Rockstar: GTA5's multi-character approach was a 'leap of faith'

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Grand Theft Auto 5's inclusion of multiple playable protagonists was one of its defining features, but Rockstar art director Aaron Garbut admitted in a recent interview with Edge that the mechanic was a risky move with a potential to backfire.

Garbut revealed that protagonist-switching mechanics were planned from the beginning of GTA5's development as the team pieced together character dynamics and the game's overall tone. While he feels that the feature worked to the game's benefit in the end, Garbut notes that the team took a big risk in making such a critical change to the core GTA series formula.

"[Having] multiple characters was a leap of faith," Garbut explained. "It was an interesting idea, and it felt like we could do interesting things with it, but it also felt like a change to the core of the game that might backfire. I think it really worked out. It's so hard during development to get perspective -- you get so used to looking for the problems that it becomes almost impossible to step back and see the positives."

Grand Theft Auto 5 featured a story in which protagonists Michael, Franklin, and Trevor take part in key narrative moments both individually and as a group, allowing players to switch between the trio throughout. Previous series entries traditionally featured a single playable protagonist.

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Related Forum: Grand Theft Auto Forum

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/04/rockstar-gta5s-multi-character-approach-was-a-leap-of-faith/

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"Rockstar: GTA5's multi-character approach was a 'leap of faith'" :: Login/Create an Account :: 105 comments

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1gbPosted:

Franklin is my favourite character.
He is amazing.

KatsumiPosted:

Lia
Katsumi
THECARJACKER
Katsumi
Vanoss I'd love to see a GTA game where you create your own character. I've never been a fan of any of Rockstar's main characters, other than John Marston.


You can do that in GTA Online but i would also much like to see a character creation option incorporated in the single player aspect of the game


Yeah I think he was on about a more Saints Row approach


That wouldn't be bad i guess. I am 50/50 for it seeming that i kind of liked the varying personalities of the GTAV protagonists.


I enjoy each of the characters as well, my favourite is Trevor though.


I personally liked franklin the best out of all the characters

GILFPosted:

all the characters are good I especially like the trevor and the random stuff he does when you switch to him :) haha

DissPosted:

Katsumi
THECARJACKER
Katsumi
Vanoss I'd love to see a GTA game where you create your own character. I've never been a fan of any of Rockstar's main characters, other than John Marston.


You can do that in GTA Online but i would also much like to see a character creation option incorporated in the single player aspect of the game


Yeah I think he was on about a more Saints Row approach


That wouldn't be bad i guess. I am 50/50 for it seeming that i kind of liked the varying personalities of the GTAV protagonists.


I enjoy each of the characters as well, my favourite is Trevor though.

KatsumiPosted:

THECARJACKER
Katsumi
Vanoss I'd love to see a GTA game where you create your own character. I've never been a fan of any of Rockstar's main characters, other than John Marston.


You can do that in GTA Online but i would also much like to see a character creation option incorporated in the single player aspect of the game


Yeah I think he was on about a more Saints Row approach


That wouldn't be bad i guess. I am 50/50 for it seeming that i kind of liked the varying personalities of the GTAV protagonists.

IntPosted:

Amazing part of the campaign to be honest, it made it fresh instead of the same old stuff.

THECARJACKERPosted:

Katsumi
Vanoss I'd love to see a GTA game where you create your own character. I've never been a fan of any of Rockstar's main characters, other than John Marston.


You can do that in GTA Online but i would also much like to see a character creation option incorporated in the single player aspect of the game


Yeah I think he was on about a more Saints Row approach

HonkPosted:

Scuf_Kontrol I wish they would remake GTA sanandreas. I love that game more then any gta. I use to play it all the time on the ps2 I just now tried to play it and I cant stand the graphics on the game cj only has 2 fingers.


I just played a full play through of the game last week than went on GTA 5 and damn the SA graphics are bad.

VapePosted:

I wish they would remake GTA sanandreas. I love that game more then any gta. I use to play it all the time on the ps2 I just now tried to play it and I cant stand the graphics on the game cj only has 2 fingers.

KatsumiPosted:

Vanoss I'd love to see a GTA game where you create your own character. I've never been a fan of any of Rockstar's main characters, other than John Marston.


You can do that in GTA Online but i would also much like to see a character creation option incorporated in the single player aspect of the game


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