Ah yes, the countryside. The surrounding areas of Los Santos and beyond were some of my favourite bits of San Andreas, and in GTA V it looks like Rockstar has learned a lot from Red Dead Redemption in bringing them to life, not only with dynamic events to experience but in terms of the wildlife you’ll discover there. “The setting of Red Dead Redemption meant that animals were a necessity for the ambient world - something we hadn't required in GTA previously”, says Benzies. “But because of the scale of the map [in GTA V] and the different kinds of areas involved, a countryside without animals would feel quite hollow. At the same time, animals aren't just a backdrop - you can expect to see dogs guarding areas and causing the player trouble when they try to sneak past them.”
While the sheer size of the map is a first for GTA, the fact it’s completely open from the start is something we’ve not experienced in the series before. But such a move throws yet another handful of new questions into the mix – is the player restricted in any way, and how to do prevent someone near the beginning of the game getting their hands on the coolest stuff? “All vehicles will be present in the world from the start of the game, but they won't all be driving through the city waiting to be stolen,” says Benzies, continuing, “If the player wants to get their hands on one of the more ‘high end’ vehicles early in the game they'll have to work for it. For instance, airport security won't let you just wander in and steal a jet, they'll give you some serious opposition.”
Discovery of weapons is slightly different though, as the GTA producer explains: “Weapons are slightly different since we have to find a balance between giving the player freedom and giving them a challenge. Letting players have any weapon they want, whenever they want it, would make earlier missions less of a challenge and less satisfying. That being said, as the player makes progress through the game they will build up a satisfying arsenal.”
Grand Theft Auto V isn’t just about the guns, though. If the heat gets a bit much there are still a handful mini-games to enjoy, from golf to tennis to the triathlon, which makes a welcome return. But are these merely a distraction or has serious development time been invested into each one? “Not everyone enjoys fully fledged tennis and golf simulators so we try to offer a mix of accessibility and depth - we don't want to make the player spend four hours learning an intricate control system but we don't want the player to feel that these are throwaway distractions,” says Leslie. “These aren't a huge part of the game but offer a change of pace from car chases and shootouts and add to the life of the city.”
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