GTA 5 Characters: Rockstar Games Chose Three Leads in an Effort to be 'Innovative'

GTA 5 in many ways is groundbreaking because it allows gamers to play multiple main characters instead of the solo manned mission the franchise is known for.

Rockstar Games Art Director Aaron Garbut explained to Edge Magazine that the reason why GTA 5 has three playable characters is because they were attempting something innovative.

"[Having] multiple characters was a leap of faith. It was an interesting idea, and it felt like we could do interesting things with it, but it also felt like a change to the core of the game that might backfire," said Garbut in the Edge Magazine interview. "I think it really worked out. It's so hard during development to get perspective - you get so used to looking for the problems that it becomes almost impossible to step back and see the positives."

Rockstar Game's Art Director then discussed the challenges of creating the trailblazing GTA Online.

"With GTA Online planned as such a large part of the experience, and one which we knew we wanted to sustain, we really didn't have the luxury of focusing solely on the single player journey. We had to ensure that the world as a whole was coherent and of consistent quality. We also knew we wanted to give the entire world a sense of life, and to encourage and reward the player for exploring. I think if this was a linear experience, the three characters would have had a bigger impact on the design and workload of the world," said Garbut to Edge Magazine.

Garbut then discussed the fans feedback regarding the game.

"What I love about our GTA Online plans is that the game is no longer static. We can continue to add these things and evolve. That's even more exciting these days, where through forums, Reddit, etc, we have a real direct connection to the people playing the game. We can respond to what they are into and what they hate more than ever. It's something that really suits the way we work, the way we're always trying to adapt the experience and avoid walking blindly down a set path," said Garbut tp Edge Magazine.