We take a look at three of the biggest games heading your way this year.
Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar makes big games. We all know this, but “big” is not an apt description for their next game, Grand Theft Auto V. “Massive” has a nice ring to it, or perhaps “monstrous” is a better word, as the size of GTA V is almost scary. Rockstar claims that the real estate of the redesigned Los Santos (read: Los Angeles) is bigger than the maps of San Andreas, GTA IV, and Red Dead Redemption combined.
To clarify, that size comes in many forms. Grand Theft Auto V promises to give players even more internal areas to explore, from little shops to huge boutiques. Taking a cue from more recent open world games like Saints Row The Third, we can look forward to more verticality in the city as well. You can catch some huge air, but you can also explore the depths, as scuba diving is a brand-new diversion to the series. With so much real estate to cover, GTA V could possibly reach Skyrim levels of time sink.
Of course, just tooling around places like Verona Beach or Vinewood is fun and all, but Grand Theft Auto is a series known for its hard-boiled crime stories with a colorful cast of ne’er-do-wells. GTA V is no different in that respect, but instead of focusing on a single protagonist like Niko Bellic the narrative revolves around three unique individuals. You have Micheal, the former career criminal enjoying a posh life in the witness protection program with his family. Then there’s Trevor, Michael’s former friend and partner, who’s seen far better days. Rounding out the cast is the young buck, Franklin. He works as a repo man for a shady Armenian company, and is looking for a change in pay grade.
There is still a lot that is unknown about this new Rockstar joint. With a story that centers on three characters working together the idea of three player co-op seems like a no-brainer. So far that hasn’t been revealed, and considering the length of your average GTA game it may not be a workable option. We also don't know about the combat and vehicle controls. Grand Theft Auto IV was criticized for its finicky car handling, and the series has always had issues with armed conflict. Hopefully the developers have been paying attention to the accolades that Saints Row garnered last year and let the gameplay become less simulation and more fun.
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