In the absence of firm information from Rockstar, all kinds of rumours have surfaced about GTA V. Here they all are in a handy digest form…
In a vacuum of reliable information, rumours quickly fill the void. And with Rockstar slyly revealing little more than a logo for their fifth Grand Theft Auto game, the Internet has exploded with theories and hearsay surrounding this most anticipated of sequels.
Here’s a brief round-up of all the rumours to have come to light so far. Can any of them be trusted? Feel free to make up your own minds…
It’s set in the past
Scrutinising the GTA V logo, some eagle-eyed web dwellers have come up with the theory that the game will be set some time in the late 19th or early 20th century, since the roman numeral five closely resembles the same figure on a five-dollar bill that went into circulation in 1899.
The notion of nicking and pootling around in Winton motor carriages shooting criminals with six-shooters is a fun one, but there are a few problems with this theory: first, it competes directly with Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s own free-roaming horse opera set around the same time, and second, it will inevitably draw comparisons with other sandbox adventures set in the past – most notably 2K’s Mafia series. GTA games have often been set in specific time periods (Grand Theft Auto: London is one early example), but we’d be surprised if Rockstar would bother to make a series entry that drew such obvious comparisons with other, similar games.
It’ll be set in Los Angeles
According to Kotaku’s sources, LA is the setting for GTA V, which would take the series back to a similar setting as San Andreas, which was partly set a fictionalised version of the City of Angels. Seeing Los Santos being given the same current-gen treatment as Liberty City in GTA IV would be exciting enough, and since San Andreas remains the series’ highpoint in some gamers’ eyes, it’d probably be a popular location, too.
If true, the source also appears to confirm an apparently leaked document that appeared in 2010, which suggested that GTA V would be set in Hollywood, and would feature five characters, one of whom was a “young female obsessed with becoming a Hollywood celebrity.”
It’ll feature multiple player characters
Of all the rumours we’ve read so far, this one’s perhaps the most plausible, and the most promising. Again reported by Kotaku, it’s rumoured that GTA V will feature more than one playable character. This is nothing new, of course, since GTA IV’s downloadable content added extra characters with their own stories to tell, but a sequel where the narrative’s shown from multiple perspectives – a little like Heavy Rain – could be a refreshing change for the franchise.
It has something to do with finance
The presence of the dollar-bill inspired five numeral on its logo has led to speculation that GTA V will feature some sort of post-financial crisis commentary. A GTA game that revolved around corporate rather than street-level crime would certainly be an interesting, leftfield move for the series, and it’d be quite amusing to play a Patrick Bateman-style yuppie with no moral compass. But while Rockstar isn’t afraid to make satirical pot-shots in its games, we’d be surprised if it did away with all the shooting and car theft just yet – those pastimes are a longstanding pillar of the franchise, after all.
It’ll be a launch title for the Xbox 720, PS4, Wii U or PlayStation Vita
Delete as applicable. Barring some surprise announcement, it’s fairly safe to rule out the possibility of the successor to the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 launching in time for GTA V’s projected release next year, which only leaves the Wii U or PlayStation Vita. We can’t imagine that Rockstar would release a game as valuable as GTA V as a system exclusive, but it’s possible that it might coincide with the launch of the Wii U, which is thought to be due to appear in stores next June.
The Vita, meanwhile, is out in the UK next February, so it’s quite feasible that Sony would want such a high-profile game on its system. The chances of Rockstar making a system-exclusive GTA V for a handheld, however, are again unlikely.
So there we have it – a brief overview of all the gossip we’ve stumbled upon so far. If we’re to take it all at face value, we may be playing a financial sandbox adventure set in 19th century LA on our Vita next year. But we won't do that.
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