In the game, you take on the role of three main characters: Michael (a former bank robber), Trevor (a tough guy, a criminal) and Frankie (a debt collector). You can switch between them at will via a "quick menu", where the camera will be raised above a Google Earth-style map and you can then simply select the character you want to "transform" into on the map. Each of the characters can do something different and each has a very different personality.

Driving, shooting, fighting - all have been completely redesigned. Los Santos, in which the game takes place, is larger than the game worlds of Red Dead Redemption, GTA IV and San Andreas combined. Cities, military bases, wilderness, and even the ocean floor await you.