The debut trailer for Grand Theft Auto V that Rockstar released earlier today told us quite a bit. We know we'll be heading back to Los Santos (and possibly the other cities of San Andreas), we know planes will be making a much anticipated return to the franchise, and we know that every last inch of the game looks downright gorgeous.
But for every answer, there was a new question. We sat down and analyzed every second of the trailer to pick out any clues about the game's plot and potential features. Here's what we found.
This shot of a couple on the beach at sunset is certainly picturesque, but what's more important is there four-legged companion. For the first time, dogs will be appearing in a Grand Theft Auto game.
This shot of joggers on the pier confirms that we will indeed be headed back to Los Santos, San Andreas' take on Los Angeles. One of the joggers is wearing a t-shirt with from the "Pump & Run Gym", indicating we might be able to work out and tone our character's physique once again.
Here's our first shot of the skyline. It looks like Rockstar is shooting for a much more accurate portrayal of the Los Angeles area than we saw in San Andreas, complete with the requisite smog.
Golfing is in, which means golf carts are as well. And is that a blimp flying in the top right corner of the screen?
Jetskis are back, complete with a classic Rockstar name: Speedophile. Ah, dirty puns. There weren't nearly enough of you in the much darker, more serious GTA IV.
That's an impressive mountain range. We're definitely going to be living the Los Santos city limits. This wilderness might be a sign that the other two cities from San Andreas, San Fierro and Las Venturas, will be in the final game. At the very least, it looks like we'll still be able to ride a dirtbike off the top of Mount Chiliad again.
Convertibles will be able to lower their tops. That's a good sign that other auxillary vehicle controls, like winches on tow trucks and hook on the back of tractors, will be making a return.
More shots of the wilderness mean we're definitely getting out of an urban environment. Wind farms like these are common throughout central California, so we might be seeing way more of San Andreas than just Los Santos, even if Rockstar is staying quiet for the time being.
Views of this mansion accompany narration about buying a house. Sounds like we might be able to buy a sweet pad like this for ourselves in the game. There's a lot of detail here, from the exercise bikes to the telescopes. Rockstar isn't phoning this one in, folks.
These freeway signs mean we'll be getting a elaborate system of roadways based on the real deal. The signs say the highway extends both north and south of the city, and there's also a neighboor called "Little Seoul," likely GTA V's take on Koreatown.
This is Los Santos' version of Venice Beach, complete with the outdoor gym. That's another indication that we'll be able to work out with our character, and possibly even bulk up in the process. The sign says "Vespucci Beach." This same area went by "Verona Beach" in GTA: San Andreas, so it looks like GTA V won't be keeping all of the old place names intact.
This raunchily named skyscraper is under construction downtown. Anyone else ready for a shootout on the 50th story of an unfinished building?
This shot shows the same unfinished high-rise and what just might be the game's main character. He looks a bit older, which fits the narration, and he's going to crop up several more times before the trailer's over.
Some people have speculated that it's actually an older version of Vice City's protagonist, Tommy Vercetti.
Planes are back! Also, this shot of farmland are just one more hint that the world of GTA V is going to be much larger than a single city.
Here's the same man from before, the middle-aged guy we'll most likely be playing as. By the looks of things, he's not quite the family man he aspires to be. Here he's teamed up with a pair of other guys to rob a jewelry store.
That's a silenced weapon, so we might be able to modify our weapons with attachments this time around.
Another shot of our likely hero, this time behind the wheel of a sports car. It doesn't look like he's doing too poorly for himself, but the narration makes it sound like he might be living beyond his means. Rockstar has a tendency to parody real world problems, and the recent financial crisis in the U.S. has seen a lot of people living with high debt. Perhaps he has to turn to a life of crime to keep living the good life in a bad economy.
This shot of a freeway underpass littered with folks looking for work is another sign that Los Santos might be hitting hard times. It also shows a fairly high number of people and cars in one spot, perhaps indicating that the updated engine is capable of doing a lot more this time around.
This foreclosure sign is yet more proof of an economy turned sour. A for sale sign is yet another clue that we'll be able to purchase real estate.
And what's that leaning up against the house? Looks like a bicycle to me. They were absent from GTA IV and all its expansions, but bikes played a big role in San Andreas, and they might be making a comeback.
Prostitutes are back, but this is GTA, so no one should be too surprised at that news.
This homeless man looks a lot like an older, less successful Niko Bellic, perhaps a nod to the last game in the series.
More homeless folks occupy a tent city under a freeway overpass. Rockstar is really hammering home the fact that the game will be commenting on the recession, from everything in this trailer down to the money motif in the logo.
Nothing to see here. Just, you know, a fighter jet. It's hard to tell from the quick glimpse we get, but it could be the Hydra from San Andreas.
This cop car sports a parody of the LAPD's motto, "To protect and serve." In GTA V, it's "Obey & Survive," which is much funnier if a lot less friendly.
The city seal on the door also sports an image of Bigfoot in the bottom right corner. San Andreas fans will remember the conspiracy theories that swirled around being able to find Bigfoot somewhere out in the wilderness at exactly the right time of day. This is clearly a nod to that crazy segement of the fanbase, though they might go all out and actually include him as an easter egg in the game.
This gang member is on the run from the cops in a meticulously detailed alleyway. It looks like police chases will be intense and organized, much more so than in the prior games.
It's worth noting that this guy is dressed similarly to CJ from San Andreas, though it's almost certainly not the same character. Chalk it up to another winking reference Rockstar threw in for eagle-eyed fans.
San Andreas' take on Hollywood is back with the same name, and you can be sure that Rockstar will take this as an opportunity to parody the rich and famous. You can also spot the third type of plane coming over the mountains, a private jet of some kind.
In the final shot of the trailer, we see that same jet fly over the Los Santos skyline. The city already looks bigger than GTA IV's Liberty City, and just as richly detailed. Given that we're getting areas of the wildnerness (and maybe even two more cities), GTA V's sandbox will be quite large indeed.
