working NPC's and every single location seemed to have NPC's performing some kind of job or task, instead of just aimlessly walking around in the middle of nowhere.

Bonus Content
Another reoccurring complaint with GTA:IV was the lack of extra content or bonus missions. Sure you could take your friends bowling or for a game of darts but when compared to growing your own business in San Andreas, it felt lackluster and a bit of an afterthought. They've done away with the likes of darts and bowling and have introduced a far more exciting array of extra activities. Players can play basketball, go ab-sailing, rock climbing or base jumping and even enter a triathlon. They have said there is more to come but this is already a far more exciting alternative to going for a date at a burger bar.

Is that It?
There are tons of other little leaks around the internet that give us the impression Grand Theft Auto: V is setting up to to be the best in the series so far. New shooting mechanics have said to totally revive the game, offering prone and crouching positions, various objects to hide behind, a large selection of guns that can be made at home, the option to use civilians as human shields, an extensive improvement to the law enforcement A.I and more. One thing is for sure, Rockstar have listened to the complaints of their fans and have said that GTA:V is their most ambitious project to date. So what do you think of the details leaked so far? Are you excited? Are you hoping they announce something in particular? Leave a comment and we'll do our best to give you any fresh information as soon as it hits the presses.

Update: Grand Theft Auto 5 Delayed -- March 2nd, 2013
Grand Theft Auto 5 is now pushed back and scheduled for release on September 17th. Rockstar explains the new delay from their expected March release by the need of more polishing, mainly due to the gigantic proportions of the game. "(...) the only reason we've delayed the release is because we want the game to be as good as it needs to be" says Rockstar. There has been a good dose of rumors going around as to other reasons that might explain the delay, but the company denies everything and issued a statement that will reassure fans "(...) trust us, it will be worth the extra time. GTAV is a massively ambitious and complex game and it simply needs a little more polish." Finally, we also learned that we can expect the official box art to be a bit delayed as well. So the timeframe seems to be finally set for the long-awaited game, although this delay was pretty unexpected – most of Rockstar's major titles have historically hit the shelves during spring time, including Grand Theft Auto 4. GTA V will now more likely compete with more big titles on this new date, starting with Splinter Cell: Blacklist game scheduled for August 20th, who also got the same delay treatment as it was supposed to come out this spring as well.

Update - December 24th, 2012 - Next GTA Could Be Massive
According to Rockstar in a recent interview with Digital Trends, the developer is interested in creating a new iteration in the Grand Theft Auto series that combines all of the franchise's cities in one game. In addition, players would be able to take a plane and quickly fly between favorite cities to revisit old set pieces that players enjoyed from previous games. Says Leslie Benzies: “In that context re-imagining Vice City would be very interesting... it is always a possibility.” Considering how much power this would likely require, it seems like this would be the perfect game to demonstrate the hardware of the upcoming PlayStation 4.

Update - November 19, 2012 - Grand Theft Auto 5 not on the PS4
In a recent Interview with IGN, Dan Houser from Rockstar Games was quoted as saying "Some other people talk about the limitations of the [current] hardware. We don't feel there are that many limitations. We feel we can do some very impressive stuff and do it for a large audience. This felt like the way... There'll be a much larger audience on PS3 than there will be on PS4. At a creative level, which is the most important for us, we could say everything we wanted to say and do everything we wanted to do on these machines. We didn't sit there saying, "We'd like to do this in the game, but we can't." There's plenty of power in these machines." Yup he said PS4...

Update - August 2, 2012 - Grand Theft Auto 5
The conference call at Take Two Interactive today had potential to include information on Grand Theft Auto 5. However Take Two Interactive did not include Grand Theft Auto V in the release schedule. The schedule shows all releases up to March 2013. "We haven't talked about a release date," explained Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. "We're blessed to be working with Rockstar," professed the CEO. Rockstar did not have anything to say about Grand Theft Auto V.

Article by - Blaine Smith

Related Articles:

• The Blockbuster RPG Suikoden Series For Playstation 4
• Watch Dogs Preview
• Playstation 3 Games - PS3 Game Reviews
• PlayStation 4 Games - PS4 Games
• Gran Turismo 5 Preview
• L.A Noire Beginners Case Guide