Grand Theft Auto V PlayStation 3

Released on 17-Sep-2013

• Rockstar announces GTA V

  Rockstar Games, the developer responsible for popular titles LA Noire and Red Dead Redemption, has unveiled the new logo for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V.

  The familiar writing of the motif has been paired with a 'V', which is styled similarly to that on a US banknote, hinting that more of the same themes will run throughout the game.

  Although very few details about the hugely anticipated follow-up have been released, the company revealed the game's official trailer will be available from November 2nd.

  Rumour and speculation have surrounded the game's imminent release, with diehard fans suggested GTA V could have a similar hip-hop theme to its San Andreas predecessor.

  Industry whispers, echoing those reported by Kotaku, hint that Rockstar is set to make a switch to reality by creating a real-world Los Angeles for the upcoming game.

  Characters thought to be featured in GTA V are a "Welsh monk/cult leader/yoga teacher", a "swinger" and "an ugly but comfortable mellow Californian divorcee".

  Published: 04/11/2011

• Rockstar's Dan Houser: games should feel 'Magical'

  In the week that saw the debut trailer for Grand Theft Auto 5 appear online, Rockstar head honcho and lead GTA writer Dan Houser has told Variety that his company carefully controls the release of new information to keep the games agicalfor players.

  "It's really important to us that the games (feel) kind of magical," he told the movie trade magazine. "It might annoy people that we don't give out more information, but I think the end point is people enjoy the experience. The less they know about how things are pieced together and how things are broken down and what our processes are, the more it will feel like this thing is alive, that you are being dragged into the experience. That's what we want."

  He also talked up Max Payne 3, Rockstar's next game, by explaining how the passion of fans for older games can be a problem. think the challenge of nostalgia is a profound one, because one thing about video games is your memory tends to remove the horrendous... It's definitely a challenge to get the right pitch when you want to appeal to the fans of the original and bring in a new audience."

  GTA V has yet to receive an official release date. Max Payne 3 is set for March 2012 on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
  

• Rockstar "considering" LA Noire 2

  A sequel to last year's acclaimed detect-em-up may be in the offing according to a Rockstar spokesperson, but don't expect it any time soon.

  "Don't count out the possibility of a new game in the L.A. Noire franchise in the future," was the reply posted on Rockstar's forum after a fan enquired whether we'd be seeing more period detective action. "We simply have not decided anything," continued the post. "We're all very pleased with how that game turned out and are considering what the future may hold for L.A. Noire as a series."

  Despite healthy sales and critical acclaim, LA Noire developer Team Bondi flew to pieces shortly after release, amid accusations of unpleasant working conditions. Rockstar owns the series, however, and may decide to continue with a sequel in its own style.

  The publisher won't be hurrying a Part 2 onto shelves for the sake of a fast buck, however. "We don't always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean we won't get to them eventually - see Max and Red Dead for evidence of that - we have so many games we want to make and the issue is always one of bandwidth and timing."

  Rockstar is certainly busy at the moment. As well as the upcoming Max Payne 3, due in the UK on May 18th, there's also the small matter of Grand Theft Auto V, announced last November. Details on that game are still scarce, but Rockstar plans to start dishing the dirt soon.

  "We know that there are a ton of questions you all have about the game, including release date and lots else," is the official line. "Right now, we are very hard at work on the game and are excited as well to show and tell you more as development progresses - expect that we'll be talking much more about GTAV starting at some point in a few months' time."

  Published: 14/02/2012

• The Games We're Excited About!

  
  

  There are lots and lots of great games heading your way in the next few months, and here at gamestation HQ we're as excited as you lot are to give them a go.

  So, we went round the digital team with a prodding stick to find out just what games the team here are really itching to play...

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  I am looking forward to LEGO Batman 2. My brother and I worked our way through the original LEGO Batman with a considered method of "shoot everything in the room first, think about the situation later" and it was amazing. It's also the only game where if you die you can still enjoy seeing Robin explode which I did on many occasions as Player 2. I can't wait to see what LEGO Batman 2 has in store!

  
  

  

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, Max Payne 3.

  After playing through 1 and 2 - which gripped me to the very end - I cannot honestly wait for 3.

  Max Payne's method of storytelling is awesome. The comic book cut scenes are stylish and effective, and are not afraid to poke fun at other, outrageous works of fiction (as well as itself). The noir style and twists and turns throughout provide a flourish of love which even the most dedicated of storytellers fail to keep up with. The ingredients are simple, but it's a recipe which works.

  The gameplay might not necessarily be innovative, but it will be intuitive. It might not change the way we think about games, but I know it's going to be a game through and through; fun, accessible and welcoming to noobs and veterans alike. Max Payne 3 is going to rock. Add online multiplayer to the mix, and I can safely say that I'm looking forward to blasting my way into June!

  (My second choice would be Aliens: Colonial Marines, but that's almost too far away to get excited about yet!)

  Kate - Affiliate Assassin

  Bioshock Infinite - Because of the amazing animation and design of the game. Oh, and Limbo 2 - if/when it comes!

  

  Jamie - Builder of Digital Dreamscapes

  I am looking forward to...

  Grand Theft Auto V: Obviously no one really knows exactly when this game is coming out but I cant wait! Seriously excited about a new GTA! Although I hope it is all of San Andreas and not just Los Santos.

  Madden 13: I always get Madden, and it was pretty much the game that made me buy my first proper games console (the SEGA Mega Drive). I'm particularly looking forward to this year's one as I'm hoping they have taken more of the good stuff out of NCAA12... and also because I can't wait for Madden on the PS Vita.

  Retro City Rampage: This is an indie game that just looks AMAZING! Kind of like a funny GTA but all totally 80s styled. It's gonna be on Xbox LIVE and PSN and I like the fact it looks like you might be able to get this digitally to play on your PS Vita too; it seems like the kind of game you could just lose hours in messing about!

  

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Halo 4. Why? Because it's the best freaking game there is! I'm a massive Halo fan and I'm really looking forward to the next instalment. And really looking forward to seeing Master Chief again. And now we know the release date i know what week to book off work!

  
  

  Aaron - Social Butterfly

  I almost squealed for joy when Luigi's Mansion 2 was announced (Okay, I actually did squeal...). The original Luigi's Mansion was the first game I got on launch day with my Gamecube. It was ALL about Luigi, sucking up ghosts with his Poltergust 3000. The sequel has me itching to play, it will have multiple mansions, a new Poltergust, new ghosts, new story AND it will all be in beautiful 3D. The Nintendo savvy amongst us will know that Nintendo originally planned to release Luigi's Mansion in 3D on the Gamecube but decided the 3D panel was ahead of its time!

  Who ya gonna call? Ghostb-- No, no wait, let's just get the Green hat-wearing Italian plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom instead. No danger of crossing the streams.

  

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  I'm actually really looking forward to Lollipop Chainsaw. I'm a big Buffy fan, so the concept of a blonde cheerleader fighting supernatural beasties is one that very much appeals to me. It just looks like it's gonna be oodles of OTT fun. Plus, y'know, the boyfriend's head just kicking around. What's not to like?

  As a stark contrast, I'm also a bit excited by Spec Ops: The Line. I don't usually get on with shooters, but having seen the trailer with the bodies-on-poles imagery, plus the obvious Heart of Darkness influence and the sense of "killing people may actually affect you", I really want to try this one out. I mean, who isn't at least intrigued by what appears to be an anti-war third-person shooter?

  

  James - Captain Category

  Diablo III.

   

   

  Because I've been waiting twelve years for it!

  
  

  So there we have it. These are the games we want to play - what about you? What forthcoming titles have got you so pant-wettingly excited to pre-order and play?

• Epic Multiplayer Moments

  
  

  

  There's nothing like a bit of the old multiplayer, is there. From those early days of playing four-player Goldeneye on the N64 to travelling in guilds in World of Warcraft, there's just something about gaming with friends - whether you've met them or not!

  Those of you who've played multiplayer will know that, every now and then, something truly memorable will occur. So here's a few of our very own memorable multiplayer moments - including some we'd rather forget. Still, at least we have chicken...

  Jamie - Builder of Digital Dreamscapes:

  When playing GTA race online multiplayer, my mate was being a bit cocky about how good he was.

  Helicopters had been chosen as the vehicle class for this particular race, and it was pretty near the finishing line as most other players were now watching either him or his opponent. The other guy steamed towards him... tilted his helicopter to the side as he did a fly by and sliced my mates helicopter in half, mid air.

  Cue every other player on the game belly laughing down their mics as my mate's chopper span hopelessly to its doom.

  

  Carl - Design Doodler

  I have spent many hours playing Halo Reach - over 350 to be exact! And I would estimate that about 20 of those hours have been spent apologising to my fellow Care Bears after I have accidently betrayed them! Yes, I'm part of a clan, and yes, we're called the Care Bears. That's right, laugh it up!

  The most memorable of these unfortunate events is when I managed to take out our entire team of five with a single well placed, or rather badly placed, grenade. Reflection was the map and capture the flag was the game type. As always I ran for the shotgun on red ramp - if you don't know where I mean then learn your call outs! After the initial scurry for power weapons we all met up on the flag. With three of the enemy team dead and weeping in the headsets we grabbed the flag, and that's when it went very wrong!

  I saw one of the remaining blues running down over the window stairs and threw a frag grenade, just as a teammate walked across my path. The grenade bounce off his back and landed at my feet. At this precise moment another Care Bear spotted the same blue Spartan and fired a rocket. The grenade blast that just took down all of our shields sent the rocket off course - it went straight up, hit the ceiling above red flag spawn and wiped out all of us. Leaving one bewildered blue Spartan staring at all five dead Bears.

  Needless to say I wasn't the most popular Bear of the bunch after that. See you on the playing field!

  Ali - Queen of the Internet:

  My favourite multiplayer moments were in Gears of War 3. I regularly played Horde Mode with three friends and was definitely the cannon fodder of the group. We would choose the map with the river running through the centre and all hold our regular points around one of the houses. My section was the garden.

  For levels 1-9 I was pretty competent at ducking behind rocks to fire from cover and using the trucks to shield me from explosions. Around level 10, though, the calls over the headset would be less "Are we secure?" "Yes", and more "Where is Ali?" "She's here, here, here, a little bit over here too".

  However, nothing can beat the time we set the mortar off in the doorway of the house we were hiding in rather than outside of the house where the enemies were. Brilliant :S

  

  Glenn - Mad Mod

  Starcraft II. Qualification game for season 6, hoping to get promoted to Gold Division. Terran vs Zerg (TVZ).
  
  I was at about 140 supply, going for a Bio/Mech build. I had tried to go for a timing push, just as my Siege Tanks got +2 Attack. The Zerg was transitioning from Roach/Speedling (Lings with the Speed upgrade to Muta(Mutalisks)/Speedling) and I was lucky enough to kill the third in the transition, Wiping the Roaches and Speedlings in the process.
  
  Leaving with around 3 Medivacs, 5 Siege tanks and approx 30 Marines, and I felt pretty confident as I healed up, and advanced on the natural.
  
  Out of metaphorically nowhere, approx 12 Mutas approached. I hadn't expected any Mutas out at this point, however I leapt to action tapping keys in a frenzy of concern as I stimmed my marines and went on the offensive, victory felt certain and the heady heights of Gold loomed  BUT and in my haste I pressed the wrong hotkey and ordered my siege tanks to attack my Marines instead of my Marines to attack the Mutas.
  
  Devastated I GG'd as he nuked my siege line and hit my SCV's square in the face L
  
  Note to self: Scan more, don't order your Siege tanks to attack your own troops.
  Note to others: Demuslim is a boss

  
  

  Sound familiar? Feel free to share your own multiplayer memories with us in the comment boxes below!

• The Games We're Excited About!

  
  

  There are lots and lots of great games heading your way in the next few months, and here at GAME HQ we're as excited as you lot are to give them a go.

  So, we went round the digital team with a prodding stick to find out just what games the team here are really itching to play...

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  I am looking forward to LEGO Batman 2. My brother and I worked our way through the original LEGO Batman with a considered method of "shoot everything in the room first, think about the situation later" and it was amazing. It's also the only game where if you die you can still enjoy seeing Robin explode which I did on many occasions as Player 2. I can't wait to see what LEGO Batman 2 has in store!

  
  

  

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, Max Payne 3.

  After playing through 1 and 2 - which gripped me to the very end - I cannot honestly wait for 3.

  Max Payne's method of storytelling is awesome. The comic book cut scenes are stylish and effective, and are not afraid to poke fun at other, outrageous works of fiction (as well as itself). The noir style and twists and turns throughout provide a flourish of love which even the most dedicated of storytellers fail to keep up with. The ingredients are simple, but it's a recipe which works.

  The gameplay might not necessarily be innovative, but it will be intuitive. It might not change the way we think about games, but I know it's going to be a game through and through; fun, accessible and welcoming to noobs and veterans alike. Max Payne 3 is going to rock. Add online multiplayer to the mix, and I can safely say that I'm looking forward to blasting my way into June!

  (My second choice would be Aliens: Colonial Marines, but that's almost too far away to get excited about yet!)

  Kate - Affiliate Assassin

  Bioshock Infinite - Because of the amazing animation and design of the game. Oh, and Limbo 2 - if/when it comes!

  

  Jamie - Builder of Digital Dreamscapes

  I am looking forward to...

  Grand Theft Auto V: Obviously no one really knows exactly when this game is coming out but I cant wait! Seriously excited about a new GTA! Although I hope it is all of San Andreas and not just Los Santos.

  Madden 13: I always get Madden, and it was pretty much the game that made me buy my first proper games console (the SEGA Mega Drive). I'm particularly looking forward to this year's one as I'm hoping they have taken more of the good stuff out of NCAA12.

  Retro City Rampage: This is an indie game that just looks AMAZING! Kind of like a funny GTA but all totally 80s styled. It's gonna be on Xbox LIVE and PSN and I like the fact it looks like you might be able to get this digitally to play on your PS Vita too; it seems like the kind of game you could just lose hours in messing about!

  

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Halo 4. Why? Because it's the best freaking game there is! I'm a massive Halo fan and I'm really looking forward to the next instalment. And really looking forward to seeing Master Chief again. And now we know the release date I know what week to book off work!

  
  

  Aaron - Social Butterfly

  I almost squealed for joy when Luigi's Mansion 2 was announced (Okay, I actually did squeal...). The original Luigi's Mansion was the first game I got on launch day with my Gamecube. It was ALL about Luigi, sucking up ghosts with his Poltergust 3000. The sequel has me itching to play, it will have multiple mansions, a new Poltergust, new ghosts, new story AND it will all be in beautiful 3D. The Nintendo savvy amongst us will know that Nintendo originally planned to release Luigi's Mansion in 3D on the Gamecube but decided the 3D panel was ahead of its time!

  Who ya gonna call? Ghostb-- No, no wait, let's just get the Green hat-wearing Italian plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom instead. No danger of crossing the streams.

  

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  I'm actually really looking forward to Lollipop Chainsaw. I'm a big Buffy fan, so the concept of a blonde cheerleader fighting supernatural beasties is one that very much appeals to me. It just looks like it's gonna be oodles of OTT fun. Plus, y'know, the boyfriend's head just kicking around. What's not to like?

  As a stark contrast, I'm also a bit excited by Spec Ops: The Line. I don't usually get on with shooters, but having seen the trailer with the bodies-on-poles imagery, plus the obvious Heart of Darkness influence and the sense of "killing people may actually affect you", I really want to try this one out. I mean, who isn't at least intrigued by what appears to be an anti-war third-person shooter?

  

  James - Captain Category

  Diablo III.

   

   

  Because I've been waiting twelve years for it!

  
  

  So there we have it. These are the games we want to play - what about you? What forthcoming titles have got you so pant-wettingly excited to pre-order and play?

  Published: 17/04/2012

• New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  
  

  New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  Towards the end of last year, we saw veritable avalanche of amazing games roll over us, leaving us swamped but happy with top-notch titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim, Super Mario Land 3D, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Saints Row The Third and, oh, you get the idea.

  Surely that's more than enough new games to leave even the greediest gamer feeling stuffed and satisfied? Well, yes, but don't pretend you can't hear that little voice whispering in the back of your mind. What's next? it says.

  Here's the answer: our guide to the big games of 2012 that we can't wait to play.

  

  GTA V

  The genre-busting open-world crime caper makes its long-awaited return, with an all-new tale set in the pseudo-L.A. of Los Santos. Details are limited to one cryptic trailer, but where Rockstar is concerned it's safe to set expectations high.

  
  

  

  Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Bioware brings its grand space opera to a cataclysmic finale, as the world-devouring Reapers declare open war on Earth. The game adds optional multiplayer modes, as well as Kinect voice features for Xbox 360.

  
  

  

  Halo 4 (Xbox 360)

  Who seriously thought that Halo 3 would be the last we saw of Master Chief? He's back for the start of a brand new trilogy, which will find the Spartan super soldier confronting his own destiny as well as an ancient evil poised to destroy the universe. No pressure then.

  
  

  

  Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Swapping the bottom of the ocean for the top of the world, this continuation of the smartest sci-fi shooter in recent memory casts you as a Pinkerton agent in 1912, trying to escape a dystopian city in the clouds. Expect gorgeous views and gruelling terror in equal measure.

  
  

  

  Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Return to Pandora for another round of co-operative role-playing mayhem. The game promises more dynamic quests which will alter the path of the story, as well as smarter enemies and more independent non-player characters. Bring it.

  
  

  

  Hitman: Absolution (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  It's been five years since Agent 47 last graced our joypads in Blood Money, and his latest adventure will take full advantage of the updates in technology since. Expect to be able to set up more elaborate assassinations, as well some form of multiplayer.

  
  

  

  Max Payne 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Rockstar's other big game for 2012 finds the dual-wielding anti-hero cop disgraced and working as a bodyguard in Brazil. Of course, it all kicks off when the family he's guarding are targeted by gangsters, and slow-motion shooty-diving is the only way to settle the score.

  
  

  

  Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  After drifting out of the spotlight, the first lady of gaming returns with this series reboot which follows a more vulnerable teenage Lara Croft, as she grows into the confident adventurer we all know and love.

  
  

  

  PlayStation Vita

  Sony's incredibly powerful handheld drops in February, bringing next-gen muscle to the portable gaming market. With 3G and Wifi-enabled models available - and boasting exclusive Uncharted, Wipeout and Call of Duty games - it's the console to watch in 2012.

  Published: 19/01/2012

• Rockstar wants your ideas for GTA V multiplayer

  Developer Rockstar has put out a call to all GTA fans - that'll be everybody then - asking for feedback on what features we'd like to see included in the multiplayer portion of the upcoming GTA V.

  "As we're busy working on Grand Theft Auto V, we'd like to take this opportunity to ask all of you for your feedback, input and ideas for features you'd like to see created for Crews in the game," reads the post on the game's official website.

  "Whether it's suggestions for competitive in-game Crew features in Multiplayer, new ways to manage and recruit, ideas for enhancing Social Club Crew pages and leaderboards, things you did and didn't like about Crews in Max Payne 3, or any thoughts at all related to Crews really that you'd like to share - we're all ears."

  "We'd especially love to hear from current Crew members and leaders so that we can continue making our unique approach to persistent team based Multiplayer as fun as it can be in GTAV."

  You can email your thoughts and suggestions direct to Rockstar using the email address GTAVCrewFeedback@rockstargames.com.

  GTA V was announced in October 2011, but outside of a trailer and a handful of screenshots of familiar GTA location San Andreas very little is known about it. Rockstar has begun allowing the press to play it in the last few weeks, prompting speculation that a release date can't be far off.

  Published: 19/10/2012

• Grand Theft Auto V confirmed for Spring 2013

  Rockstar has finally nailed down the release period for the eagerly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V. It'll launch worldwide in Spring 2013, the publisher has confirmed.

  "Grand Theft Auto 5 is the largest and most ambitious title in the series to date," read a statement on parent company Take-Two's corporate website. The posting also offered a few more hints as to what we can expect. "Set in the sprawling city of Los Santos and the surrounding area," the post continues, "Grand Theft Auto 5 delivers a world of unprecedented scale and detail bursting with life, from mountaintops to the depths of the ocean."

  Depths of the ocean? Could GTA be going underwater this time? Rockstar, of course, isn't saying. All we know for sure is that there will be multiplayer, and it will likely use the same "Crews" system as Rockstar's Max Payne 3, allowing you and your friends to track progress across multiple titles.

  Grand Theft Auto V will initially launch on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Previous games in the series have been followed by a PC release afterwards.

  Preorders for the game will be open from November 5th, the press release added.

  Published: 31/10/2012

• Loads of Grand Theft Auto V gameplay details revealed

  The December issue of US magazine Game Informer contains a mammoth 18 page feature on Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V so, over a year after the first teaser trailer grabbed our attention, juicy gameplay details from the long awaited sequel are finally out in the open.

  Top of the list, and a first for the series, is the use of three lead characters: Michael, Trevor and Franklin. Each will have their own particular set of skills (much like Liam Neeson, then...), and their own network of friends and allies. You'll be able to switch between them pretty much at will, and when not under your control they'll go about their business all over Los Santos.

  That setting has changed a lot since it was last seen in GTA: San Andreas back in 2004. The city is now the largest map ever created for a Rockstar game - and that includes the sprawling frontier landscapes of Red Dead Redemption. There will be wilderness areas on the outskirts, a military base and the option to explore the sea bed. Random missions will pop up as you explore, including encounters with hitchhikers, muggers and dead bodies. Taking part in heists will be a core part of the gameplay.

  Driving, melee combat and shooting controls have all been vastly improved, and missions are promised to be more complex and interesting than simply travelling from one shoot-out to another. For your amusement, optional activities include base jumping, tennis, yoga, athletics, jet skiing and fully featured 18-hole golf courses.

  It all sounds pretty amazing, and we won't have too long to wait. Grand Theft Auto V is due for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Spring 2013.

  Published: 09/11/2012

• Grand Theft Auto won't be leaving America for future sequels

  Now that Grand Theft Auto V is finally out in the open, Rockstar president and GTA writer Dan Houser has been giving a handful of interviews about the hotly anticipated return of one of gaming's biggest franchises.

  One such interview was with Dutch website Gamers.nl, which asked whether Rockstar would ever consider creating a Grand Theft Auto game with a European setting. Fans of 1999's groovy GTA London expansion should look away now: it's not going to happen.

  "I thought about it," Houser confessed. "A lot. Argued it every which way. I think, my own sense, speaking for myself and not for the company, is that it's as much a product of Americana. That's such a big part of the game."

  "You could make a great game set in Amsterdam," he continued. "Would it be GTA? I don't know. We haven't done it, so I can't really offer a comment or an opinion on it. We've avoided it because we think that part of the experience of GTA is its engagement with America, or American media, American movies, American culture."

  Grand Theft Auto V is due next Spring for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Set in the west coast city of Los Santos, it takes place on a game map five times larger than Rockstar's epic cowboy yarn, Red Dead Redemption. You'll play as three different characters, switching between them at will. Excited? Yeah, just a little.

  Published: 12/09/2012

• Rockstar teases big plans for Grand Theft Auto V multiplayer

  Just as Grand Theft Auto 3 redefined what could be done in open world games, Rockstar hopes that the online portion of the upcoming GTA V will set a new benchmark for free-roaming multiplayer.

  "For GTA V we want to push all of these to a new level while incorporating new gameplay elements that would not have been possible before," Rockstar North boss Leslie Benzies told IGN. "The ability to switch between different characters allows the player to do things that wouldn't have been possible in any other GTA game, and on the multiplayer side we hope that GTA V will do for multiplayer open world games what GTA 3 did for open world single-player games."

  It's already been confirmed that the Crew system from Rockstar's Max Payne 3 will return for GTA V, allowing players to set up their own gangs or join public ones. In Max Payne you were able to start feuds with rival crews, while performing tasks for your crew to earn XP boosts.

  So what will Rockstar do with such a system in a digital city five times larger than the vast frontier landscape of Red Dead Redemption? "Refining open world multiplayer into something really special has been a huge focus of development and we are very excited to share more information with people soon," Benzies teased.

  Grand Theft Auto V is out next Spring for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

  Published: 14/11/2012

• Take Two explains why we don't see a new Grand Theft Auto every year

  It's hard to believe it's been four years since GTA IV took the games world by storm. In that time, Assassin's Creed has grown to become a blockbuster giant with five core games to its name, four handheld spin-offs and a Facebook game. Call of Duty has released a new entry every November, ever since Modern Warfare blew the record books to pieces. Yet despite the lure of a big cash injection every Christmas, GTA publisher Take Two has no intention of following the trend.

  Take Two boss Strauss Zelnick explained the strategy at a technology conference in Arizona, comparing the GTA series to James Bond movies. Those are seen as an event because fans have to wait for them, which keeps them "special".

  "You run the risk...of having consumers fall out of love with that franchise," Zelnick told his audience, explaining that unless based on a sport, games which release a new entry every year tend to "hit the wall" as far as sales and popularity are concerned.

  Clearly, that's not something GTA has to worry about. Zelnick also revealed that the series has shifted an eye-watering 125 million copies over the years. 25 million of those come from GTA IV alone.

  Can GTA V top that? We'll find out when it launches in 2013.

  Published: 29/11/2012

• Google reveals the top ten most searched games of 2012

  
  

  It's not the most sexy chart in the world, but Google's ranking of which games attracted the most searches in 2012 is an interesting illustration of which games captured the world's imagination.

  Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is inevitably among the top ten, as are fellow blockbuster behemoths Assassin's Creed 3 and Halo 4. Developer Gearbox will be pleased to see that its fledgling franchise has also officially earned a seat at the big boy table - Borderlands 2 is right up there with the juggernaut brands.

  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim makes the list, despite coming out in 2011, while GTA V also warrants a spot even though it won't be out until next Spring. And while grown up players may not have noticed, the presence of Skylanders in the top searches only goes to show just how insanely popular Activision's toy-based action series is with kids.

  It's Electronic Arts that has most reason to celebrate however. Not only is FIFA the only sports game to make the grade, but it manages to take two spots on the list - one for FIFA 12 and one for this year's follow-up, FIFA 13.

  As charts go, it's a pretty good indication of where gaming is as 2013 dawns. Certainly, these are all fantastic titles that deserve the attention. But are they the games that were driving your fingers to search engines this year?
  

  Published: 19/12/2012

• New Year Revolutions: The Top Games We're Looking Forward To In 2013

  
  

  

  Even though the excess of New Year is still fresh in our aching heads, this week sees the release of the first must-have blockbuster of 2013. Capcom's revamped and rebooted Devil May Cry has wowed critics and won over fans with its slick combat and slinky visuals, but that's just the start of what promises to be a spectacular year in gaming. Here are five games that we can't wait to play in the months ahead.
  

  

  Crysis 3

  Out: February 22nd
  Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

  Why So Excited?: Because the Crysis series has always been the benchmark for the modern shooter in terms of lush visuals, and developer Crytek is promising to pull out all the stops for this trilogy-closing entry. You'll take control of nano-suited anti-hero Prophet as he returns to a New York enclosed in biodomes which have allowed tropical jungles to sprout on the familiar streets of the Big Apple.

  Using your high tech bow, and the various cool abilities that your armour provides, you'll sneak and slay your way through stunning open environments. Quite apart from the in-game thrills on offer, when most of the big shooters cluster around the pre-Christmas rush there's also something rather fantastic about a AAA shooter bold enough to stake its claim in the quieter early months of the year, where nothing can distract us from its groovy gameplay.
  

  

  Tomb Raider

  Out: March 5th
  Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

  Why So Excited?: You really have to ask? It's the return of Lara Croft, arguably the greatest modern video game character, absent from our joypads for far too long, and often stuck in average or poor quality sequels before that. After inheriting the series from defunct UK studio Core Design, developer Crystal Dynamics finally gets to divert from a 1990s template and reboot Tomb Raider in its own style.

  The result is an action adventure that has more in common with the cinematic rush of Uncharted than the block-shoving puzzles and somersaulting tiger-shooting of old. There'll be multiplayer for the first time in a Tomb Raider game, and there's also the story to consider – one that's written by Rhianna Pratchett, and follows a much younger Lara as she learns to become the confident hero we already know, having been stranded on an island controlled by brutal pirates. Action and drama, with a gaming icon? What's not to love?
  

  

  Bioshock Infinite

  Out: March 26th
  Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

  Why So Excited?: Because how often do you see a sequel so gleefully tear up everything from its predecessors? Bioshock Infinite may share the name of the 2007 smash hit, but virtually everything else is different. The gloomy and desolate undersea city of Rapture is replaced with Columbia, a steampunk city in the clouds. Dark is replaced with light. Water replaced with air.

  Can a game still be claustrophobic and scary in such bright, open environments? If anyone can pull it off, it's Ken Levine, the Bioshock creator who returns to the series after sitting out Bioshock 2. And it's not as if he hasn't had the time to perfect the game – Infinite's release date has slipped back more than once, but rather than a sign of trouble, it shows that Levine won't let this complex moral fable go until it's just right, even to the point of removing features – such as multiplayer – which weren't working to his required standard. When so many games tend to favour a kitchen sink approach, that sort of polish and focus demands to be rewarded.
  

  

  The Last of Us

  Out: May 17th
  Platforms: PlayStation 3

  Why So Excited?: It's Naughty Dog, one of a handful of big studios that effortlessly combine compelling core gameplay, brilliantly realised characters and staggering cinematic sweep. What happens when a developer with that pedigree tackles the survival horror genre? That's what we can't wait to find out. The Last of Us was sprung on the gaming public just over a year ago, and it immediately became a “must see” title.

  Set after a virulent plague wipes out most of humanity, it follows a grizzled survivor called Joel and Ellie, a young girl who he has taken under his wing, as they struggle to stay alive in the ruins of modern society, where brutal gangs and bloodthirsty maniacs lurk in the rubble. Unapologetically violent and with a gruelling storyline that explores the characters as much as the haunting landscape, The Last of Us brings us one step closer to gaming that packs as much punch as a big-name movie.
  

  

  Grand Theft Auto V

  Out: Spring
  Platforms: PlayStation 3

  Why So Excited?: If you have to ask, you must have been on Mars for the last decade. A new Grand Theft Auto game is a guaranteed event, not least because Rockstar doesn't turn these sequels out unless there's a good reason to do so. No annual updates for this series, so the news that players will be returning to the hot sticky streets of Los Santos for the first time since 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is enough to put us on the edge of our seat.

  Ever the tease, Rockstar has released only a few trailers and handfuls of screenshots, but it's enough to whet the whistle. With stunning graphics, bringing the city to life in never-before-seen detail, the big selling point is that this time around we'll be controlling three characters as they navigate the underbelly of modern urban life. Swapping between them at will, and combining their skills for missions, this could well be the evolutionary kick in the pants that the free-roaming crime genre needs. Would you expect anything else from the maestros that created the genre in the first place?
  

  Published: 17/01/2013

• Grand Theft Auto V release date announced.

  In a surprise move, Rockstar Games have revealed that Grand Theft Auto V will be hitting the shelves on September 17th.

  Previous reports were that the latest instalment in this open-world crime behemoth would be released in Spring 2013, something addressed in Rockstar's announcement today, where they admitted "we know that this short delay will come as a disappointment to many of you", adding that "GTAV is a massively ambitious and complex game and it simply needs a little more polish to be of the standard we and, more importantly, you require". So at least we can be sure that when the game arrives, it'll be the one we want it to be.

  Grand Theft Auto V promises to be the most ambitious entry yet, and offers three protagonists - retired bank robber Michael, druggie pilot Trevor and hustler Franklin - each with their own missions that will intersect. You'll be able to switch between them throughout the game, and even mid-mission when they're working together.

  That date again - Grand Theft Auto V arrives on September 17th 2013 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

  Published: 31/01/2013

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