Time for a GTA5 Trailergasm!
Life is good for Grand Theft Auto fans. After months and months (and months) of little to no news about the next installment in the series, Rockstar has finally pulled back the curtain. Artwork, screenshots, story details, and now the cherry on this information sundae: a brand new trailer. Read on for our in depth, bordering on obsessive, breakdown of everything we see (and a few things we don’t) in what is officially known as Trailer #2.
BOOM. Right off the bat, we’re given a very impressive aerial view of Los Santos, Rockstar North’s reimagining of Los Angeles, and it’s breathtaking. Look at that draw distance! Also, we can confirm the rumor that observatories are in the game. Whether or not there’s a functional telescope in there remains to be seen.
We’re then introduced, somewhat unflatteringly, to Michael, one of the three playable characters in the game. In a very Sopranos-ish moment, he retreats to the pool to escape an arguing wife and daughter. Gazing up at the sky, he questions the merits of his chosen profession. Which is crime, in case you were wondering.
Aaaaaand title card! Just in case you forgot what trailer you were watching. Note the graffiti on the underpass. It’s those little details that always impressed me most about the GTA series.
The afternoon suns glistens over an 18 wheeler as the scene shifts to the desert. In the distance, you can see the windmills from the first GTA5 trailer. We’re obviously outside of the city now, a more rural area that is home to…
This guy. Trevor is the second playable character you meet in the trailer, and he’s just about the most disturbing freakshow I’ve ever seen. In the span of just a few seconds, we see him gun down an unarmed man, smash another’s face into a bar, and blow up a friggin house. Oh yeah, and that tattoo on his neck? It says “cut here.” Delightful fellow. Can’t wait to get to know him better.
At least he’s got that badass slow-motion-walk-away-from-an-explosion thing down.
And we’re back in the city again. Look at all that moving metal on display. Cars, buses, trains… all jackable. Is “jackable” a word? It is now, I guess.
Michael shows up again, directing two men to a beach house. The one in blue is Franklin, the third playable character in the game. Back to him in a second, but look over Michael’s shoulder. A rollercoaster and ferris wheel? Please be ridable. Please please pleeeease! You might remember that GTA4 had an amusement park as well, but the rides weren’t interactive. Unless you count clumsily driving your car on the rollercoaster tracks interactive.
Anyway, back to Franklin. Much like Michael and Trevor, he’s up to no good. Admonished by a female aquaintance of some sort, she tells him “I don’t care how many cars you own. You ain’t changin.” We’ll see about that.
Back to Michael again, in what appears to be his therapist’s office. Once again, I gotta point out the level of detail in this screenshot. Check out the iMac lookalike. It even has an imitation Apple logo. Let’s hope Apple’s lawyers don’t see that. Michael is discussing his son, James. He’s having some trouble relating to him.
“Bounce…. We’re bouncing now?” Obviously, there’s a communication breakdown. They need to spend some quality time together. So what’s a great father/son bonding activity?
How about clinging to the mast of a sailboat while it swings wildly over highway traffic? This scene looks like something out of a Michael Bay movie, and affirms that those trademark over the top action sequences, which were somewhat lacking in GTA4, are making a big return in this game. Also, check out Franklin in the boat. And Michael in the convertible. It looks like multiple playable characters will take part in some of the missions.
This rumor is further enforced by this scene, in which three masked criminals blow open a safe. I realize that their faces aren’t visible, but I think it’s safe to assume we’re looking at Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. It’ll be interesting to see how the ability to switch between characters will be implemented in set pieces such as this. Will you be locked into a single character? Will you be able to switch anytime? Or will decisions made leading up to this heist determine who you control? It should be interesting.
Puppy, look out! This poor rottweiler almost becomes the victim of a driveby shooting in this scene. I’m assuming the dog isn’t the intended target, but I can’t be sure. Also, check out the billboards in the background for some notable in-game brand names. I’m happy to see the return of Cluckin Bell, but let’s just hope we don’t have to drive our stoner friend there every five minutes this time.
More crazy action as someone (probably Michael) repels down the side of a skyscraper. This looks like quite the jaw dropping stunt, but it can’t hold a candle to what comes next.
You get to drive this jeep…
Out of a plane…
And parachute to safety. Holy sh*t. Not only does this look like just about the most fun you could possible have in a videogame, it also strongly hints at a return of the military in GTA5. It used to be customary in GTA games for the army to show up once you reached the highest wanted level, but that changed in GTA4, when the most you had to run from was an ever increasing number of police. The tan Jeep with a white star on the back, being carried inside a large cargo plane, can only mean one thing: the army is back. And they’re probably pissed.
Meanwhile, Franklin races a dirtbike through the woods. While not nearly as flashly as the last scene, I was still very excited to see this because it shows something else we didn’t get to experience in GTA4: wilderness. The ability to just head out to the woods and relax for awhile was something I absolutely loved about GTA: San Andreas. It was sorely missed in GTA4. and it’s great to see it make a return in GTA5. Who wants to look for Bigfoot with me?
Oh, and just in case you weren’t impressed with the runaway sailboat on the highway, and the skyscraper repel, and driving a Jeep out of an airplane, here’s Trevor leaping clear of two colliding freight trains. Doctor Richard Kimble, eat your heart out.
Finally, a fighter jet blows a helicopter out of the sky over the Vinewood sign…
…as our three heroes strike ironic poses of hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. I’m pretty sure there will be plenty of evil heard, seen, and spoken in this game.
Now that you know what to look for, here’s Trailer 2 in it’s entirety. Watch it as many times as you like. It won’t get any less awesome.
See what I mean? I gotta say, I’m loving the direction Rockstar has taken with the marketing for this game. After the somber, occasionally morose trailers for GTA4 (not to mention Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3) it’s great to see some swagger back in Rockstar’s step. We still need to see how the economy in the game works, and while the trailer uses in-game footage, nearly all of it is shot with cinematic camera angles. I’m very curious to see how the game looks while its actually being played. While we know that driving and combat controls have been imrpoved, we still haven’t seen them in action. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out. This game can’t come soon enough.
PS: if you’re wondering what that catchy tune in the trailer was, it’s “Skeletons” by Stevie Wonder. You’re welcome.
