Grand Theft Auto V

GTA V
GTA V
GTA V box art
GTA V box art
Set in 2013
Location Los Santos (San Andreas)
Protagonists
Platforms PC PS3 PS4 PS5 Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox X|S
Release dates

Xbox 360 - 17 September 2013
PS3 - 17 September 2013
Xbox One - 18 November 2014
PS4 - 18 November 2014
PC - 27 January 2015
PS5 - 15 March 2022

Xbox Series X|S - 15 March 2022
Developers Rockstar Games
Publishers Rockstar North
Engine RAGE
Expansions GTA Online
Links Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
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Grand Theft Auto V (also known as GTA V or GTA 5) is a video game created by Rockstar Games and is the fifteenth installment in the Grand Theft Auto series of games. The game is also linked with Grand Theft Auto Online, a game released in October 2013 that takes place in the same setting but shortly before the events of GTA V.

The game is set in modern day Los Santos and Blaine County, San Andreas and its surrounding countryside. Although it was originally going to be released in spring 2013, this was delayed with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions being released on September 17th, 2013. The game is part of the HD Universe, a fictional universe that connects the storylines of GTA IV, The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars with those of GTA V and GTA Online.

For full details on the announcement, buildup, hype and leaks of GTA V, see History of GTA V.

Game Information


Grand Theft Auto series
chronology of events

2D Universe
GTA 1 Era

1961London 1961
1969London 1969


3D Universe
GTA III Era

1984GTA Vice City Stories
1986GTA Vice City
1992GTA San Andreas


2D Universe
GTA 1 Era

1997Grand Theft Auto 1


3D Universe
GTA III Era

1998GTA Liberty City Stories


2D Universe
GTA 2 Era

1999GTA 2


3D Universe
GTA III Era

2000GTA Advance
2001GTA III

HD Universe
GTA IV Era

2008GTA IV

The Lost and Damned
The Ballad of Gay Tony

2009GTA Chinatown Wars


GTA V Era

2013GTA Online
2013GTA V

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto V features three playable protagonists, a first for the GTA series: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips, with the player able to swap between the three when not on certain missions or wanted by the police. Certain missions involve two or all three protagonists, allowing the player to switch between them to assist in completing the mission. One mission also allows the player to swap to Chop, a Rottweiler dog owned by Lamar Davis but looked after by Franklin. The three protagonists have their own lives and, when not chosen, continue with their daily routines, occasionally resulting in the player continuing the activity. When the player chooses another character, the protagonist "left behind" remains in his location for a short period of time; if the newly controller character returns to the location where the other character was left, the two will interact and can optionally take part in non-mission activities together.

Some storyline missions, side missions and hobbies will only be available to a specific character while random encounters can be encountered and completed by any protagonist. The player can also customise each character beyond their initial appearance through buying clothes, changing hairstyles, getting tattoos and enhancing certain abilities such as stamina, driving skill or flying skill. Each protagonist also has a special ability, which can be triggered during gameplay: Michael can slow down time while on foot, Franklin can slow down time while driving and Trevor can become angry, dealing out more damage and taking little in return.

Image Name Description
Michael De Santa Michael De Santa Michael is a retired bank robber, living under the protection of the FIB witness protection program. With his money running out, he is being drawn back into a life of crime.
Trevor Phillips Trevor Philips Trevor is an emotionally unstable, sociopathic career criminal, suffering from drug addiction. He has previously worked with Michael in various heists, and has prior experience as a military pilot, allowing him to operate aircraft.
Franklin Clinton Franklin Clinton Franklin is "fit and fashion conscious", working for an Armenian luxury car dealer, repossessing cars of those who default on their payments. He is starting to work his way up in the criminal world.

Setting

Grand Theft Auto V is set in the fictional state of San Andreas: consisting of the city of Los Santos and the rural Blaine County, which also includes two towns called Paleto Bay and Sandy Shores. The player can explore the entire map from the beginning of the game, although certain areas (Fort Zancudo, Los Santos International Airport and Bolingbroke Penitentiary), result in a wanted level being given to the player. GTA V also includes a fully explorable ocean floor, which can be explored by swimming underwater, scuba diving or in a submarine. Animals also roam across Blaine County and the surrounding Pacific Ocean with some (such as mountain lions and sharks) being prepared to hunt and kill the player character.

Official Information

Grand Theft Auto V was official announced by Rockstar Games in November 2011 with the release of the first first trailer, while retail posters released in October 2012 confirmed a Spring 2013 release for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, which was later confirmed by Rockstar Games. In November 2012 Rockstar Games announced that the game was available for pre-order and three days later a twenty-three page preview is released revealing the first real information about the game, including the scale of the games map and the inclusion of three playable characters. On Novembver 14th the second trailer was released. January 2013 saw Rockstar Games announce that the release date for GTA V had been pushed back. On April 30th three new protagonist based trailers were released.

On 2 July 2013, Rockstar answered several gamers' questions through a news article. In this article, they confirmed the following:

  • The ability to switch to any protagonist at any time when not in a mission, as well as missions that involve multiple protagonists
  • Using one protagonist to "kill" another would result similarly to a protagonist "dying" in previous GTA games (they don't actually die, they just end up in the hospital fully recovered)
  • All editions of the game will include a double-sided map of Los Santos
  • Both weapons and cars will be "very customizable"
  • The Xbox 360 version will be 2 discs, with Disc 1 being a first-time install-only disc and Disc 2 being the gameplay disc, while the PlayStation 3 version will be one disc and will automatically install the same way the Xbox 360 version does, both requiring 8GB of space
  • A gameplay trailer and information on Grand Theft Auto Online will be coming soon; Rockstar will not confirm nor deny a PC version as well as next gen versions (PC and next gen console releases have been since confirmed)
  • There will be new and stronger anti-cheating measures online
  • Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gameplay will be identical
  • There will not be another delay and the 17 September release date still stands

One week later an official gameplay trailer was released and The Official trailer followed on August 29th.


Plot

Time Period

GTA V is set in 2013 shortly after the events of Grand Theft Auto Online, four years on from Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and five years on from Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.

Pretense

The game follows three protagonists on their individual journeys to success in the criminal underworld.

GTA V

History to current events

The game begins in 2004 with an attempted heist on a business in Ludendorff, North Yankton by Michael Townley, Trevor Philips, Bradley Snider and an unnamed getaway driver. They manage to get away from the building with the money, however, the getaway driver and Bradley are killed, while Michael is also shot. Trevor flees the scene, which is filled with the local police and FIB agents, evading them. In between 2004 and 2013 Snider is buried as Michael, who moves to Los Santos to retire from criminal activity, while Trevor eventually finds his way to living in Sandy Shores, Blaine County just north of Los Santos.

The present day

Following the opening mission set in 2004, the game begins in earnest with Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis working at Premium Deluxe Motorsport for Simeon Yetarian as repossession agents. Simeon, having sold a car to Michael's son Jimmy, sends Franklin to repossess the car after he defaults on the payments. Michael, however, holds Franklin at gun point and forces him to drive the car into Premium Deluxe Motorsport's showroom. Franklin and Lamar, who had also kept a motorcycle rather than returning it, are both fired. Michael, feeling bad for Franklin, offers him a free beer and the two begin to talk about their involvement in the criminal underworld, both past and present.

Michael, having seen his wife Amanda cheating with her tennis coach, chases him to a house before pulling the support beams from underneath it, destroying the house. Martin Madrazo, the home's owner, convinces Michael and Franklin, who had assisted Michael, into paying for the house to be rebuilt. The two form a crew and rob a jewelery store, taking enough money to repay Madrazo.

Introducing Trevor Philips

In Blaine County, at the same time, Trevor Philips begins to expand his criminal empire by destroying The Lost Brotherhood's Los Santos chapter while also attempting to form links with the Triads, although this proves unsuccessful, which includes destroying a rival meth lab owned by the O'Neil Brothers. News of the jewellery store heist appears on news programs and a phrase used during the heist reminds Trevor of his lost friend Michael. He sends Wade Hebert to Los Santos to discover the whereabouts of Michael and eventually tracks him down. The two confront each other but work together to stop Michael's daughter Tracey from appearing on a reality television show.

Michael, Franklin and Trevor then begin to work together to achieve their aims of earning enough money to live out their lives, while also attempting to keep FIB agents Steve Haines, Dave Norton and Andreas Sanchez from arresting or killing them. Together they steal military hardware, 'recover' a man from the IAA with information about a terrorist and perform a heist at a [[Paleto Bay]-based bank, although Michael and Trevor briefly go into hiding after kidnapping Patricia Madrazo. Trevor also spends this time piecing together the events of 2004 and brings his suspicions to Michael who is unable to successfully deny the truth.

The truth revealed

Michael and Trevor, having planned to perform one last heist, go their separate ways with Trevor promising to return and kill Michael. Michael and Franklin, however, continue to work together by perform a terrorist attack on the FIB building, with the promise of being set free from their work with the FIB corrupt agents. They, however, double cross the group and plan another meeting, which is subsequently raided by FIB agents after having received information from Andreas Sanchez. Steve Haines escapes and leaves his partner Dave Norton behind. Norton, however, also escapes with help from Michael and Trevor, who agree to put their differences aside to work on one last heist.

The ending

Michael, Franklin and Trevor prepare for and then execute the heist, getting away with a vast sum of gold, which is later melted down and sold by Lester Crest. The crew gets its agreed share and the relationship between Michael, Franklin and Trevor ends. However, unknown to Michael and Trevor, Franklin had been contacted by the FIB to kill Trevor and by Devin Weston, a businessman and billionaire the trio had stolen cars for, to kill Michael.

The player, as Franklin, then has three choices: to kill Trevor for the FIB, to kill Michael for Devin Weston or to save both:

  • Killing Michael: If the player kills Michael, then he and Franklin will drive to a secluded spot before Michael is pushed off a water tower. Franklin can then either let him fall to his death or attempt to save him, causing Michael to headbutt him and fall to his death.
  • Killing Trevor: If the player kills Trevor, then Michael and Franklin will chase him to an oil plant where Trevor will crash his car into an oil tank, covering him with oil, which Franklin lights on fire.
  • Saving both: If the player decides to save both Michael and Trevor then the three work together one final time to attack FIB agents and Merryweather mercenaries before agreeing to split up and kill their various enemies. Michael agrees to kill Stretch, who had tried to get Franklin and Lamar killed on numerous occasions, Franklin agrees to kill Triad boss Wei Cheng, who had almost had a business relationship with Trevor and who had almost killed Michael, while Trevor is left to kill Steve Haines. Afterwards Trevor kidnaps Devin Weston and locks him in the boot Devin's car, which is driven to a secluded location and pushed into the Pacific Ocean by the trio. With Trevor and Michael reconciling, the three agree to remain friends, but end their relationships professionally.


Sales

Grand Theft Auto V was commercially successful within twenty-four hours of release having generated $800 million, equating to 13 million copies being sold, and set a new record for first-day sales. Three days after released, on September 20th, 2013, the game exceeded $1 billion, making it the fastest selling entertainment product in history. Six days after release, September 26, 2013, GTA V had become the UK's fastest selling game of all time and the 24th biggest-selling game ever.

Controversy

The mission By the Book generated significant controversy regarding its use of torture on Mr. K in order to extract information about an Azerbaijani terrorist. Trevor Philips uses various torture devices on Mr. K, who is strapped to a chair. Trevor is later asked by corrupt FIB agent Steve Haines to kill Mr. K but instead drives him to the airport and while driving to the airport Trevor comments on the ineffectiveness of torture in extracting information.

See also

External link