GTA 5 News: A Closer Look at Ten New Screenshots [PHOTOS]

We're still six months away from the release of Grand Theft Auto 5, but already we're seeing an avalanche of new screenshots. Rockstar Games has just released a batch of ten more, and they reveal some pretty interesting details.

Although Rockstar declined to accompany them with any context, they reveal some pretty exciting features including mini guns, parachuting, scuba diving, and nighttime police pursuits.

In an included statement, Rockstar also confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 5 will be hitting store shelves on September 17, 2013. The studio also apologized for the delay, stating:

"We know this is about four months later than originally planned and we know that this short delay will come as a disappointment to many of you, but, trust us, it will be worth the extra time. GTAV is a massively ambitious and complex game... We are doing all we can to help ensure it will meet if not exceed your expectations come September - we thank you for your support and patience."

Despite being the fifth numbered title, GTA5 is actually the 15th game in the series. Rockstar is stating that it will be their biggest open world game to date, although no numbers have been officially revealed. GTA 5 will release on September 17, 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. A PC and Wii U port are being considered, but have not been confirmed. 

There's not a lot to go on in this photo, but the presence of those turbines remind me of the real-life Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm. It's not particularly close to Los Angeles, but it does connect the region with the Mojave desert. Could this possibly mean that you'll be able to travel on highways to other regions in South California?

This one seems to be just a nice skyline view of Los Santos, the game's central location and Los Angeles-equivalent.

Parachuting confirmed! Although whether or not this will only be possible in certain side missions, or if you'll be able to get a nice overhead view of the city whenever you want remains to be seen.

Despite the stormy weather, this is almost certainly the Santa Monica Pier, complete with the locale's trademark amusement park. A Venice Beach equivalent, Vespucci Beach, has already been confirmed, so a Santa Monica doesn't seem too farfetched.  

This is another nice shot of the game's graphics. Some gamers say they can spot a group of UFOs hidden in the sky, can you?

As you might expect, police pursuits are going to be another big part of the game, although the ability to have dramatic nighttime chases does seem like a good bonus.

The game definitely seems like it has its share of heavy weaponry. Here's a mini gun tearing through the city streets; take particular notice of the burning police car in the background. I'm guessing this character isn't a fan of the law.

Scuba diving is making its first appearance in a Grand Theft Auto game! With undersea regions now available to explore, it's no surprise that this is the biggest game yet.

Some sort of desert highway pursuit is happening here. It does lend some credence to the idea that there will be plenty of areas outside of the city.

Lastly, we have a nice little shot of one of the characters and a very shiny car. This particular guy is Michael, a retired bank robber who gets pulled back into the criminal lifestyle.

Surprisingly, Rockstar has been fairly secretive about actual gameplay details in the upcoming game, instead choosing to release a pretty good number of screenshots and videos, and letting fans figure things out for themselves.

However, we do know that Grand Theft Auto 5 will take place in a fictional city called Los Santos in the state of San Andreas and its surrounding areas. The region is modeled after Los Angeles and other famous Southern California locales, much as Grand Theft Auto 4 featured a New York-esque setting. The game will follow three characters: Michael, a retired bank robber, Trevor, his former, drug addicted partner, and Franklin, a repo man for a car dealership with criminal ties. Their three stories will overlap and interweave as they're all pulled deeper into the criminal underworld of Los Santos.