By Frank Lucci (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jul 25, 2013 03:00 PM EDT

Grand Theft Auto 5 is rapidly heading towards its Sept. 17 release date for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and gamers are eager to explore the new city of Los Santos and experience the new story of the game's three protagonists. We have covered the basic features of the game, as well as some its more bizarre aspects. Now, we compare Grand Theft Auto 5 to its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 4.

One of the key differences in the game is the locations made by Rockstar. Grand Theft Auto 4 took place in Liberty City, which is based off of New York City, and players were limited to an urban setting to explore. In Grand Theft Auto 5, players will get to explore Los Santos, which is based off of Los Angeles. The world will be much more varied, with the actual city just one of the environments players can explore. Los Santos will have beaches, badlands, wooded mountains, and even some undersea areas to explore.

Another big difference is how the game's plot will unfold. Grand Theft Auto 4 told the story of Niko Bellic, a recent immigrant trying to make his way in the world. Grand Theft Auto 5 has three playable characters, Trevor, Franklin, and Michael, and the game's story will be split up between them. This may change the overall narrative, as each character will have their own independent missions and lives that happen whether the player is using them or not. This also means that story missions can be completed many different ways, as players can switch to each character on the fly and try out different aspects of a mission.

Because of the different environments available in Grand Theft Auto 5, there will be a wider amount of useable vehicles. Watercraft, jet skis, deep sea submersibles, BMX bikes, dirt bikes, and other vehicles will all be available for players to use, and have all sorts of different environments for players to use them in.

Some features available in Grand Theft Auto 4 have been upgraded for Grand Theft Auto 5, with the multiplayer and online modes put together to deliver a brand-new Grand Theft Auto expirence.

Look out for more Grand Theft Auto 5 news as the game approaches it's release date of Sept. 17.

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