Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is an action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and released in September 2013. It is the fifth major title in the Grand Theft Auto series and the fifteenth overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on parts of southern California, the single-player story follows three criminals and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a government agency. The open world design lets players freely roam San Andreas’ open countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.
The game is played from either a third-person or first-person perspective, and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. Players control the three protagonists throughout the single-player mode, switching between them both during and outside of missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. A “wanted” system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes. Grand Theft Auto Online, the online multiplayer mode, lets up to 30 players explore the open world and engage in cooperative or competitive game matches.
The development team drew influence from many of their previous projects such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 and designed the game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors. Much of the development work constituted the open world’s creation, and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team.
