Grand Theft Auto V Spills All Over The Internet
When enough hype builds around a game release, fans suddenly turn into crack detectives. Entire Internet communities scour the web and question their local game retailers for any hints of info about the upcoming game. Grand Theft Auto V has recently reached that level of hype, and the bloodhound-like fans of Rockstar’s “blow up everything with a tank” simulator have dredged up an incredible wealth of new info about the game.
The first leak comes from a simple bit of pre-order promotional material. AAA developers love to give away bonuses when fans pre-order their games these days, and Rockstar is no different. In the case of Grand Theft Auto V, fans get a little keychain image viewer that shows off locales in the game. However, the only reason we know this is because they were given out too early. Retailers were supposed to wait until November 5th to start taking pre-orders and giving out the promotional materials, but a few skilled fans have managed to snag some and post the images they held. According to a letter from Rockstar, these viewers will all show off screenshots that will “never be released anywhere else, ever.” Well, the Internet, of course, already has access to them, making Rockstar’s exclusivity claims seem a bit silly.
Locales shown off include the Zancudo River, Vinewood Hills, Del Perro Pier, Vespucci Canals, and Grapeseed. You may recognize some of these locales from Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, specifically Vinewood. The rest of the locations are also riffs on popular California locations, including the Santa Monica pier and the Napa Valley. In addition, some of these keychain viewers are stamped with a “FlyUS” logo. Perhaps air-travel will play a big part in Grand Theft Auto V?
While clear pictures haven’t yet been posted of all the images, we have managed to see decent views of the Zancudo River and Vespucci Canals, both of which are aerial views of Grand Theft Auto maps. The Zancudo River is a mountainous region without much civilization to speak of. The screenshot shows a man skydiving above the mountains—another hint at airplane-based gameplay.
Additionally, fans who pre-order the game will also get a limited edition Grand Theft Auto V poster. The poster, which is identical to an image found on promotional materials leaked by UK retailer GAME, shows a police officer arresting a dubious female. She seems to want to hide her identity, what with the hat and large sunglasses and all, but she is also dressed in easily recognizable clothing that includes a gold belt, lots of chains, and a Love Fist t-shirt. One has to wonder if this references anything in the game as well. Perhaps a few “escort” missions, if you know what I mean?
The other promotional materials, essentially posters that advertise the game and the pre-order promotion, include a picture of a man riding an ATV with a sniper rifle. Of course, there’s also the familiar “pest control” picture as well. The backs of these posters display a screenshot of several cars racing past a helicopter, which seems to be yet another hint at aerial gameplay.
One final leaked image shows a man holding a baseball bat in one hand and a leash attached to an angry attack dog in the other. Perhaps this points toward the ability to train pets of some sort? It would be pretty cool to have your own attack dog to take with you during gang fights.
But even with all the rumors and leaked info, the shady denizens of the Internet aren’t the only ones we’re getting our GTA news from. Rockstar has finally decided to confirm an actual release window for Grand Theft Auto V. See, a while back we reported on a rumor about the game coming sometime in Spring of 2013 . But a recent press release finally confirmed this. The press release went on to say that pre-orders officially open up November 5th, but, as you can see, many retailers have begun taking pre-orders earlier than they should have. So you might as well get out there and try your luck.
Grand Theft Auto V is shaping up to be one truly massive open world game with tons of activities to take part in. Rockstar has promised us even more info in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled, and make sure to pick up your pre-order for your chance to see some (no longer all that) exclusive screenshots.
 | By Angelo M. D’Argenio Lead Contributor Date: November 2, 2012 |
*The views expressed within this article are solely the opinion of the author and do not express the views held by Cheat Code Central.*