The first GTA V trailer has been floating around the internet for a few days now giving gamers a glimpse into what the game will look like and any potential content. The trailer itself was not full of details but coupled with a press release sent out the day after the trailer, definite certainties have been nailed down. The game will take place in a modern day Los Santos, Rockstars fictional take on Los Angeles and the story involves the pursuit of ‘the almighty dollar’. Apart from these concrete details, the rest of the trailer is open to interpretation and speculation. With that said, lets break down the trailer and see if any extra information can be gleamed from it.
The trailer begins with a voiceover that says: “Why did I move here? Guess it was the weather. Or the.. Ah, I don’t know. That thing. That magic.” It appears that this person is not a native Los Santosian. His motives for relocating are revealed when he says: ‘I wanted to retire, from what I was doing, you know, from that, that, line of work. Be a good guy for once, a family man”. From this statement, this guy was clearly part of the criminal underworld before appearing in Los Santos. He now wants to be a good guy, seemingly wishes to leave the old world behind and start a new life with his family. He mentions his children and that he would like to be a normal dad but he also indicates by saying “but, you know how it is” that this was probably not going to happen even with the fresh start.
It appears this individual is not short of a buck or two as he muses: “So, I bought a big house, came here” and as he says this, the above street sign appears. Translated into English, Los Puerta means ‘the door’. This could mean the big house that this man bought is in a place where you need to pass through a door to get to, for example a closed community, which would also provide protection for his family, allowing him to lead the new life he wants.
Speaking of the mysterious voiceover man, is the person above said man. He appears three times in the trailer, once as above, again as he appears to be performing a heist dressed as a pest control employee and again driving an expensive looking blue convertible. Is this man the games protagonist? He appears too prominently to discount this so the smart money would say he was the games lead character. This is where it becomes slightly confusing right now because, as mentioned before, it looks like he has money on his side yet the press release from Rockstar states the story will focus on ‘the pursuit of the almighty Dollar’. Does this man lose everything at the beginning of the story, forcing him into the crime game again, doing what he knows to scrape some money together? Does something happen to his family and he has no other choice but to immerse himself in his old life? Does he lose his money investing in construction as the first time you see him is against a developing skyline? There are many permutations that could happen but my best bet is that it will be a combination of the above. His old life will catch up with him, his children will feel the brunt of it and he will be drawn into criminal life after trying to shun that lifestyle.
There is of course the possibility that this man isn’t the main protagonist at all and that he will only play a part in the games story. If this is true he would have to play a fairly significant role as he does in the trailer. If this is the case then you could be a wannabe Chopper Read tasked with finding this individual who has fled to Los Santos to take them down, building up your contacts that can provide you with information as to the whereabouts of this person.
There is a definite theme of rich against poor in the city as the trailer flows from high end cars to homeless people living under a bridge so it appears this will also tie into the games story, perhaps the protagonist may try to atone for his old life by helping needy people in the city. The class divide will have its hooks in the story in quite a significant way, though how is unclear right now.
With the potential plot threads dealt with, let’s move onto potential in game activities. The image above shows a house being put up for sale. Could you buy this house in the game? In GTA: Vice City you were able to buy real estate and generate an income from them so might this feature be making a return to the series? Developing buildings are also quite prominent in the trailer so might you be able to invest in these too?
Muscle beach is also shown in the trailer. In GTA: San Andreas you were tasked with keeping CJ suitably fed and exercised so he didn’t pile on the pounds from too much Cluckin’ Bell. Will these RPG elements make their return once again? Will you be able to define your character and make them look the way you want them to look? This will change up the formula from GTA IV and will ensure the game is different as opposed to more of the same.
Speaking of San Andreas, is this man an older version of CJ? What has happened to him in the near 20 game years since we visited Los Santos? Will Grove Street be in the game and will we be able to cruise up to CJ’s old house? He must still be in the city living his life and there must be a nod to him somewhere in the city. It would be crazy not to acknowledge him. It will be interesting to see what gangs are present this time around and if any from San Andreas are still surviving.
As for the game world itself, Rockstar have cited it as “the largest and the most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created” and also locations on offer include Los Santos and the “surrounding hills, countryside and beaches”. Liberty City in GTA VI was a huge sandbox to play in and GTA V promises to be bigger, which to me is an incredibly exciting prospect. Who didn’t enjoy riding a motorbike up to the top of the tallest mountain in San Andreas, launching that bad boy off a ramp, performing a backflip or two then jumping off and deploying your parachute for a safe landing? On occasion while playing, I would repeat this feat over and over and it never got boring. Being able to do this again would be a welcome addition for me.
So there you have it, a fairly comprehensive rundown of the major points in the trailer. Sure, we could sit here and agonise over every frame speculating over whether or not certain things may or may not be in the game but at this stage its only fitting to try and nail down the potential ‘biggies’ of the game as there are so many unknowns. I for one will be waiting with bated breath for anymore scraps that Rockstar throw my way because I am hugely excited to return to my old stomping ground of Los Santos.
We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas as to what you think GTA V will contain and also what you would like it to contain so feel free to leave a comment below.
