GTA V to Feature Three Different Main Characters

The guy in the middle looks like Diggle from Arrow.

It's always awesome to see how klepeck turns his opinion into such objective facts in his writing.

The way they're all carrying those large bags with the one having the gas mask makes me wonder if the story involves a big heist.

A heist story by Rockstar could be pretty damn cool.

@Clonedzero:

heh heh. Never change Internet, never change.

@BlatantNinja23 said:

Maybe this way the stories won't be so drawn out.

Keep in mind that the article makes it clear that these aren't three distinct stories like Niko, Johnny, and Luis in GTA IV and its DLC. These guys know each other and are interacting and going on missions together from pretty much the word "go", and you're constantly switching between them. They'll certainly each have their own character arc, but their fates are very intertwined and there will be a more central driving story than what the GTA IV protagonists had.

I didn't care for GTAIV one bit but this one has me pretty pumped. It sounds incredibly ambitious and if there's a developer who can pull this of it's goddamn rockstar.

Taking a leaf out of Yakuza 4's book, no?

@McGhee said:

The way they're all carrying those large bags with the one having the gas mask makes me wonder if the story involves a big heist.

A heist story by Rockstar could be pretty damn cool.

The article says that complex multi-tiered heist missions are a focus of the gameplay. So expect multiple missions like "Three Leaf Clover" from GTA IV and the casino job in San Andreas.

With the way the mid-mission character switching works, you can be in control of the stick up man, the bag man, and the get away driver all at the same time. I can see them building up some very complicated Ocean's 11 or Italian Job style heists where you're actually in control of all the action going on in different locations to make the job come together.

@cexantus said:

@Clonedzero:

heh heh. Never change Internet, never change.

Can't breathe, can't stop laughing.

Color me disappointed Rockstar Games continues to focus exclusively on male protagonists

And instantly, I knew that this was written by Patrick. I just came from a Black Ops 2 stream where I noticed "the player" and "he" being used interchangeably by the game director, so I'm by far not aware of sexism when I hear it, but how many powerful female crime lords have there ever been in real life?

I got about as far as typing that sentence, and then I decided to look for the answer myself:

http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/mexican-drug-cartels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griselda_Blanco

Blanco's former lover, Charles Cosby, recounted how Blanco, at age 11, allegedly kidnapped, tried to ransom, and eventually shot a child from an upscale flatland neighborhood near her own slum neighborhood.

Blanco was killed by two gunmen on a motorcycle as she walked out of a butcher shop in her hometown, Medellín, on 3 September 2012. The Miami Herald cites El Colombiano newspaper reports that one man fired two bullets into her head, executing her in the type of "motorcycle assassination" she has been credited with inventing.

Okay. Wow. I stand corrected.

@Enigma777 said:

@algertman said:

Great. Now it's 3x more boring than IV.

Stole the words right out of my mouth.

Says more about the person playing than the game itself =)

Can't wait! People can complain all they want but I'm sure Rockstar and 2K will bring something special out in the spring of 2013. Great idea weaving three stories together like this if they pull it off! Also whats the deal with the map being around 3x the size as GTA IV, this gen will struggle? Guna be like 3 disc install on that! Haha.

@SpaceInsomniac: Yeah, she's better known as the "Cocaine Godmother". If you've never seen Cocaine Cowboys, you should watch it (probably still instant streaming on Netflix).

I agree with Patrick, my first thought was if you have three protagonists why not have one of them be female. I kind of get that they would be a bit adverse to a female lead in their sequel to a 25 million seller but with multiple leads that isn't a problem.

The comparison between Claude, Tommy, CJ and Trevor (Career Criminal), Michael (retired bank robber under witness protection) and Franklin (Repo Man) is interesting but I still think they missed an opportunity. But maybe there is a secret late-game female protagonist.

@Christoffer said:

A female protagonist in a Rockstar game would be interesting, I agree. They know how to write characters and I think I've seen the rough-neck male a few too many times.

Nice to see we get some diversity. I hope it plays like The Lost Vikings.

I can imagine Fox News shitting on Rockstar if they ever introduced a female character. The world just isn't ready, moral entrepreneurs looking for every chance to diss on video games.

Wonder if GB will embarrass itself yet again with another 5/5 score for a GTA game. Probably.

@Cybexx said:

I agree with Patrick, my first thought was if you have three protagonists why not have one of them be female. I kind of get that they would be a bit adverse to a female lead in their sequel to a 25 million seller but with multiple leads that isn't a problem.

The comparison between Claude, Tommy, CJ and Trevor (Career Criminal), Michael (retired bank robber under witness protection) and Franklin (Repo Man) is interesting but I still think they missed an opportunity. But maybe there is a secret late-game female protagonist.

As I've said before, the Houser brothers are experienced writers and they are going to use the characters that are appropriate for telling the story that they want to tell. They aren't going to force in a <insert race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.> character just to please or surprise people.

Also, it sounds like Micheal's wife is a strong female personality in the game, so that might satiate some of these people.

Will any of the main characters have a cousin that will constantly invite me to bowl? If not, I'm out.

The way you are allowed to change between the characters on the fly sounds unbelievably awesome, especially the way they are incorporating it into the missions.

@Lucidlife:

Yawn.

@Lucidlife said:

Wonder if GB will embarrass itself yet again with another 5/5 score for a GTA game. Probably.

GTA IV wasn't deserving of a 5/5? With it's amazing world, deep single player, and fun multiplayer? Really, that's not worth a 5?

Shhhh.

@cocowawa said:

how about a woman main character?!

No, that's okay. I'd rather not see Rockstar try and write a female protagonist considering every other female character in their games is atrocious. There are many things Rockstar does well, but writing women is not one of them.

@cexantus said:

@Clonedzero:

heh heh. Never change Internet, never change.

uh, what? where was i wrong? violent criminals typically treat women like crap. you associate with lots of violent criminals in GTA games. a female protagonist written realistically would catch alot of shit from the other characters in the story?

am i wrong in that?

maybe they are saving the female protagonist for the next read dead game.........

@Lucidlife: GTA4 really isn't as bad as a lot of people make it. I remember getting a lot of fun from that game. Back when it came out there was nothing really like it. Plus remember, Giantbomb gives 5 stars to games that are highly recommended, not perfect games.

This sounds incredible. Honestly wasn't expecting R* to be this ambitious considering that the GTA name alone prints money.

The Ruler's back it seems.

@themangalist said:

@Christoffer said:

moral entrepreneurs

If you came up with that, you should pat yourself on the back. Stonking brilliant.

Must be Saints Row 3's influence

Why can't I be a baby genius in my GTAs!?

Get it while it's hot y'all

http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/voshinova/grand-theft-auto-v-game-informer-information/30-97303/

I would like a woman main character also!

And not one of them could be a women? Come on Rockstar, do it already

Gotta agree with Patrick, female protagonist would've been cool.

"Color me disappointed Rockstar Games continues to focus exclusively on male protagonists"

Why? With the subject matter of the game and the target audience a female lead would not fit. There have been female leaders of Puerto Rican and Colombian gangs in the games and generally in reality that's where you're more prone to find them. A female in the mafia or a thug gang like the Bloods either doesn't exist or is incredibly rare.

They know what they're doing. If there isn't a female lead there's a perfectly good reason as to why not. Drop the PC sexism allusions that you're making.

@Thoseposers said:

the guy on the left scares me

The guy on the right scares me. That looks like a gas mask he's pulling out. That can't be a good sign.

On another note, I too would have liked to have seen Rockstar add a female protagonist to the group. I am interested in seeing where they could take such a role and what realistic limitations they might place on the character. Additionally, I'd wonder how (disturbingly) real they might take the danger a female protagonist is exposed to. Maybe that might be too hot-button an issue even for them to approach.

I enjoyed playing a female in Saints Row The Third, but that's just silly fun without any difference between the character sexes. If Rockstar plans to continue down a more serious path with their games, I'd expect more from them in this regard. Saints Row 4, however, I want to be just as awesomely dumb as the previous release. That means stiletto heels and beatin' down dudes with a giant purple dildo.

When does this issue go on sale?

@Gladiator_Games: Digital issue is now available for download on a mobile device of your choice. Subscribers should get them in the next two weeks. I assume it'll be on news stands in the next couple of weeks too.

when does the issue come out?

@VoshiNova said:

Ludicrous amounts of info. is being dropped right now Scoops! Where you @!?

Lifted from C&VG

• GTA V "evolves nearly every mechanic, features the biggest world in series history and introduces a new technology that radically changes the way players control the game.

• Three main characters are called Michael, Trevor and Frankie.

• A quick menu can be called up to switch characters, the camera pulls away into a Google Earth-style vantage point and then drops into wherever the chosen character is

• Trevor is described as having a "maniacal personality"

• Trevor is in Blaine County, a barren, rundown desert region filled with bikers, meth heads and other people from the fringes of society

• Characters can "flick off" people and people react differently depending on the area. In a rough-and-tumble

• neighbourhood the reaction will be different from someone in a posh boutique store

•Rockstar's playtester pours a trail of gas away from a vehicle and drops a zippo lighter on it, the flame travels back and causes a huge explosion.

• Franklin is seen on Vespucci Beach looking for a car he's to repossess

• Waterfront activities include a muscle beach gym

• He drops the top of the car once he gets in

• Ammu-Nation is back

• Each character has his own personality motivation and skill set

• They go about their daily business when you're not in control, so you might find them in surprising situations when you take control of them again

• Each character has a fleshed out story arc

• Complicated, multi-tiered heist missions inspired by GTA IV's Three Leaf Clover are "peppered" into the game

• Heists are a big theme

• Rockstar is addressing mission diversity in pairing characters, it showed off a mission involving all three characters

• The trio need to perform a snatch-and-grab to get the FIB off their backs

• Trevor berates security agent guarding a chopper, Michael urges him to calm down but he keeps running his mouth, he only agreed to do the mission in exchange for help springing his friend Brad out of jail.

• Franklin isn't to comfortable with Trevor

• The three change outfits and rapell down the side of a skyscraper, when they arrive players take control of Michael rapelling down, the mechanic is reminiscent of Rainbow Six Vegas

• The musical score seems to react to the action

• They extract the target by holding him hostage with one arm while pointing a gun at interrogators with the other, at that point an icon appears giving the player the option to switch character

• You can stay as Michael and try and pick of the enemies or select franklin, switch to his perspective and snipe them from afar.

• Transition is smooth and camera angle helps you adjust

• During the chase through Los Santos the player can switch to Trevor to pilot the getaway, snipe the other pilots as Franklin, or fire an assault rifle out the back of a chopper as Michael

• Rockstar is leveraging cinematic tricks learned from Max Payne 3

Why wasn't this posted instead of "Y U NO HAV GIRLS GTA?!"

Wouldn't mind some actual useful information from this site regarding news once in a while. Anyway, thanks for letting us know, Voshi.

@patrickklepek said:

Color me disappointed Rockstar Games continues to focus exclusively on male protagonists, but given how much better the downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV was (focused, efficient storytelling), I'm already way more interested than I was a few minutes ago.

Why do you care about the gender of the character? Is it important for you to play a woman shooting down cops? Where is this wave of feminism or gynocentrism in gaming coming from?

Anyway, you are suppose to play a villain anti-hero criminal. Something tells me feministfrequency wouldn't approve of such a bad trophe for women as a criminal (who probably used her feminin qualities to get out of troubles). Stick to men. Its safer ;-)

In short: I am really getting tired of this forced issue of one group being more or less represented in something or other. It so nonsensical. There is a reason for it being this or that way and it isnt always sexist, racist, ageist, homophobic or all.

That said, it would have been fun to make GTA more RPG where one could name the character and perhaps model it abit. That was sort of the orignal (you could name him yourself and choose from a variety of character of both sexes, if I remember correctly).

@Nightriff said:

And not one of them could be a women? Come on Rockstar, do it already

so is this the thing the internet complainers are going to latch onto and bitch about on every GTA5 thread on the net.

Alright now I'm fucking excited.

@doobie said:

@Nightriff said:

And not one of them could be a women? Come on Rockstar, do it already

so is this the thing the internet complainers are going to latch onto and bitch about on every GTA5 thread on the net.

Although it would be nice to see a female protagonist I think it's ridiculous if people are going to cling to this as something to be butthurt about....but I guess it's the internet. You gotta be butthurt about something.

If a female lead doesn't fit with the story they want to tell, they shouldn't have one. I wouldn't want them to force one in just so they could say "look at us and how inclusive and politically correct we are."

@AndyAce83 said:

@patrickklepek said:

Color me disappointed Rockstar Games continues to focus exclusively on male protagonists, but given how much better the downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV was (focused, efficient storytelling), I'm already way more interested than I was a few minutes ago.

Why do you care about the gender of the character? Is it important for you to play a woman shooting down cops? Where is this wave of feminism or gynocentrism in gaming coming from?

Anyway, you are suppose to play a villain anti-hero criminal. Something tells me feministfrequency wouldn't approve of such a bad trophe for women as a criminal (who probably used her feminin qualities to get out of troubles). Stick to men. Its safer ;-)

In short: I am really getting tired of this forced issue of one group being more or less represented in something or other. It so nonsensical. There is a reason for it being this or that way and it isnt always sexist, racist, ageist, homophobic or all.

That said, it would have been fun to make GTA more RPG where one could name the character and perhaps model it abit. That was sort of the orignal (you could name him yourself and choose from a variety of character of both sexes, if I remember correctly).

You're being silly. It just would have been cool to play as a female protagonist in a GTA game. You're way too quick to jump on the "FUCK FEMINISM!!!" bandwagon. The only one making it an overblown PC issue is you.

@AiurFlux said:

"Color me disappointed Rockstar Games continues to focus exclusively on male protagonists"

Why? With the subject matter of the game and the target audience a female lead would not fit. There have been female leaders of Puerto Rican and Colombian gangs in the games and generally in reality that's where you're more prone to find them. A female in the mafia or a thug gang like the Bloods either doesn't exist or is incredibly rare.

They know what they're doing. If there isn't a female lead there's a perfectly good reason as to why not. Drop the PC sexism allusions that you're making.

"If there isn't a female lead there's a perfectly good reason as to why not."

This line makes no sense. Rockstar is always innovating and adding new concepts into their game. Unexplored territory is exciting. Before San Andreas, you could have said, "If there isn't a black lead, there's a perfectly good reason as to why not." Before GTA IV, you have have said, "If there isn't a non-American protagonist, there's a perfectly good reason as to why not."

Why is, "the GTA games are consistently providing new and interesting character perspectives and tropes, and a female one would have been exciting" suddenly a PC sexism allusion? Ridiculous.

@Meowshi: rofl way to twist everything he said... jesus

Lol at people seriously complaining about there being no female lead.

Seriously? Fuckin' hell, the internet is getting more and more whiny as time goes on.

Lol at people seriously complaining about there being no female lead.

Seriously? Fuckin' hell, the internet is getting more and more whiny as time goes on.

@Meowshi said:

You're being silly. It just would have been cool to play as a female protagonist in a GTA game. You're way too quick to jump on the "FUCK FEMINISM!!!" bandwagon. The only one making it an overblown PC issue is you.

Why am I being silly for pointing out the many manginas out there who want to play female characters. I have played portal, resident evil 0-6 and code Veronica . Most have strong female leads. I DONT CARE ABOUT THAT! I dont. I really dont care if the characters are male or female in the game I am playing as long as the game itself is funny. The forced progressiveness is what I distain. The, "I am so broad minded and smart cuz I long for the option of another gender in the game" BS. What would change if there was a female character avatar in GTA V? Would she be less criminal? To be honest, if there was a female character criminal in any future GTA she would probably be a lesbian and butch. That would be the only natural choice. Like some of the bicker-chicks in Lost and the Damned.

To summarize; I do not object to any game character as long as it doenst seem forced and PC (cuz I am playing on console) like some of these comments. I just dont get the "longing for" that in GTA. Like THAT is what is missing. What I think is missing is character choice. I know GTA is story based, but some character options would have been nice.

Also the "you are the one making the fuzz" ending is dull. I just point out how stupid it sound. I have a right to do that and it is a PC issue forced by progressive manginas.