Grand Theft Auto Online



Grand Theft Auto Online Main Theme (Neon Indian - "Change of Coast")

Similar to its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V features a multiplayer mode, dubbed Grand Theft Auto Online. Grand Theft Auto Online was released on October 1, 2013, 14 days after the actual game. Although it is playable only with a Grand Theft Auto V disc, Grand Theft Auto Online is considered and treated by Rockstar Games as a stand-alone title.

Description
The ties between Max Payne 3’s multiplayer and GTA 5 are interesting, as few games have offered crossover in this fashion. Rockstar’s crews – large clans that can band together and win rewards by cooperating online – can be imported between Max Payne 3 and GTA 5, giving us a taste of what to expect from Rockstar’s return to San Andreas.

 Bewsher sheds light on the crew system, “Well, there are going to be two types of Crews – private crews that you and your friends can create and customise to your liking, and Rockstar-created crews that are open to everyone." "Private crews hold up to 250 members and public crews are unlimited, so thousands of people can join the same crew and start reaping the benefits.”

“ There are also a range of in-game rewards and mechanics that impact crew cooperation”, Bewsher continues, “such as HUD identifiers, customisable emblems on in-game equipment for opponents to see, dedicated crew assist-style awards and the Crew feud mechanic to name a few. This last one creates automatic feuds between different crews, to see which is the meanest.”

 The concept is intriguing, lending social interaction and genuine cooperation to the arena shooter format where similar games would have you running and gunning as a lone wolf. Once again, Max Payne 3 demands teamwork. Reconfirming cross compatibility, Bewsher adds, “You may have read recently that we also announced that crews created in Max Payne 3, and any feuds you have going with other crews will be fully transferable into Grand Theft Auto 5 and beyond.”

Game Modes

 * Free Mode
 * Deathmatch
 * Race
 * Heists
 * Rally
 * Capture the Flag
 * Survival

Gameplay
The gameplay options in GTA Online are limitless. The player is required to complete a lengthy tutorial that begins with a cutscene of different parts of Los Santos followed the plane landing in LS International Airport. You are then collected by Lamar and driven through the city to a car park where you must complete a race against Lamar. Whether you win or lose the race doesn't matter (only affecting the money you recieve from that mission) but it is necessary to complete the tutorial. After this race, you are then required to carry out another mission to aquire drugs to deliver to Lamar's friend Gerald, after which Lamar tells you to buy clothes from a nearby Discount store in order to "better represent-ate yourself."

After the tutorial is completed, the player is free to roam Los Santos and Blaine County, whether cruising along, racing against other players or taking part in a series of activities such as LTS and Deathmatch. However, unlike GTA IV, the police are permanent and cannot be switched off.

Players rank up with RP, or Reputation Points, which they can earn by completing missions and activities or by doing simple acts like losing a wanted level or cruising with other players. Once players reach a high enough level, they can call airstrikes and attack helicopters from Merryweather, along with several other bonuses. To start up a race or other game mode, the player simply has to walk into a specific area to trigger the start of the mission. Players can also go to the gun range in an Ammu-Nation to practice their shooting skills and can arm wrestle with other players. During certain game modes, bets can be placed on players.

General
Unlike in GTA IV's Multiplayer, pretty much everything in single player GTA V will be available in multiplayer. Players will be able to golf, and play tennis with each other. However, unlike in GTA IV, the police don't make an attempt to arrest the player when there is a wanted level. Instead, the police shoot to kill, even with only one star.

Most of the characters featured in the story mode re-appear in GTA Online, along with a few new faces, one person being Gerald. Some characters act differently, in the case of Ron being somewhat sane in GTA Online, or live in different areas, in the case of Martin Madrazo visiting his girlfriend in Rockford Hills, but sometimes getting calls from Patricia Madrazo as to where he is.

The timeline of GTA Online seems to take place before and during the story mode. Good examples of this is that Lamar is still working for Simeon at the start of GTA Online, while later on Lester gives you a mission to sell the diamonds that were stolen during The Jewel Store Job, by bringing them to a supplier. Even though that is the case, Martin still "lives" in Rockford Hills. This may have been to prevent spoilers through cutscenes to lower level players.

Character
In GTA Online, the players character can be customized much more than it could in GTA IV's multiplayer. Now, the player can buy their clothes from clothing stores around Los Santos using the money they earn from killing other players and from completing missions such as Heists. They can also buy tattoos, Haircuts and piercings. Also, if the player has the Collectors Edition of the game, they can choose to be additional characters which were featured in GTA IV. The only characters known to be featured in the edition are Niko Bellic, and they can be picked as the characters father. You will also be able to use Claude and Misty from GTA III as parent genes. If the player has a Rockstar Social Club account, then John Marston, the protagonist from another Rockstar-made game Red Dead Redemption, will be available as a father. Players can use a slider bar to pick who their character looks like, either more like their father or mother. Additionally, you'll customize your characters daily activities - everything from family time to illegal activities, then from sports to being a couch potato. All this will have an impact on your character's initial appearance, and his/her initial skills.

The player actually is noted to talk, as they assume the role of your voice. That is, when speaking in game chat, the character moves their mouth as if they were actually speaking. Based on a quote from Brucie Kibbutz, it is heavily implied if the player calls someone then just hits a button to exit the call, he/she doesn't say anything, rather just heavily breathing into the phone.

Money & Life
Like in single player, the main aim is to get as much money as possible. The number of things money can be spent on are endless, as Rockstar continues updating the game all the time. The player can buy things such as apartments, garages and helipads, character customization options, such as tattoos, haircuts and clothes, and much, much more.

When a player purchases an apartment, they can invite other players to come and visit them. When another player comes to visit, they will use a door bell, which will be heard by the player who owns the apartment. The player can then choose whether or not to let them. The player can also use CCTV on their TV to check who is actually outside.

Money is earned through Heists, convenience store robberies, doing odd jobs, and more. You can even buy money packs using real life currency.

As well as CCTV on the television, the player can also watch TV shows and interview. An extraordinary new feature is the ability for the player to watch other players being chased and attacked by police. They can do so while switching some TV stations to the correct one that shows other players. With the right filter on, it mocks an actual police chase. Otherwise, players can use their TV's to watch what players are doing in the world.

Players can then also have garages and helipads. These are to store their vehicles and aircraft that they have found, bought, or earned. Once the player has some vehicles, they can use them to compete in races, or just to show off. Customized vehicles can also be stored in the garages and helipads. Additonally, a player can find helicopters and planes at Sandy Shores or the Los Santos International Airport. The aircraft changes as the players level increases.

Missions & Events
Leslie Benzies, Rockstar Games' director, says there will be around 700 missions in GTA Online and that Rockstar will be constantly renewing about 500 of these to keep GTA Online fresh, long after gamers have worked their way through GTA V. He also said that these missions can be encountered in many ways, including stumbling on them on the map, calling or receiving a phone call from an NPC, or choosing one of the menu.

Races can be entered as game modes. The player can compete using vehicles from their own garages and helipads/airfields. They can also create their own race tracks, using the Content Creator.

Like in single player, the player can perform heists, with friends. Heists will be a bit bigger than they are in single player, one that is known of containing around 20 steps.

Most missions in GTA Online are oddly similar, or make references, to those in the campaign. One such mission from Ron has the player steal a Cargobob from Fort Zancudo, an act Trevor Phillips would later repeat. Also, Martin Madrazo has the player kill a woman who likes strikingly similar to the one who "green light" the attack on Michael De Santa.

In missions you can scroll through a list of players in the current lobby, or invite friends to join. While scrollng, a menu shows up showcasing the highlighted players Driving, Shooting, Flying, Sneaking, and Stamina skill's.

After missions where you've had a good old blood bath, you can wash the blood off yourself in the shower in your apartment. It is also possible to sing into a headset while taking a shower to earn RP.

Heists are currently not in the game yet, but will be added soon in a free DLC

Vehicles
Many new things can be done with vehicles in GTA Online. The only things known so far are that cars can be locked to prevent them being stolen, and the player can also buy car insurance just in case their car is stolen, destroyed, or lost. Once a player has insurance, the car can get destroyed an infinite number of times without ever needing to renew the insurance.

Social Club
Like in Max Payne 3, players can form Crews using the Rockstar Games Social Club. Players can be in up to 4 Crews at one time. Crews can perform Heists and other activities together. When players form Crews in GTA Online, there will be an all new Hierarchy system to tell others who ranks where.

Trivia

 * Multiplayer holds 16 people on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.
 * Crews from Max Payne 3 have carried over to Grand Theft Auto V.
 * Grand Theft Auto V has multiplayer features linked to Rockstar's Social Club.
 * Heists in Online have yet to be released