Grand Theft Auto 5's three main protagonists revealed

Rockstar's long-awaited open-world sequel has three main protagonists, because more is better, of course.

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Game Informer's massive Grand Theft Auto 5 cover story goes live later today. However, we've already been given a look at the cover, which reveals the open world adventure's three main protagonists. Los Santos promises to be the "biggest open world Rockstar has created to date," so no wonder you'll want to assume multiple characters to see them all.

The 18-page feature is GI's biggest cover story yet, and promises to divulge and dissect "many more aspects of the game fans won't want to miss." Considering little is known about Rockstar's long-awaited sequel, it's clear that the internet will be abuzz in just a few hours, when the digital issue drops to subscribers.

"Trailer #2" for the sequel will be coming out in just a few days.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    November 8, 2012 9:30 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Grand Theft Auto 5's three main protagonists revealed.

    Rockstar's long-awaited open-world sequel has three main protagonists, because more is better, of course.

    • reply
      November 8, 2012 9:32 AM

      jesus christ just take my stupid money

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      November 8, 2012 9:33 AM

      Saint's Row will still be better.

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        November 8, 2012 9:37 AM

        GTA: San Andreas >>>>> *

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          November 8, 2012 9:55 PM

          If they can bring back just some of wackiness from SA it will be a great game. Got bored with the overly serious tone of the last one and didn't finish.

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            November 9, 2012 6:00 AM

            [deleted]

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            November 10, 2012 1:47 AM

            GTA IV was dull, boring, and bland. Never cared to finish it either. SA was literally all kinds of awesome, though.

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          November 9, 2012 6:00 AM

          [deleted]

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          November 10, 2012 1:48 AM

          yup. GTA IV was boring in a box.

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        November 8, 2012 9:39 AM

        We can play BOTH!!!

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          November 8, 2012 11:28 AM

          Thank you sir, well said, GTA has taken my money and lately so has Saint's Row, but can't wait for this game to come out. Going to be epic

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      November 8, 2012 9:37 AM

      Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles? I'd play it.

    • DM7 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      November 8, 2012 9:56 AM

      I want this gaaaame! :D

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      November 8, 2012 10:14 AM

      [deleted]

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      November 8, 2012 10:14 AM

      Coop. Just make it coop.

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        November 8, 2012 10:17 AM

        What has GTA V got to do with chickens?

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          November 8, 2012 11:29 AM

          Everything, man. Everything.

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            November 8, 2012 11:56 AM

            Interesting... never thought of it that way.

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              November 9, 2012 1:03 AM

              hidden eggs, feathers, tags, pigeons, it all makes sense!

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      November 8, 2012 11:37 AM

      Yah this game will be epic, considering sleeping dogs is taking me weeks to complete at playing 3 hrs a day, god knows how long this game will consume my life.

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      November 8, 2012 12:19 PM

      This is a great idea if you're not just choosing one up front and playing most of the same stuff 3x.

      Sticking with one character over so many hours starts to drag with the way they tell their stories. If GTA4 had you switching back and forth between Niko and Johnny and Luis from the L&D and BoGT episodes, it would have been a lot more interesting.

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      November 8, 2012 12:57 PM

      And they're all men? Missed opportunity.

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      November 9, 2012 12:34 AM

      Sit on my face GTA V.

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        November 9, 2012 1:53 AM


        GTA 5 "evolves nearly every mechanic" found in previous games in the series.
        Features the biggest open world in the series' history - GTA 5's world is bigger than the worlds of Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas and GTA IV combined.
        Three playable characters who you can switch between "at nearly any time".
        Each character has their own specific abilities and story arc, with all three stories intertwined.
        Camera zooms out to a "Google Earth-style" perspective when switching characters.
        Character 1 - Michael, an ex-bank robber in his early 40s who retired after making a deal with the FIB. He has two teenage children and hates his wife Amanda. He's also the narrator of the original GTA 5 trailer.
        Character 2 - Trevor, a former war veteran and a "drugged out psychopath". An experienced pilot.
        Character 3 - Franklin, a repo man in his mid 20s described as a "young and ambitious hustler".
        Certain characters from GTA IV and Episodes From Liberty City will also make an appearance. Rockstar's Dan Houser says we'll never see characters from the PS2 era, though. "The five PS2 games are one universe, and this is the high definition universe, so they don't co-exist," he says.
        No major actors cast as any of the main characters.
        Focus on making more diverse missions.
        Heists and bank robberies are a big theme to the game.
        Characters will work together during missions, and you can switch between characters mid-mission to fulfill different roles. For example, during a chase sequence you can pilot the getaway helicopter as Trevor, snipe pursuing pilots as Franklin, or fire an assault rifle as Michael.
        Missions will have a "very diiferent tone depending on who's on them, how many people are on them, and how much we're using switches", says Houser.
        Even when you're not controlling them, each character will still go about their own business across Los Santos. "You may be surprised by the situations they find themselves in should you switch back to check up on them," says Game Informer.
        Big advances to lighting and shader model. Greater draw distance.
        Improved vehicle handling and physics - "The cars hold to the ground better... It feels more like a racing game," Houser says.
        More vehicles than in any GTA to date, including BMXs, mountain bikes, road bikes, dirt bikes, cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, ATVs and Jet Skis, but vehicle manufacturers are still fictional.
        Fighter jets appear to be in. One screenshot shows a fighter equipped with missiles, as a helicopter explodes in the background.
        Improved shooting and melee combat. Melee combat "never going to be as big a deal as shooting," though, warns Houser.
        Pedestrians are fully mo-capped and more interactive.
        You can rappel down buildings, although it's not confirmed whether this is specific to certain missions.
        Los Santos is described as a "huge and diverse city", combining the best of Red Dead Redemption's "large open expanses" with GTA IV's "densely packed urban environment".
        Areas in the game world include beachfronts, mountains, the wilderness, a "Salton Sea" region, a military base and the suburbs.
        GTA: San Andreas was about gang culture. GTA 5 is about capturing the "contemporary culture of LA".
        There will be a "vibrant and fun" economy, but you won't be able to buy property.
        A variety of different side missions and "more sophisticated" minigames, including yoga, triathlons, Jet Skiing, base-jumping, tennis and golf. There's a full golf course in the game. You can go scuba diving along the coastline of Los Santos, or go to the gym on the seafront.
        Each character will have unique hobbies, including "one or two key minigame activities per character".
        San Andreas' RPG-like player customization is still absent, but you can customize the clothing of each character.
        GTA IV's romance feature has been removed.
        Like in GTA IV, players can make friends and hang out with certain NPCs, including Michael's wife Amanda and son Jimmy, Franklin's "crazy friend" Lamar, and Trevor's mate Ron.
        GTA IV's mobile phone returns, but a lot of its features have been altered. You can use it to access the internet.
        Dynamic missions - hidden missions dotted around the game world. "Going off-road in the desert, you may come across two parked cars and a sea of dead bodies around them... Investigate if you want."

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      November 9, 2012 7:19 AM

      They put three protagonists in one game and still can't be assed to make one of them female.

    • Ziz legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      November 9, 2012 7:42 AM

      •There will be no customisation of characters, as each character will have their own traits. What no buying em clothes?

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