With Grand Theft Auto V just around the corner, fans have been clamouring for any new information regarding the fifth iteration in Rockstar’s Herculean franchise. We’ve known about the game’s online component and the individual characters for quite some time, however, courtesy of a leaked image thought to be have snapped from the game’s strategy guide, we now have our first visual image of GTA V’s world map.
The image itself was posted on a Reddit thread via GeENie, who was able to pick up the supplementary guide ahead of time, and you can check out the alleged map using the gallery below. Though Rockstar hasn’t openly confirmed the legitimacy of the leak, many of the environmental features seem to dovetail with the footage we’ve seen thus far; such as the location of Mount Chiliad and various residential areas.
Not only does it give us a sense of scale, the expansive screenshot encompasses the entirety of Los Santos and Blaine County, which look to be suitably disparate environments. But perhaps the most impressive feat of the game’s colossal sandbox is that every visible nook and cranny will serve as a playable area. What’s more, the different shadings in the surrounding ocean could possibly hint at the game’s open aquatic areas that players will be able to explore.
Upon seeing the unverified map, many fans have speculated as to whether this purported birds-eye view of Grand Theft Auto V is as expansive as Rockstar promoted. After all, the playable area has been touted as bigger than Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption combined. With that said, the studio has always verified the scale of the map with its inherent substance. Leslie Benzies, the game’s stalwart producer, previously spoke of GTA V’s unrestrained environment with IGN.
“Because of the scale of the map and the different kinds of areas involved, a countryside without animals would feel quite hollow. At the same time, animals aren’t just a backdrop – you can expect to see dogs guarding areas and causing the player trouble when they try to sneak past them.”
Either way, it won’t be long until fans will be able to immerse themselves in Rockstar’s playground themselves. With a release date slated for September 17th, 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360, Grand Theft Auto V is almost upon us. In the meantime, let us know your impressions of the alleged map in the comments below.
