The Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V will feature a first-person mode, Rockstar Games confirmed today. This new way to play was previously rumored.
What makes first-person mode feel so unique in GTA V is that it allows you to experience the world of Los Santos and Blaine County--places you probably already know well--from a completely new perspective.
"You're eye-level, down with the people on the street, and as you walk past them, you see them sort of look at you out of the corner of their eye," Nelson said. "All of this stuff existed in the game before--lots of little details."
The shift from third-person to first-person required a significant amount of development work, Nelson said.
"You have to change pretty much everything," he explained. "I mean, if you want to do it right. We have a very solid third-person animation system, but you don't just put the camera down there and expect to see the guns, aim, and shoot. All those animations are new when you switch to first-person, because it all has to be animated to the camera, to make it feel like a proper first-person experience that I think people would expect. All the timings have to be re-evaluated."
Rockstar has gone to great lengths to update GTA V's world with a first-person perspective in mind. For instance, when you sit down in a car, you'll see that everything on your car's dashboard works--the speedometer and rev counter are just two examples. Displays will even show the name of the radio station and song you're listening to--and your character will bob his head to the music. This level of deep detail is featured on every car, boat, and plane in GTA V.
In addition, if you're riding a bike or a helicopter, your character will put on a helmet, which will in turn limit your field of view and suppress ambient noises just like it would in real life.
