GTA 5 Trailers, Screenshots: Rockstar Hints at Deep Sea Exploration, Shark Attacks

Grand Theft Auto is the slow-cooked meat of the gaming industry. The developers at Rockstar North spend years crafting the perfect blend of innovation and nostalgia, and slowly, methodically release media filled with an equal measure of mysteries and answers. Dedicated fans pore over each screenshot and extract information that most simply gloss over as the creative team sets the marketing campaign to a simmer. In effect, the year prior to each entry's launch is marked by an elaborate puzzle that open-world enthusiasts set out to piece together. So, let's take a look at the most recent batch of screenshots and take a stab at where they fit in the overall picture.

If Far Cry 3 taught us anything, it's that sharks should be part of as many games as possible. It's unclear whether or not the animals will pose a threat to players, or what options we will be given to fight back, but the prospect of being attacked in open water will undoubtedly ratchet up the tension in any aquatic trek.

The last time we saw fighter jets was in San Andreas. Niko's story in GTA IV was driven by a grounded realism that tonally did not allow for toys like this to fill the game space. While it remains to be seen what sort of balance Rockstar will strike between its over-the-top humor and proper drama, it's hard to not get excited about the prospect of this vehicle's return.

When Rockstar North first announced GTA 5, they promised the "most thriving -world we have ever created set in the sprawling city of Los Santos and for miles beyond-from the tops of mountains to the depths of the ocean." From the looks of this James Cameron-esque screenshot, it appears that even the deep black abyss of the ocean floor is no longer off limits.

Pictured from right to left are Michael, Franklin, and Trevor: the three playable characters in GTA 5. Players can switch between each protagonist on the fly, which effectively hands over the reins of the remaining crew members to the AI. As a crucial wrinkle in the new entry's formula, this system could hypothetically allow for a number of elaborate heist strategies and could crack open the open-world game past its perceived breaking point.

While little is known about Franklin, we do know that his hometown of Los Santos is five times the size of GTA IV's map. Granted, GTA IV deliberately scaled down the scope of the environment in favor of creating a more detailed, dense city for Niko to inhabit. GTA V launches in Spring of 2013. What are your thoughts on Rockstar's newest images?