GTA 5’s three protagonists won’t be playable from the start

Rockstar is shaking things up with Grand Theft Auto 5 by allowing players to switch between three playable protagonists, each with their own story and personality. A recently released gameplay trailer showed us exactly how this will work, but according to the developer the game won't start off with this type of switching between characters.

While Rockstar wants to "show off the new game mechanics" from the outset, not all three of the game's main characters — Franklin, Trevor, and Michael — will be playable from the start.

"We want to give the player the opportunity to get to know the three characters individually, and explore the world as each of them, and it would not have been possible if all three had been available from the start," said Rockstar North president Lesli Benzies.

Having said that, Benzies explained that GTA 5 will "capture the player's attention immediately."

"Remember that the three characters in the game are already living in the city of Los Santos and surrounding areas. They are not newcomers like Niko and Tommy Vercetti, or people returning after a long absence like CJ," he said. "They already have contacts, they are integrated with the world and lead a busy life – these characteristics should give players a sense of immediate and total immersion."

Grand Theft Auto 5 is set to release for Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 17th.

[Jeuxactu via OXM]