Grand Theft Auto V returns to the familiar city of Los Santos, but with all-new lead characters. Building on the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City, GTA V offers up multiple playable characters, with three new protagonists to guide around the Lost Santos streets.

First up is Michael, a retired bank robber who was living comfortably off his "earnings" following a deal with the FIB, but forced bank into the game after his wife gets a little to spend-happy. Then there's former military pilot Trevor, now a frequent drug user who does what he needs to scrape a living on the edge of society. Rounding up the trio is Franklin, a hustler who scams kids into buying cars they can't afford and then repossess them.

Michael, Trevor and Franklin each have their own lives, stories and hobbies, but the paths of the three characters will cross throughout the game. You have the chance to switch between them at any off-mission point of the game – and even during the missions they take part in together to keep you close to the action at all times.

A wealth of new missions await in Grand Theft Auto V, offering up a variety of mission styles for both individual and multiple participants. Unlike previous games in the series, complex finale-style missions are peppered throughout the characters' narratives, with heists providing a core part of the gameplay, and a renewed focus on prepping for each crime. And missions get a little more tension, too, with the introduction of a score, another first for the GTA series.

The Los Santos of Grand Theft Auto V is larger than ever before. Combining elements of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption with classic GTA open-world gameplay, locations within the city and beyond are yours to explore and to make your playground. There's the beachfronts, including the chance to explore the ocean floor along the coastline. Or there's the suburban hills, the wilderness around Mount Chiliad, and a new military base. You can even find yourself in the middle of wine country!

Los Santos isn't the only part of Grand Theft Auto V to get a west-coast facelift, with enhanced gameplay mechanics throughout. Melee combat and shooting controls have been improved, as has the driving mechanic. And with improved driving and a wider area to explore, there are even more vehicles than ever before – the range of cars is joined by BMX and mountain bikes, road motorcycles and dirt bikes, ATVs, jet skis, helicopters and planes.

As if that's not enough, to keep all your characters occupied between heists, the off-mission activities have also been given a boost, with more immersive mini-games and side missions. Yoga, base-jumping, tennis, triathlons and a full 18-hole golf game now make up life in Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V.

•     New characters take the lead, with three playable main characters and their own individual stories
•     All-new missions for individual and multiple characters
•     A massive open-world to explore, the largest in GTA history
•     Enhanced gameplay mechanics
•     More vehicles and off-mission activities