Reviews

http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/grand-theft-auto-v

IGN: 10

OXM: 10

OXM UK: 10

EDGE: 10

Globe and Mail: 10

Gamer.no: 10

MondoXbox: 10

Giant Bomb: 10

Destructoid: 9

Overview

Wiki - http://gamewise.co/games/17254/Grand-Theft-Auto-V

Grand Theft Auto V is the 9th main game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and will be the 2nd released on the PS3 and 360. It features, a first for the series, three different protagonists, of whom you can freely move between at any point in the overworld. Grand Theft Auto V is set in Los Santos of San Andreas fame, and will feature by far the largest map in any Rockstar title to date.

Grand Theft Auto V launches on the 17th September. 

Playable Characters

As mentioned, there are three playable characters in Grand Theft Auto V; Micheal, Franklin and Trevor. Micheal is a middle-aged, retired criminal-turned-familyman who can't settle into a "normal" life, Franklin is a young gangster with good intentions, and Trevor is a crazed hillbilly type. More information on all three characters can be found in the below video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf38HiYPMiI

Los Santos and Mission Structure

The above map is what is now believed to be the official, actual map for GTA V. Note that the following is all speculative for now. As can be seen, there is one major city, Los Santos (which is approximately the same size as GTA IV's Liberty City). In addition, there appears to be at least 5 smaller towns, which are (in clockwise direction from Los Santos):

Chumash (though this could still be part of Los Santos), a long coastal town on the bottom left of the map.

Paleto Bay, a large coastal town in the top left of the map.

Grapeseed, an average sized town just north of Alanio Sea, at the base of Mount Chillad.

Sandy Shores, a large town just south of Alanio Sea, in the desert.

Harmony, a small desert town in the desert.

However, there is a strong possibility that smaller settlements will be present which can not be seen on this map. For example, just east of Fort Zancudo (one of three major airports in the game), you can see an Ammu-Nation and a clothes store situated on top of one another. It's possible that this is one of these settlements.

Also of note is the presence of what appears to be 20 purchasable properties; 15 in Los Santos and 5 in the remaining countryside. In addition, there are a variety of other icons, including airports (as you will once again be able to fly, dive and explore the as-yet unseen underwater area), binoculars, parachutes, races and more. It's safe to say they'll be plenty to do in this world outside of the main story!

Finally, incase you struggle to comprehend the size of the world, here's a comparison map:

Unlike previous titles, Grand Theft Auto will have a much greater focus on heists, opposed to disjointed missions. Think of the Caligula robbery in San Andreas for reference. Most missions will be about collecting objects for these heists, such as keycards, costumes, explosives, blueprints etc., and the actual heists will be carried out afterwards. 

News

In GTA Online, you can now create hierarchies, similar to factions in other titles. More news can be found here, but a brief overview of the system can be seen below.

"As of today, Crew Leaders will be able to assign special ranks to other members. In descending order of seniority, the ranks below Crew Leader are Commissioners, then Lieutenants, then Representatives and finally Muscle."

GTA V soundtrack talked about by Rolling Stones, clips revealed: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/inside-the-grand-theft-auto-v-soundtrack-20130828#ixzz2dIe1HtEP

NEW TRAILER IS HERE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XL6vcP-bhB8

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So, that's about all I've got time to do right now. Rest assured that, in the run-up to launch, I'll be fleshing out this thread more, so keep an eye out! 

However, what's your opinion on the game? Will you be picking it up, or are you waiting for a potential next-gen or PC version? And what about the Metascore? What will it get? I'm thinking 95 right now, though I have every faith the game will be better than GTA IV. 

I'm picking it up at launch, and I'm predicting a 97 score on metacritic. I always wondered how could any game get even one perfect score because nothing is perfect, everything has flaws. It will probably be the game of the year.

It may be the highest rated game of the year...but I still think a lot of sites will go with The Last of Us. I don't know, it just seems to be the darling of the Internet for some reason (though it is damn good and in my Top 10 games of all time, so there's some merit to it).

It will be a close one, but who knows maybe some of the next gen games end up being the winner.

It will obviously be the best game ever!

From the looks of it, it really should, time to get very excited (and there is a new trailer tomorrow!)

I pre-ordered a couple of weeks ago for PS3, if it weren't for Rome II coming out next week, I would literally be counting down the days, this game is going to be absurd

I can't wait to hear the R&B radio Station and the Classic Hip Hop station. Also, GTA Online.

Ah yes, the new trailer! Hopefully we'll see some more of the outside-Los Santos area, or even something story related?

The only game I can see having better score than any other is Half Life 3, but that's not happening anytime soon.

This game will score about 99 on metacritic.

Ocarina of Time level? I don't think so. Quarter To Three would have something to say about it.