We may only be just over a month into it, but 2013's certainly kicked off with a bang. Sony unleashed a trailer that hints they may be on the verge of releasing a new console, LEGO City Undercover's due at the end of March, and looks pretty incredible, and some disconcerting rumours are flying about what the next generation of consoles may bring with them. But as the theory of relativity suggests, every action has an equal and opposite reaction - so with all the good news, there was always going to be some crap.
And that bad news comes courtesy of Rockstar Games, the developers of the acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, who have announced that the latest eagerly anticipated title in the franchise, GTA V, has been delayed by four long months. Once due to come out in May, before the summer, GTA V is now scheduled to hit stores on the 17th of September.
There's a huge world to explore - including some more scenic areas than the usual GTA fare.
In a statement, a spokesman from Rockstar Games said "To all Grand Theft Auto fans, please accept our apologies for the delay, and our promise that the entire team here is working very hard to make the game all it can be. We are doing all we can to help ensure it will meet if not exceed your expectations come September - we thank you for your support and patience". Which we suppose is nice enough. Would have been nice if they'd have listed some reasons for the delay too, mind.
Of course, regardless of the reasons, it does seem odd that Rockstar may delay their next big game until mid September. With the purported "next generation" of consoles due to launch either at the end of this year, or early 2014 at the earliest, going head to head in the hype stakes against the Playstation 4/Xbox 720 could be a risky strategy - not to mention there can only be one winner of your pocket. With this in mind, it's likely there must have been a good reason for the delay - perhaps the much rumoured Wii U version may be about to become a reality, or could GTA V be moving to pastures new? It's recently been revealed that Rockstar have been looking into new graphics engines in order to develop games for new formats. Could the delayed progress on the game be so they can release it as a next-gen release game - or at least alongside a next-gen version? Or could it be that GTA V is such a huge project, some previously unaccounted bugs have reared their ugly head?
Planes, trains, and automobiles. And helicopters and jet skis too. They're all in GTA V.
It goes without saying that GTA V is going to be huge. With an entire city (and plenty of countryside) to explore, you'll be plonked into a world that's the size of GTA San Andreas, GTA IV and wild western Red Dead Redemption all put together - and considering how spacious those games felt, GTA V's looking to be more like the size of a small country. Giving you a giant sandbox to play in, and the ability to do pretty much anything you want, whether you're flying a plane, "borrowing" a car and promptly driving it straight off a cliff, or even exploring the ocean floor, GTA V also promises a twisting storyline that'll vie for your attentions. Switching between the story of three different characters: Michael, a retired bank robber trying to eke out an honest existence; Trevor, his former partner in crime, whose yet to break his drug addiction; and Franklin, whose working as a repo man for a group of Armenian gangsters, the plot brings three very different characters together as they step out in "pursuit of the almighty dollar".
Whatever the reasons are for the delay, though, it hasn't served to make GTA V any less anticipated. Due for a release in September, we're sure we'll be hearing plenty more about GTA before it hits the shelves.
