GRAND THEFT AUTO V - What Does The Trailer Tell Us ?

So, it's finally here and we've all had a chance to take a look at the eagerly anticipated debut trailer for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V. While it's a brief trailer - which runs at little over a minute - there's a large amount of stuff here for us to sink our teeth into, and compared to debut trailers for previous games in the iconic series, it's surprisingly meaty. Here's a breakdown of the some of the key moments from the trailer, and our initial thoughts and early predictions for what lies in store. The trailer begins with a tranquil shot of a couple walking their dog, blissfully unaware that they are in a violent Grand Theft Auto game. More importantly, it immediately establishes a sunnier and more idealic open-world than GTA IV's gritty urban slums. Also worth noting is the sign on the hut which mentions 'Pleasure Pier' with a cheesy picture depicting a fun-fair style beach location. I'd love to see an amusment park like that seen in Rockstar's Bully, with interactive rides and carnival games. There's also some warning symbols below.... Beware of Sharks perhaps ? Another shot follows which again sums up the laid back world in which GTA V is set, making for a nice alternative to the darker and grittier Liberty City of GTA IV. We can see joggers on the sidewalk, people casually strolling along and what looks like a spoof of Starbucks Coffee in the distance. There's also another, more visible sign for Pleasure Pier, again suggesting that the location is to play a significant part of the beach area of the game. A panoramic view of the area showcases the distinctive open-world of the game, based on Los Angeles. There's the blend of tropical beaches and sidewalks, mixed with denser urban areas with visible traffic and pedestrians. In the distance we can see skyscrapers and office blocks, which form another part of GTA V's varied world. Our new protagonist can be heard narrating the trailer, describing his desire for a new life in the idealic and laid-back Los Santos. It's fair to assume from the voice-over that this time we'll be controlling an aging character who is looking to turn away from a life of crime - complete with taking up Golf as a retirement hobby. GTA IV add-on pack The Ballad Of Gay Tony featured a Golf driving course mini-game, could we be seeing the next logical step up here ? Jet Skis ! The amphibious vehicle looks set to make a more than welcome return to the series, while eagle eyed viewers might have noticed the brand - SpeedoPhile 2000. It's an early indication of kind of humour we're in store for and it's also good to see that Rockstar hasn't lost any of its desire to be as tasteless as possible when it comes to the Grand Theft Auto series. By far the most breathtaking moment of the entire trailer, a stunning shot of GTA V's beautiful forests and wide-open countryside. One of the problems with GTA IV, was it's lack of variety in its depiction of Liberty City. Thankfully, GTA V's world looks to follow in GTA: San Andreas' footsteps with a hugely varied world which mixes urban cities and sunkissed beaches with lush countryside. We can only hope that we'll see a return of San Andreas' rural vehicles, including Combine Harvesters and Tractors. There's another sight of what looks like our new lead character, this time with a shaved head and a white vest. He's also driving a slick convertable with ajustable top, which suggests more freedom with vehicles and hopefully the ability to modify cars. Could the piercing's sign point to us being able to customise our look more with this entry ? If so, can we also expect to see the return of San Andreas' barber shops and tattoo parlours ? "I bought a big house" says our narrator as we see this stunning balcony on a luxurious property. Will this be where we start the game ? Already living a life of luxury ? Perhaps going downhill from there ? Also, we can plainly see characters exercising and working out, with what looks like yoga routines. Another new mini-game to add to the line up ? It's the beach again, but there's the interesting inclusion here of an outdoor gym titled 'Muscle Sands'. Could the gym mark the return of San Andreas' RPG styled system of building your muscles in order to increase strength and stamina as well as losing weight. Even if they wont go that far, it's probably safe to say that there's another mini-game awaiting in its beachside gym. A brief shot of the 'Mile High Club' development is likely to tie into the story somehow, but it could also suggest that there might be a larger emphasis on buying property this time around. Previous GTA games like GTA: Vice City have allowed us to buy and earn income from developments, hopefully GTA V will expand on this idea and perhaps even allow us to lease out property to expand our wealth and fortune. A clear look at our new lead character, whom we currently know little about other than the fact that he's retiring from what he calls "that line of work". He also looks a little bit like Frank West from Capcom's Dead Rising.... Or is that just me ? Our first look at the return of planes to the series, with a Crop Duster airplane dropping what appears to be insecticide on some plants - as well as some disgruntled farmers. This shot immediately reminded me of some similar countryside missions from San Andreas, many of which involved destroying crops and weed plantations. It also leads into..... Our 'retired' friend and some of his buddies, all dressed as pest control men, and armed to the teeth with automatic weaponry. Along with the insecticide plane, this suggests that a pest control guise may form some aspect of the story to a larger degree. Also, this sequence recalls the awesome bank heist mission from GTA IV, which we'd definitely enjoy seeing more of. There's nothing wrong with a good Simpsons reference ("The goggles ! They do not work !") and this shot of an Up-n-Atom van for microwavable burgers is a good spoof of soggy Rustler's products complete with slogan "once it pings, eat like kings". Following in the tradition of great Grand Theft Auto brands like Clucking Bell and Sprunk, we look forward to seeing more of them. Could this snippet of a man hammering in a property for sale sign be another signal towards a bigger emphasis on buying property ? GTA IV included expanding your empire with new luxurious apartments and houses, but the locations felt less varied than those of earlier games. Hopefully this points to more freedom with what property we can buy - from suburban bungalows to high-rise apartments. It'd be especially great if Rockstar took things to another level by offering us an in-game property market which constantly changes and offers us access to endless properties. With many criticisms over GTA IV's lack of interactive interiors, this seems to suggest that we'll get to explore the many shops and stores of Los Santos. While it's impossible to say what degree of freedom the game will offer us this early on, the doors of the liquor store seems to be accessible - much like a supermarket we see earlier in the trailer. Another shot emphasizing GTA V's return of planes, as we see a a jet whooshes through the skyline between skyscrapers and offices. Along with the Crop Duster and the plane seen later on in the trailer, it looks like we can expect to see a variety of different air vehicles, something which is sure to have many fans of the seires excited. As always, the Grand Theft Auto games depict a realistic world complete with both the stinking rich and the poor. It's made especially clear in this first trailer as we see a hobo clutching a typically irrelevent sign asking for money for booze and other vices, which ends with "at least i'm not bullshitting you". As in San Andreas, the hills of Los Santos are defined by a spoof of the infamous 'Hollywood' lettering sign of the real area in Los Angeles. Hopefully, as was the case in our earlier visit to Vinewood in San Andreas, we'll be able to traverse the hills to discover an area which is full of luxurious mansions and apartments - all overlooking the huge city below. The closing shot of the trailer depicts sundown in Los Santos as a plane cruises through the sky and towards the city. It secures Rockstar's desire to emphisise the inclusion of planes which was a common critism of GTA IV. Seeing as the closing shot is one of the most important moments of an initial trailer, it's safe to say that Rockstar are bringing planes back in a big way. But what about the Jet-Pack ? ________________ Click Here for more screenshots from GTA V's stunning trailer. What are your initial expectations ?Have you spotted anything else of significant importance in the trailer ?