Grand Theft Auto V Info Blowout: The Lost, Character Switching and Regenerating Health

A new preview by EDGE for Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V, due to release on September 17th for PS3 and Xbox 360, reveals some new details about the game. For our previous info blowouts, which look at the shooting mechanics, NPCs, menu system and more, click here, here and here.

First, it was mentioned in passing before – how Trevor wakes up on a beach and is surrounded by bodies, while suitably wasted – but The Lost, the biker gang from the Grand Theft Auto IV DLC, make an appearance. Yes, those bodies are Lost members and it’s not revealed whether they were killed or simply out-classed in their drinking.

We also learn that being able to switch between characters via the character wheel isn’t just limited to missions. You can do this at any time during the game – just jump from one protagonist to another, with a suitable bird’s eye, satellite-like view zoom in, zoom out acting as a transition. Simply press down on the D-Pad to bring up the character wheel and switch to another character.

While helping to always ensure there’s something to do, it’s also an easier way to navigate between different areas of Los Santos, given the sheer size of the city-scape. It should be noted that, as in the previous demo that was held in Warsaw for the press, the city isn’t very densely populated with vehicles (though there are plenty of NPCs and things going on).

One of the missions discussed reminds us of Saints Row, wherein you must escort a celebrity during a mission to outrun the paparazzi. Of course, the pay-out here is much less, which is where GTA V’s heists come into play.

It’s been mentioned that you can change between characters during a heist, but this can only be done when the menu overlay for the same appears in the bottom corner. A lot of the transitions will actually happen automatically as the game sees fit.

The shooting evokes Max Payne 3, but the differences in characters is quite obvious. Franklin is the more careful one, Michael is the runner and gunner and Trevor provides back-up support via sniper rifle and RPG launcher. This will also mark the first time that Grand Theft Auto will feature regenerating health.