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Despite being one of the most-anticipated titles of the last two years, Grand Theft Auto 5 details have been surprisingly scarce. Rockstar Games has kept a very tight leash on the development team – doling out one teaser after another ever since the project was first (officially) announced back in October of 2011. Character details, viral marketing, screenshots, and an eye-popping gameplay trailer have all set the stage for GTAV to be one of the most successful and entertaining (not to mention pre-ordered) titles of 2013 – giving gamers a taste of what to expect from next-generation gaming (but available on current console hardware).
Rockstar Games is, once again, prepared to raise the bar – and Grand Theft Auto 5 looks to successfully evolve the fan-favorite formula in a number of exciting ways. However, the studio is still holding-back its biggest reveal yet – promising to finally detail Grand Theft Auto Online on Thursday (from the time of this post), August 15th.
Teased (in grand fashion) at the end of the latest gameplay trailer, Grand Theft Auto Online is, as the name indicates, the online multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto 5.
You can check out the announcement image from Rockstar Games below:
According to the official Rockstar Games site:
“Look for the world premiere of the official GTA Online Gameplay Video as well as coverage of first press previews here at the Newswire and at rockstargames.com/GTAOnline – this Thursday, August 15th.”
At first glance, the Grand Theft Auto Online title (sans the “5“) might be confusing to gamers – as the name certainly draws comparisons to the current trend of branded MMO’s like DC Universe Online and The Elder Scrolls Online. However, while Rockstar Games may have larger ambitions down the line, and Grand Theft Auto Online could evolve beyond just a GTAV multiplayer component, it’s not a separate game.
Expect big things from the announcement – and a major step up from the fun but relatively straightforward multiplayer of Grand Theft Auto 4. The previous multiplayer offering in GTA4 did little more than allow players to team-up in the game sandbox and compete in standard co-op and competitive modes like deathmatch, racing, territory battles, and objective based team missions. The mode was enjoyable but limited – with plenty of room for the developers to create a more robust (and unique) offering down the line.
In case you want a sneak peek at GTA Online, check out the last 15 seconds of the previously mentioned gameplay trailer below:
Considering the Grand Theft Auto Online branding, it sounds as though gamers have reason to believe that Rockstar Games will deliver a fully realized experience – one that is likely populated with a higher number of actual players and allows for improved spontaneity, customization, longterm impact, and meta-game experiences. Given the diverse amount of options in the main game (economic choices, physical customization, etc), it’s easy to imagine that while GTA Online might not be a traditional MMO experience, Rockstar Games has likely borrowed heavily from the genre. As a result, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that the game will allow players to build and develop a persistent online character – one that can purchase real estate, fly jets and create 5-star pandemonium on the streets of Los Santos.
Of course, that’s just speculation at this point. We won’t know the full details until later this week.
Grand Theft Auto 5 releases September 17, 2012, for Xbox 360 and PS3.