



Since its launch as a top-down, sprite-based crime simulator in 1997, theseries has always taken place strictly from a third-person perspective. That's set to change on November 18, as the previously announced re-release ofhits the Xbox One and PS4 with a series-first optional first-person perspective.

The new first-person mode goes a lot farther than unofficial mods that have tried to add a behind-the-eyes perspective to GTA games in the past. “You have to change pretty much everything,” GTA V animation director Rob Nelson told IGN in a promotional interview talking about the new feature. "I mean, if you want to do it right. We have a very solid third-person animation system, but you don’t just put the camera down there and expect to see the guns, aim, and shoot. All those animations are new when you switch to first-person, because it all has to be animated to the camera, to make it feel like a proper first-person experience that I think people would expect. All the timings have to be re-evaluated."

Other little details added for the benefit of the new view include recoil on weapons, view-restricting goggles and helmets when piloting certain vehicles, and a cell phone menu that your character now actually holds in front of his face. The official trailer for the new mode seems to show the perspective automatically swiveling around to view important story and character moments.

Players will be able to switch between first and third-person perspectives on the fly, Rockstar said, with options to switch automatically in certain situations, such as taking cover. Players will also be able to choose between traditional GTA controls and pre-configured options that resemble a traditional first-person shooter control scheme. The first-person view will be available in both the single-player and the "GTA Online" multiplayer mode, Rockstar said.

Rockstar is promising "hundreds of enhancements" for the new generation re-release of GTA V, among them "increased draw distances, finer texture details, denser traffic... new wildlife, upgraded weather and damage effects... an extensive array of new Jobs, an arsenal of new weapons, scores of new vehicles, new properties and player customizations." PC players will also be able to enjoy the game in native 4K resolution when that version comes out on January 27, 2015.

Grand Theft Auto V has already sold 34 million copies across the Xbox 360 and PS3 since its release last September.