Rockstar Games today unveiled the release date for Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V), which is sweet news to millions of gamers’ ears. Unless you own a Nintendo Wii U, in which case you’re out of luck, as Rockstar did not announce a Wii U version in development. Rockstar failed to unveil whether GTA V will appear on Microsoft’s and Sony’s next-gen consoles, which are expected to be unveiled at E3 in June and ship this fall, but it’s safe to say that Rockstar will have something to say at the annual game-industry trade show.
Grand Theft Auto V is expected to launch worldwide on September 17 for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3). The September release date reflects a delay in the game’s originally expected launch of “spring 2013.” The delay, according to Rockstar, is “to allow additional development time.” Rockstar says GTA V will be “[t]he biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world Rockstar Games has yet created.”
Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story. The game takes place in Los Santos, a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities. Once the envy of the Western world, the city is now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV.
Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a former street gangster, now looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.
