GTA V is going to be a narrative?

[Mighty Mickey 0]

Before I start my theory, let me tell, here I am assuming the protagonist to be the balcony guy. Reason: I don't see why a narrator would talk about his life if he's not going to be the protagonist. The voice matches exactly with his appearance. I know, you never can judge a voice from a face or vice verca - d'oh -, but they match, you know, that's visible.

Now, we have seen this balcony guy in two different versions in the trailer - a younger one and an older one.

You see the old one narrating his story and the younger one in action. So what does that mean? The man on the balcony should be narrating the tale of his younger days(to someone). It could be like this: You start the game with the old guy telling his story and then you play the missions as the younger one or you complete the missions and see the balcony guy winding up his story in a cut-scene.

And now, just take a look at Rockstar's press release: "A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California." The 'bold new direction towards storytelling' could also refer to this narrative style.

What do you guys think?

[hoekie 4]

i dont get it --'

[ViceMan 1380]

They don't look older or younger, although he looks more low res in the exterminator outfit. Perhaps the "older version" as you are calling him is from a more recent build of the game, developers do change or alter things throughout the course of production.

I like how you've tagged this as "proof inside". Your opinion is not proof of anything. It is, as you rightly said, a theory.

[JustAn808 130]

The bold new direction bit is noteworthy, but I don't think it will necessarily apply to a narrative style of storytelling. Interesting theory, but I feel that GTA has a more effective story when told in real-time.

[Rayge 689]

Interesting theory, but I don't think that he is younger in the "younger" pictures, it looks like him but just in different positions.

[Ku Zi Mu 1194]

...or lighting. Cutscenes all ways has better lighting for some reason than actual gameplay.

[Massacre 7646]

Niko had a higher res model for cutscenes than he did in-game, this looks like the same deal. What Kuz said, also.

[Rayge 689]

I'm not an expert, but maybe cutscene-characters have much higher resolution because it's already pre-rendered... and shit like that.

[TreeFitty 2631]

No, Rockstar's cutscenes are rendered in real time. Unfortunately RAGE glitches here and there but it's also a reminder that when you are watching a beautiful scene, it's real time.

[Ku Zi Mu 1194]

If by that you mean random events happening in the game world aren't present in cutscenes because there scripted, then possibly.

[McGarry 18]

Nice theory. Personally I have mixed emotions on it, I think a "narrative" type of story would be great and different. It would be "A bold new direction." Though in saying that GTA has always been what the protagonist is doing in the present and not telling a story on his past. I don't think Rockstar would ever want to change that.

I would love it though if the first set of missions are set in the protagonist's past. I heard he moved to Los Santos from Vice City, so playing a few missions there would be good fun.

Again, nice theory.

[TreeFitty 2631]

I heard he moved to Los Santos from Vice City,

Not real info.

A while ago I had thought about playing missions as flashbacks. As Ned Luke we'd drive around to locations and he'd remember things about that place such as the heist and then we'd play as either the guy in the blue car or even the red car. I'm not sure exactly how the flow would be but it would definitely be different. I'm still not entirely convinced Ned and the blue car guy are the same.

[Brian 972]

The younger pictures would be the same guy without so much detail, hence the balcony scene being a cut scene...

[gmt 60]

doesn't really look younger to me on the right side... I mean look at the hair. apart from that it's the same cut over and over again (just a small thing, but I feel like ppl change their haircut over time and dont turn like 50yrs with 5 decades of a single haircut) the greying sideburns look pretty much the same in all 3 scenes, which is better visible in the trailer than on the pics.

but the idea of a narrative storyline is tempting. who knows, maybe there're some flashbacks or some other sort of distinguishable timeline throughout the story.

[jobo 100]

I hope the bold new direction isn't some stupid shit and I read somewhere that Sam Houser said its a radical reinvention to the series

And by stupid I mean I hope its still that good old gta

[Jizzy 633]

drew mcfarlane was the voice of the first Red dead redemption trailer, so we might not play as the ned luke looking guy

[PedestrianRiotz 93]

This is a very good and interesting play on words. What you just highlighted has opened up loads of theories for me lol. I see where you're coming from. Very interesting.

[Qdeathstar 1763]

I think narrative gameplay is a possibility, but i'm not sure how that would be too different that previous games except after the cutscene you'd have some old guy summing up the events and the end of the mission. You'd still need real time conversations because you'd have to meet the people that you interactive with.

I think the guy looks younger because there are less wrinkles due to the fact that the dude is rendered with less detailed. The left site is probably CGI cut scenes while the right is more gameplayish or from an earlier build.

I heard he moved to Los Santos from Vice City,

Not real info.

A while ago I had thought about playing missions as flashbacks. As Ned Luke we'd drive around to locations and he'd remember things about that place such as the heist and then we'd play as either the guy in the blue car or even the red car. I'm not sure exactly how the flow would be but it would definitely be different. I'm still not entirely convinced Ned and the blue car guy are the same.

that would totally suck ass... how would you manage freeroam? Also, scenery ect would be completely different over a 30 year time span, how would you make both maps relevent enough to be worth the extra effort in creating them. Cars, people, buildings, all would be different and a game like GTA 5 needs to have those details fleshed out if they are going to do something like that, and i don't think it would be worth it. Mafia (I think) played like what your describing, and i really didn't like it.

[TreeFitty 2631]

What the hell are you talking about? 30 years? They are about 10 years apart at the most. Free roam would still be in between missions like always.

[Qdeathstar 1763]

An old guy (50s) recalling missions from when he was in his prime, (eg 20s) would be approximately 30 years. Why would someone drive around recalling things that happended recently? You drive down memory lane because the memories are old. Yeah, but in between missions is that flashback time or current time?

[TreeFitty 2631]

You're blind if you think the guy in the blue car is in his 20's.

[Qdeathstar 1763]

i wasn't refering to guy in the blue car, and i didn't think you were either specifically. I don't see a guy driving through memory lane within 5 years time. So i figured you meant as in reliving his life or something.

[kennyimpala89 23]

this theory would make sense only if we take the city back in 20 or so years.

now that would mean buildings would be already build and cars would have new models.

this is where this theory fails.

[Brian 972]

We have no idea how old the guy in the car is! People think they know his age range, it could the the same guy in his 40's or even 30's (people look aged even if they are kind of young) but you just cant tell due to the fact that it probably isn't the complete updated RAGE and this was just for the trailer. No one knows so stop going around telling people that it is this if you have no idea yourself

[McGarry 18]

I heard he moved to Los Santos from Vice City,

Not real info.

A while ago I had thought about playing missions as flashbacks. As Ned Luke we'd drive around to locations and he'd remember things about that place such as the heist and then we'd play as either the guy in the blue car or even the red car. I'm not sure exactly how the flow would be but it would definitely be different. I'm still not entirely convinced Ned and the blue car guy are the same.

I think to flow would be good. It's hard to decide if they are same guy. I'm going to say they are but maybe not.

We have no idea how old the guy in the car is! People think they know his age range, it could the the same guy in his 40's or even 30's (people look aged even if they are kind of young) but you just cant tell due to the fact that it probably isn't the complete updated RAGE and this was just for the trailer. No one knows so stop going around telling people that it is this if you have no idea yourself

Agreed, the protagonist's age has never really been given away throught GTA. I only found out Niko's age because I was trying to turn him gay on Lovemeet.net.