Players jumping to the Xbox One, PS4 and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V will have a little more to do in-game than the last-gen versions, a bonus for anyone returning to Los Santos. The purpose of this new content, as Rockstar puts it, is to give returning players a way to "experience the game's massive world in new and exciting ways." Although, with the existence of GTA Online and the potential still contained within, new ways to play the game aren't that hard to achieve already.
A majority of the new content for players to enjoy amounts to new challenges and events, which, upon completion, yield new vehicles and weapons with which to terrorize the city. Our three protagonists each get an exclusive story mission of their own (including a murder mystery and underwater photography) which also lead to acquiring new rewards, such as a mini submarine and new camera filters. You know, just in case players wish to explore their inner photographer.
Specific details on how to unlock a few of the new toys have yet to be mentioned, but the new events and rewards are as follows:
New vehicles
- The Imponte Duke O'Death vehicle and Dodo seaplane - gained after coming across them in-game and dealing with the challenges they each present.
- Cheval Marshall monster truck
- Xero Gas Blimp
New weapons
- Rail Gun - comes with own unique set of Ammu-Nation Shooting Range Challenges
- Hatchet (melee weapon)
New events
- Murder Mystery - As Michael, follow a trail of cryptic clues to unravel a grisly murder mystery. Put the clues together and you'll unlock two Noir Style Filters, which will give your Story Mode gameplay and Snapmatic photos the feel of a gritty old school crime classic.
- Wildlife Photography - There are new species of animals across Los Santos and Blaine County, and the LS Tourist Board needs someone to document them. As Franklin, catalog unique animal species scattered across the map to unlock the special Kraken Sub.
- Stock Car Races - Compete in new stock car racers to earn muscle cars plastered with the logos of several companies that "made this country great."
- Monkey Mosaics - A mysterious street artist is tagging walls all across town with his simian-inspired silhouettes. Track down and photograph them all to earn new monkey outfits (available to all players) and a special Go Go Monkey Blista.
If you do pick up GTAV for one of the newer platforms, but are not a returning player, there's no need to feel left out. Rockstar noted that new content is coming for both new and old players, including classic GTA cars. The rest of the surprises, however, will have to wait until the Xbox One and PS4 versions launch a few weeks from now. It's not yet clear if PC players will get even more extra toys to try out as well, since they have an extra two months to wait compared to console players.
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As some may already know, a big incentive to move to the Xbox One and PS4 versions of GTAV is the fact that players can bring over their GTA Online characters, progress, and any Jobs they created. That's a one way street, as any progress gained in the new versions, as well as leaderboard changes, won't be seen on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
Furthermore, don't expect all of the previously detailed new content to eventually come to the older platforms. According to Rockstar, the new content and additional gameplay updates were only possible because of the more powerful hardware. On the upside, any updates made to GTA Online will be for all systems. That is, aside from whatever update included support for 30-player online matches.
Expect more details about the new versions of GTAV to come as we get closer to its second release. It's certainly shaping up to be the end-all-be-all version of Rockstar's 2013 hit, regardless of if those who play it are veterans or new players. Yet there are still no heists...
Grand Theft Auto V releases on January 17, 2015 for PC; PS4 and Xbox One on November 18, 2014.