


Each character is equipped with a smartphone which can be used to contact friends, engage in activities and access an in-game Internet.The Internet can be used to purchase properties such as homes and businesses, and access a stock market that allows the player to be a stakeholder in businesses each character can earn income by purchasing businesses and selling shares.The player can purchase upgrades for the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts, tattoos and jewellery. Composed of an open countryside area and the fictional city of Los Santos, the world is considerably larger than earlier entries in the series.The player can utilise a variety of vehicles to explore the game world, and to accommodate for the size of the map, the game introduces vehicle types that were absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV, such as fixed-wing aircraft. While free roaming the game world, the player can engage in context-specific activities for example, the player is given a scuba set to explore the underwater sections of the world, or a parachute to partake in BASE jumping. The game is presented as an open world it is a large, open map which can be freely roamed when the player is not partaking in missions. A character's avatar will flash red if they are in danger and need assistance either manually or through covering fire from another, and flash white if that character has a strategical advantage or position which may aid the player's success in the mission.Though the player can complete missions as any of the three protagonists, some of the game's more difficult missions may require aid from AI-controlled accomplices who have unique skill sets such as computer hacking or driving, and they will take a cut from the mission's cash reward upon completion. If an accomplice survives a successful mission, they may be re-used in later missions albeit with improvements to their unique skills. Employing different strategies toward the completion of a mission is also encouraged by the game for example, in a holdup mission the player may subdue civilians with an agent if stealth is favoured, or storm the venue with guns drawn.

During missions, the game may switch the player's character automatically as necessary in order to complete certain objectives. While interacting with the game world, the player may switch between them at will, by means of a directional compass on the HUD Franklin corresponds to the north point, Michael to the west, Trevor to the east and the player's multiplayer avatar to the south. The single-player mode of Grand Theft Auto V is played through three player-controlled protagonists-Michael, Trevor and Franklin-criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions.
