With the news that more information on the most anticipated title of 2013 is about to hit our newsfeed, I thought its prime time I wrote a little about what my hopes were for GTAV.

So firstly, there are some facts that have already been released, they include the fact that the character will be a father figure; now this is really exciting. I'm not personally a father myself yet, I'm actually still a teenager technically. But I can see myself in that role someday, and with me having been a son and all, I can picture being a father quite vividly. It's a role not a lot of gamers get to play in, apart from (from the top of my head), Heavy Rain and Max Payne (for a brief period), the responsibilities of having a child give a lot of emotional weight, relatability and sympathy for the character and has alot of potential for drama and themes rarely seen in games. In television we have Breaking Bad, which if you havent seen it before (you really should, its effing fantastic), is a drama about a father who enters the life of crime to provide for his children, because, and its not a spoiler, he has cancer. Now, when I watch Breaking Bad, I can't help but wonder if this type of incredibly, tense, realistic and balls out riveting drama/tension is capable in video games. Obviously, GTAV won't be that game; but the parallels between the characters and all the similar themes they could explore greatly excite me, and its about time there's a character I can easily sympathise with be a playable character in the GTA series.

Another aspect that we already know, is that its set in Los Santos. If you've read my previous post about San Andreas, you'll know that setting has a special place in my heart. But, apart from the nostalgia; I'm excited about the possibilty that the game will feature again a large expansive map with seemlingly endless activities scattered about. Not as large as San Andreas (that map is arguable too large), but large enough that when I start the game, the feeling of adventure and endless possibility and surprises awaits me. The feeling that the entire city, unlike Liberty City, doesn't look the same throughout and is yearning to be explored. This, appears will come true; theres the hollywood area, the suburban area and the beaches all of them return here. and all of it bright and sunny like the perfect vacation! No more only dark, grimy alleyways or grey buildings! Exploration was a key component in San Andeas, hopefully it returns. But the question remains; will these settings continue to enthrall me? Or will I feel Deja Vu from my last visit to San Andreas? Hopefully not, and there is promise in the new outer towns.cities areas that seem to be in the game according to the trailer, I guess its another detail that will be revealed this week. Soon enough!

But there are still a few hopes and dreams that I hold for the game that have no information/data backing whatsoever and are simply, for now, hopes and dreams. I want a large arsenal. Now; gun play in the GTA series has always been a supporting mechanic; a means to an end really; to progress the story to be another activity, etc. I want the game to feature compelling gun play; how it fits into the game's direction and vision, I don't know; but what I do know is that I want the feeling of firing the gun to be satisfying; to have ompft and to make a bit of mess as well. With this, I want more character customisation. Why can't I dress my Niko Belic the way I want? No more crazy costumes, I agree! But, some ability to mix and match shirts and jeans, shoes and ties, because I strongly believe that the shirt tells its own story. I played my Niko Bellic as a middle aged man, dressed in a simple wool jumper and business pants; a bit like Mike from Breaking Bad (who is a kick ass grandpa), and it made his awesome actions seem so much cooler because of the contrast of his clothes. Niko was a normal guy doing crazy things, things that he did not want to do. And that is why I think GTAV should give us more options in this regard. Also, please streamline the selection process! My god I hated swapping shirts because it took forever!

Other things I want are simple enough: lots of variety of activities, a compelling story that has a evolving character, better controls and better optimisation for the PC.

Lastly, I want them to surprise me. I want to be told what I dont know, something that, like San Andreas and GTA4, redefinied the series for me. I want them to blow my mind. If they can do that, I will be very happy indeed. Few games have managed to surprise me of late; too many games I can guess or feel that I've seen it all from the first hour or so. GTA has always been a bag of surprises, if they can pull if off, they will have done it again.