Grand Theft Auto Online details

Game Informer has secured a hands-on preview of Grand Theft Auto Online, the multiplayer component of the upcoming GTA V. The preview was published in the latest issue of its magazine, and CVG went through the legwork of listing the important details.

The preview revealed loads of information about the characters, gameplay options, vehicle collection, crew formation, and a gamut of over 500 mission types.

Check out the extensive list below (source: CVG):

• No “overarching narrative” for multiplayer characters, but definite progression flow.
• Your purpose in GTA Online is to get more money in the bank and accumulate assets (cars, real estate).
• Characters appear in cutscenes when interacting with other characters in the world (no recorded dialog)
• Female characters playable in GTA Online
• Most activities from the campaign are available in GTA online (heists, missions, robberies, assaulting gang hideouts, hijacking armored vehicles, races, tennis, golf, and base jumping).
• Over 500 missions. Some can be completed solo, others require a team.
• GTA Online takes place after the main story
• Online game progression includes making contacts and delving deeper into the criminal world
  • Franklin’s friend Lamar may introduce you to a car dealer named Simeon Yetarian, who wants you to steal cars for him
  • Biker gangs my support you during missions if you’re friendly with them
  • A tech-savvy character you’ve befriended may hide you on the radar during multiplayer
  • Security firms that have taken a liking to you may be used to deliver airstrikes
• Rockstar populates GTA Online, starting with your friends and crew members, then similarly skilled players in the same part of the world.
• GTA Online can be setup to allow full player control of who joins them in the world, or left to Rockstar’s matchmaking system.
• The game presents missions that appeal more to your style.
• There’s a crew ranking system and a personal rank
• Character creation involves choosing your parents and grandparents. Players then choose a lifestyle, make choices about the things the character does (partying, couch potato, criminal, athletics nut).
• Starting skills are based on the chosen lifestyles, but can be upgraded, as can the look of the character
• Players riding shotgun in cars can also control radio station, set waypoints, use a cinematic camera, or attack others
• Holding the select button (on a PS3) pulls up a menu where outfits and gestures can be changed
• Phone camera’s can be used to take a selfie
• During a liquor store robbery the player can shout at the cashier to hurry up through a mic and the character will respond
• Escaping cops involves keeping yourself out of the police’s vision cone
• After each GTA Online mission cash rewards and Reputation Points are awarded. The crew leader decides who keeps the loot.
• A leader can choose to hog the spoils but, obviously, other players might not take that very well
• Invites are received through the character’s phone and accepting seamlessly transports the player to the activity
• Players can customise the way a vehicle handles at shops found around the city
• In missions involving bigger teams a lobby window opens up. From this the roles such as sniper, look-out and transporter can be assigned. The crew leader can tweak settings such as time of day, weather, difficulty and how many lives they have to complete the mission.
• Everyone is given priorities suited to their role when missions begin
• When you have enough cash to purchase a “high end residency” you gain the ability to set up heists like the ones in the solo campaign.
• These missions involve multiple phases, including a set-up phase. In the mission shown prep involved buying guns from Ammu-Nation and procuring a helicopter. The tasks can be split between players.
• Passive mode can be activated if you want to enjoy Online without being troubled by other players, this is automatically deactivated when you fire your gun however.
• Players can kill you and take your cash, so you are encouraged to put money in the bank and use ATMs.
• Purchases can still be made using the money even if it’s in the bank
• If you are robbed, you can put a bounty on a players head for revenge
• Each house you pruchase has space for storing cars. Modest appartments have space for two, but high-end homes can store ten.
• Garage areas can be treated like showrooms. You can walk around and admire your cars and hire a mechanic to keep them in good condition. You can also insure them to avoid big payouts should you damage them badly.
• You can invite friends to your home and drink, call strippers, watch Rockstar’s custom created TV shows (or your friends in high-speed chases).
• Missions are controlled through Rockstar’s Social Club, which means the developer tweak them regularly.

Rockstar has now given us the initial announcement trailer, the character video,  the gameplay reveal trailer, and the GTA Online video that was released earlier in August, and a new gameplay trailer which dropped last week.

Rockstar also released some details about the crew structures and hierarchy in GTA Online.

Grand Theft Auto V will arrive in stores on 17 September 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

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GTA 5 gameplay trailer unveiled