The fifth in the highly successful Grand Theft Auto series is expected to be out in the spring of 2013 in UK. That’s not long to go now. The game was originally scheduled to be released five years after the 2008 launch of GTA IC. Has the long delay been worth the wait?

Mind-blowing graphics in Rockstar’s recently released second trailer have had most gamers hitting repeat. Were they staged, or actual in-game shots? Rockstar hasbeen quick to answer rumours – they’re the real deal, stating on a PlayStation blog that the trailers were‘made entirely from in-game footage and nothing was pre-rendered’. GTA fans can’t wait for the new game to be out, so much so that some have used the GTA IV mod feature to produce a fan trailer in GTA V style.

The comparison between the two is striking: the graphics of IV are blockish and stand out like a sore thumb. Characters the latest GTA V trailer have greater visual detail – for instance, their lips move when they talk – and all objects have precise shadows.

Unlike previous versions, GTA V will allow you to switch between three characters – Franklin, Trevor and Michael – capitalizing on each character’s strength. In 2008, GTA IV introduced online multiplayer gaming for the first time. Since then, the number of online games has increased dramatically, so improvements have been made to this feature to step things up.Leslie Benzies, producer of GTA, noted recently: “Refining open world multiplayer into something really special has been a huge focus of development and we are very excited to share more information with people soon.”

In addition, Rockstar has laid out GTA V’s Los Santos as a detailed city. Unlike San Andreas, the new version will have downtown, beach and sub-urban areas. Graffiti on walls bring greater reality to the streets.Apparently, the scale of Los Santos will be bigger than many other games of recent times. I’m guessing we won’t run out of places to drive to that soon!

As part of a series that has – in the past – helped to define and redefine gaming experiences, Grand Theft Auto V will undoubtedly face scrutiny and stiff competition. But there is no doubt that GTA V will be another massive cross-platform video games hit. Rockstar’s recent trailer release has upped the hype, but we now have a much better idea of what to expect. Roll on spring 2013!