Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V Main Theme (Oh No - "Welcome to Los Santos")

"When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath find themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. government and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other."

- Official Description

Grand Theft Auto V (also known as Grand Theft Auto Five, GTA 5, GTAV, and Grand Theft Auto V: Story Mode ) is a video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the fifteenth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series and the fifth game in the HD Universe title of the series.

The game is set circa 2013 in the city of Los Santos and its surrounding areas and tells the stories of three protagonists: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips. It takes place about five years after the events of Grand Theft Auto IV, and eight years before the events of The Contract update of Grand Theft Auto Online.

The original edition was released on September 17th, 2013 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 "enhanced" versions were released on November 18th, 2014, and was later released on April 14th, 2015 for the PC. A further "expanded and enhanced" version for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S released on March 15, 2022. Optionally, players are also able to purchase access to Grand Theft Auto V as an add-on for the standalone versions of Grand Theft Auto Online.

The original edition was officially announced on October 25th, 2011; the game's first trailer was released on November 2nd, 2011. The game was initially slated for a Spring 2013 release and there were even posters printed saying this but was actually released in the northern hemisphere Fall the same year. On July 15th, 2013, Rockstar announced the Japanese release date for the game would be October 10th, 2013, which ended up being almost a month after it was released in the Western world. The "Enhanced" edition for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Personal Computer was announced on June 9th, 2014, with pre-orders made available on June 10th, 2014. An "expanded and enhanced" version for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S was initially announced for "late 2021" on June 11th, 2020 and a firm release date of March 15, 2022 was announced on May 19th, 2021.

As one of the most eagerly-awaited video game titles to be released in 2013, the game was widely anticipated prior to its release. Grand Theft Auto V was released to universal acclaim, holding scores of 96 and above on MetaCritic and GameRankings, as well as receiving perfect scores from over 30 reviewers. The game sold 11,210,000 copies and grossed $800,000,000 on its first day of release, setting many records, and eventually making $1,000,000,000 within 3 days of the game's release.

Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto V evolves nearly every mechanic that was in the previous Grand Theft Auto games. As far as driving goes, the vehicles have been greatly improved, with Rockstar running more complex physics on them, such as making some cars hold to the ground slightly better. The driving mechanics feel more like a racing game, particularly the ' series, compared to ''Grand Theft Auto IVs rocky, boat-like handling system. The shooting mechanics are better in terms of the feel of the mechanics and larger compared to the melee mechanics in the game, that being said, melee has been improved over the previous titles as well. Weapon selection has now also been changed. Instead of the old way of selecting through all the weapons sequentially, there is now a Weapon Wheel, which is similar to the one featured in Red Dead Redemption, another game made by Rockstar Games. Grand Theft Auto V draws inspirations from many different Rockstar titles in the past, including Max Payne 3, Midnight Club, Manhunt, and .

There are many unique features in the game; one being that when the players are playing as one of three protagonists in the game, the other two are living their independent daily lives, and the player may be surprised by what they find the characters doing when they switch back into them. Another unique feature is that the character swapping feature is executed in a -styled manner and was displayed during a Game Informer demo, which was shown to have run smoothly and without lag. The PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions present an exclusive feature, the first-person mode, where the whole game can be played through the eyes of the protagonist. This gameplay mode presents a whole new way to play the game. Cars have detailed interiors different from one another; shooting is like that of a dedicated FPS game.

New activities have been added, such as yoga, triathlons, jet skiing, parachuting, tennis, golf, and scuba diving. Random events have also been added to the game and can appear anytime as the player explores around the map. The mobile phone has returned from Grand Theft Auto IV and is used for calling the player's contacts, surfing the web, and quick saving. Giving people the middle finger is another new feature the player can use while in a vehicle. Rockstar recommended that the player do this in various locations around Los Santos to see the outcome; depending on where the player is at, they will get varied reactions from pedestrians.

Rockstar has also made changes to the pedestrian mechanics; some pedestrians can be seen at the bus stops in East Los Santos, and the same people can reappear in Rockford Hills working in the gardens of the opulent mansions. Some minor mechanics that help convey the environment and appearance of Los Santos occur at certain times of day, such as a sprinkler system being turned on in the morning in wealthy areas like Morningwood.

Vehicles
Grand Theft Auto V has more vehicles than in any other Grand Theft Auto game to date, with a variety of vehicles, including aeroplanes, helicopters, cars, utility vehicles, emergency service vehicles, motorcycles, and jet skis. Players are able to fly planes, which was a cut feature from Grand Theft Auto IV because of the limited size of the map, but the feature is now available in Grand Theft Auto V because of the much larger, open world map. There are also submarines that players are able to use to explore the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Rhino from previous GTA titles has returned, including a new complex aiming system and a realistic depiction of a tank. A new feature also allows the player to roll-over a vehicle when the car is flipped upside down.

Like all previous games, a wide array of vehicles spawn driving around the map that can be stolen. To give the game a sense of realism and make the map feel more alive, various vehicles (as well as pedestrians) spawn in scenarios to make them more interactive with the map, such as delivery vans pulling out of alleyways, emergency vehicles responding, or vehicles pulling in and out of driveways. This behaviour was present in GTA IV to a lesser extent and is revamped in GTA V, even more so with the enhanced release of the game, where modified vehicles can spawn driving around, as well as the presence of the fully-controllable Jet, among other planes flying high above San Andreas.

Businesses
Businesses from Grand Theft Auto IV re-appear. New businesses also appear, such as the Bugstars pest control company, who specialise in fumigation and the fast-food restaurant, Up-n-Atom Burger. The option to eat takeaway food from outlets such as Burger Shot is no longer available. Instead, the player can only buy drinks from the various Vending Machines across the map.

Weapons


The game features a large variety of weapons, like the Norinco Type 56-2 assault rifles with sound suppressors, mounted flashlights, olive drab polymer furniture, and side-folding stocks. There is now the option to mount attachments onto various different guns, each one affecting the performance. Melee weapons like the nightstick and the golf club that weren't present in Grand Theft Auto IV have also been introduced to Grand Theft Auto V.

Character Customization


In the game, the player has the option to customize the three protagonists' wardrobe and appearance. There is less customisation available compared to that of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (e.g. changing the body mass of the 3 characters isn't available as it was with Carl Johnson in San Andreas). The availability of tattoo parlours, barber shops and the ability to apply and remove facial hair has returned from GTA San Andreas after being missing from previous titles in the HD Universe.

Grand Theft Auto Online


Grand Theft Auto Online is a standalone multiplayer game title, considered a separate game by Rockstar, that is included for free with the retail copy of Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. In Grand Theft Auto Online, the player will have the freedom to explore alone or with friends, work cooperatively (PvE) to complete missions, band together to participate in activities and ambient events, or compete (PvP) in traditional game modes and in Free Mode with the entire community. Initially, the online game shared the same San Andreas map as Grand Theft Auto V. This was later expanded to include the island of Cayo Perico. The game shares some achievements and mechanics originally from GTA V.

In GTA Online, multiplayer crews from Max Payne 3 can be carried over to GTA Online. GTA Online has multiplayer features linked to Rockstar's Social Club. Sessions could accommodate up to sixteen people on the former PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version, and thirty players on the current PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC versions.

A completely standalone version of GTA Online is due for release on March 15, 2022, and will be exclusively free on PlayStation 5 for the first three months. Optionally, access to Grand Theft Auto V must be purchased separately as an add-on to the game.

Title Updates
To see a list of GTA V's patch notes history, see Grand Theft Auto V/Title Update Notes

Downloadable Content
DLC have been released regularly since the launch of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, adding new vehicles, weapons and other content. They are however more advanced in GTA Online with the availability of jobs and properties along with additional character customization options like tattoos, clothing, masks, hairstyles etc.

Additional content is unlocked if the player buys the Collector's Edition of GTA V. It features a classic hot rod, a sports bike, an electric sports car, a shotgun and a hammer. This is available when the Collector's Edition is installed.

All subsequent content updates focus on GTA Online, and no content has been implemented in GTA V in updates that followed the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2 update.

Setting


On November 3rd, 2011, Rockstar Games confirmed that the game would take place in Los Santos and the surrounding countryside - and will not feature a recreated rendition of an entire State of San Andreas - in a statement on their Newswire:

"We are very proud to officially announce that Grand Theft Auto V is in full development. Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the City of Los Santos and the surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created. A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California."

- Rockstar Newswire

During the Game Informer Grand Theft Auto V cover story, the vice president of creativity for Rockstar Games, Dan Houser, has stated that Los Santos this time around is different and a lot more developed (having cities, wilderness, deserts, farmlands, towns, a Mount Chiliad, a military base and a fully detailed ocean floor (including coral beds). The state of San Andreas is also about five times larger than Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Red Dead Redemption. After some calculations by members of GawdAlmighty.com, that would equal to around 27.5 square miles/71.2 km2 when land and sea are put together.

Characters and Premise
"Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a former street gangster, now looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life."

- Game description on box

Grand Theft Auto V features three playable protagonists: Michael De Santa/Townley, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton.

Michael is a retired professional bank robber, who after making a sweet deal with the FIB, is forced out of retirement back into the life of crime.

Trevor is the loose cannon in this story and is also the long time best friend of Michael and a hothead psychopath as well.

Lastly Franklin, a younger gangbanger and repossession agent who has a large amount of experience behind the wheel, who meets Michael when undertaking a repossession.

Other main characters include Amanda, Michael's wife; Jimmy and Tracey, Michael's two grown-up children; Lamar, Franklin's closest friend; Ron, Trevor's paranoid friend; and Lester, a long-time associate of Michael and Trevor.

Timeframe
Although it is not specifically stated when exactly in 2013 the game takes place, the following evidence suggests August - October 2013:
 * There's an advertisement on the side of a strip mall in Davis stating that it's having a "Summer Sale on flat-screen TVs".
 * The calendar in Trevor's trailer is open on the month of August.
 * When Michael meets Lester to come out of retirement, the calendar in Lester's House shows September.
 * After Franklin moves into 3671 Whispymound Drive, a bank statement is opened on his entry sideboard. Close inspection in the enhanced version reveals it is his September statement for transactions in August.
 * During the mission "Cleaning out the Bureau", a calendar briefly seen in Harvey Molina's apartment is also open on the month of September.
 * Towards the end/completion of the storyline, one of the barbers in Sandy Shores might comment on how it is "October already".
 * Some houses have pumpkins on their front porches. Pumpkins are rarely seen at any time of the year other than autumn.
 * In the enhanced edition of the game, the text message that the creators of Space Monkey 3D send the player after completing Monkey Mosaics state that the film would be coming out in the holiday season, this again suggests that the story would take place in late-summer to fall.

Media

 * Radio Stations
 * Television in GTA V
 * Internet

Unique Features

 * The map is now one entire landmass, rather than several islands. Also, the entire map is unlocked from the beginning of the game, unlike previous games where sections of the map were unlocked as the player gradually progressed through the game, reasons in those games given for this was "terrorist threat", "hurricane", or "earthquake".
 * Players can ragdoll by pressing X/Square/SPACE (Xbox/PlayStation/PC) then B/Circle/R (Xbox/PlayStation/PC).
 * Players can play as animals (enhanced version), unlike in any other Grand Theft Auto game.

Enhanced and PC Versions
Prior to the announcement of the eighth generation consoles and PC versions, there was wide speculation and anticipation regarding an official announcement from Rockstar. On change.org, there was a petition with 728,000+ signatures asking for a PC version at the time of the announcement. Within the comments section of the Rockstar Newswire, and many other GTA related blogs, there were many comments asking for a PC/Next Gen release. After its reveal at E3 2014, the news spread like wildfire and became one of the most talked-about announcements.

The enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V was released on November 18, 2014, for the PS4 and Xbox One and was released for PC on April 14, 2015. With the release, there are many improvements and changes compared to the versions released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. No major graphical changes from PS4 and Xbox One are seen in the PC version, other than further Draw Distance and 4K capable quality. The PC version also features 2 exclusive radio stations: The Lab (now available for all consoles from the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2 update) and Self Radio.



The biggest new feature was a first-person view, which is not only available in vehicles but is also for the first time available on foot. Several other features were added. These include (see edition comparison table for more information):

Hobbies and Pastimes
These are all the hobbies and pastimes listed on the Rockstar Social Club page; note that they are not all mandatory to achieve 100% completion in the game.
 * Stunt Plane Time Trials (Only in the Special/Collector's Edition and Enhanced Version)
 * Shooting Range
 * Street Races
 * Tennis
 * Golf
 * Darts
 * Strip Club
 * Triathlon
 * Offroad Races
 * Bail Bond
 * Arms Trafficking Air
 * Arms Trafficking Ground
 * Hunting
 * Flight School
 * Sea Races
 * Yoga
 * Parachute Jumps

Screenshots

 * See more, Grand Theft Auto V/Screenshots

Artworks

 * See more, Grand Theft Auto V/Artworks

Critical Reception
Grand Theft Auto V received "universal acclaim" reviews on Metacritic getting a metascore of 96/100 on PC and 97/100 on PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One.

Controversy and Criticism
Like all previous Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto V has courted controversy, though has been viewed by some as significantly more controversial than its predecessors.

Controversy (missions)
A mission which requires the player to torture a target for the government has proven significantly controversial. The mission contains water-boarding, using a wrench on kneecaps and genitals, electrocution, and even an action where the player can perform tooth extraction using pliers.

Criticism
Both Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online received criticism. One part was missions, as only three made the player profit, and only one of them topped $1,000,000. Missions were longer, more taxing and low to non-paying. Only seven non-heist missions gave a payout; Franklin and Lamar gave the player $250, Nervous Ron gave the player $62,000 and Lester's Assassinations gave the player varying amounts of between $3,000 and $10,000. The PC version of GTA V was also criticized for the lack of an adequate anti-cheat with modders becoming prevalent in Grand Theft Auto Online and being dealt with very little, in addition to Rockstar Games' lack of efficiency in dealing with an ongoing modder problem and banning legitimate, non-cheating players instead.

The ongoing success and continued development of Grand Theft Auto Online, which resulted in the game being the first to span three generations of game consoles without a subsequent GTA title being released, has been a common complaint for those anticipating announcement of a possible "Grand Theft Auto VI", until the announcement of a brand new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series on February 4th 2022.

Copyrighting and Lawsuits
After the game was released, actress claimed that Rockstar had used her likeness without permission for in-game celebrity Lacey Jonas, which Rockstar denied. On 1 September 2016, Lohan's lawsuit was dismissed.

In October 2013 claimed Rockstar used two songs from  without permission, the songs in question being "C-Walk" by Kurupt and "Nothin' But the Cavi Hit" by Tha Dogg Pound and Mack 10. However, Dillinger was not signed to Death Row at the time and had an ongoing feud with Kurupt. The lawsuit was eventually dropped and the songs stayed in the game.

Trivia

 * For the first time, convertible cars can retract and deploy their soft top/hard top covers. In previous games, convertibles were stuck with the roof they had or didn't have (with the exception of being able to install a permanent cover on lowriders in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas).
 * Grand Theft Auto V is the first game in the franchise to feature in-game incidental music (not counting cutscenes, credits and pause menus, as several earlier games had incidental music for these aforementioned sequences).
 * The registration plates have orange stickers on the top right. The same plates are used for 2013 California registration plates. The same was also used in California in 2008.
 * If a player finds another one of the protagonists, or more likely tries to set them up in the same location, and begins to follow them, the AI controlled protagonists will ask if the player is following them. Should they continue for too long, the AI protagonist will consider they're being stalked and will knock out the player, wasting them.
 * This is the first game in the series where the wanted level is 5 stars instead of the usual 6, although the player is still chased by federal authorities upon achieving 5 stars.
 * If the player is busted, they keep their weapons but their ammo is confiscated. In previous versions, if the player is arrested they have their weapons confiscated.
 * Each protagonists' character was made to fit a specific Grand Theft Auto player:
 * Michael initially represents the player who has already "beat the game", now living out their life as a successfully retired, wealthy criminal.
 * Trevor is a complete psychopath, representing the type of player who prefers to kill people and cause chaos when they free roam.
 * Franklin is a small time thug wanting to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld similar to the traditional protagonists that the player controls in previous games.
 * Each protagonist seems to represent a different Rockstar game. Michael represents both Max Payne and ', seeing as he is a troubled retired, middle-aged "family man" with a criminal background and bullet-time ability. Franklin represents ', due to him being an ambitious young man with impressive driving skills. Trevor represents Manhunt, mainly because of his psychotic personality and reckless behavior that defines his character.
 * In addition, the protagonists' personalities can be determined by how long they sleep. Michael sleeps for 6 hours, Franklin sleeps for 8 hours, and Trevor sleeps for 12 hours. This could mean that Franklin is the most "normal" of the characters judging by his sleeping pattern.
 * The game ' has a DLC pack of weapons and clothes named GAT V, which is a reference to the initials of Grand Theft Auto V. The publisher, released it for free on PC, mocking ''GTA Vs absence from the platform at the time.
 * The script for GTA V is 10,000+ pages long, according to Dan Houser in an interview in 2012.
 * The name of the theme song ("Welcome To Los Santos") might be a reference to the first lyrics in Young Maylay's "San Andreas Theme Song" being "Welcome to San Andreas".
 * Also, if the player listens to the two theme songs simultaneously, the buildup and beats of both songs are very similar. The main difference is the use of instruments as the "San Andreas Theme Song" has a much more gangsta rap feel to it with a heavy reliance on acoustics (electronic piano, chimes) like early-1990s West Coast hip-hop, while "Welcome to Los Santos" is infused with more bass and horns in addition to acoustics to give it a much "grander and open" feel (saxophone, trumpet).
 * In the game, there is an animation for if the player gets stuck under a vehicle, but it is almost never used.
 * The animation is used if the player is stuck under a truck, but if the player is stuck under a car, they will simply teleport next to the car.
 * GTA V has similar mission structures to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas such as heists requiring setup, as did the main heist in GTA San Andreas and introducing characters by name. Also, many flying missions resembled ones from GTA San Andreas such as Nervous Ron which required dropping equipment from a plane later on in the mission like N.O.E. in GTA San Andreas. Minor Turbulence also had similarities to N.O.E. but also Freefall and Stowaway.
 * There is a noticeable similarity between the GTA V logo and the icon on the 1899 $5 bill.
 * GTA V is the third game in the series to start with a bank robbery, with Grand Theft Auto III and The Ballad of Gay Tony being the first and second respectively. Unlike the previous two games, however, the bank robbery in GTA V is a playable mission instead of just a mere cutscene.
 * GTA V is the first game in the series since Grand Theft Auto Advance where the player can store all the weapons in their inventory instead of replacing them.