Grand Theft Auto V Trailer analysis

"Why did I move here?"  A male voice asks.  "Guess it was the weather."  The countdown is over.  The Grand Theft Auto V trailer went live a few minutes ago, and it reveals a lot...through revealing next-to-nothing at all.

Location: We see a meeting of two opposite ends, some clean neighbourhoodsYou have the Vinewood sign towards the end, the road sign to Los Puerta, Downtown & Little Seoul as the driver crosses the bridge and (for the eagle-eyed) the location written on the side of the Bugstar Van which is used for the armed robbery.  Ladies and Gents, GTA V is going to be set in Los Santos.  All of these (and Pleasure Pier towards the beginning) are all locales from the first island in San Andreas.  It may not be Vice City; but it's all the beach/city/countryside combination we'd need.

The people playing golf worry me somewhat that Rockstar may attempt to do a golfing mini-game...because Darts and Pool worked so well before.

"You see it in movies.  I wanted to retire from what I was doing, y'know?"  The voice continues, as we see the return of the jet-ski and the introduction of...hiking?  Maybe an interesting angle there.

"So I bought a big house, came here, thought I'd be a dad like every other dad.  And the kids would be like the kids on TV.  We'd all sit in the sun and, well, you know how it is."

Throughout this diatribe, we see a panning shot of turbine fans, two ladies doing yoga on their balcony, and the return of the beach gym...wonderful!  There is what looks like one guy refusing another guy's offer with a decisive wave of the hand.

And a skyline view of all the skyscrapers under construction.  So we're knee deep in a cultural statement about Los Angeles' skyscraper boom and urban regeneration projects, improving some areas and not others.  Finding some areas to be succinct and clean, whereas others (such as the homeless camps under the freeway) showing the economic downturn's effect on the rest of us (probably where the 'money-looking' V comes into it).

Another particular hint at a gameplay mode could be the guys conducting an armed robbery, potentially showing some new multiplayer events, much like those in GTA IV.

Other points to note: pesticides being dropped on some farmers in the hills, a fighter jet shooting through in-between skyscrapers (possible returning vehicle), a guy running away from cops and a helicopter through an alleyway, and just the huge statement Rockstar seems to be making about the contradictions between the higher the buildings and the economical state of the people.

And a plane flies off into the distance, ending the trailer just as the San Andreas ad began.  The simplistic design and music seem to mimick a mise-en-scene of the credit opening to The Hangover, and it follows the classic Rockstar traits of unveiling a whole scoop of details, while keeping the metaphorical cards very close to its chest.

Did you spot anything else?  Let us know in the comments below.

Jason England

I am the freelance tech/gaming journalist, lover of dogs and pizza enthusiast. You can follow me on Twitter @MrJasonEngland.

http://stuff.tv/team/jason-england
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