Rockstar Games has released the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto V.  Unsurprisingly, it's big on atmosphere and non-existent on gameplay details, and that's fine for an announcement trailer.  Once again, it looks like the subtext will be about The American Dream, but this time it's from the perspective of a guy dreaming about going straight and building a good life for his family.  It's a set-up for a fine story, but that's not my concern with GTA V.  My concern is game design, which is where Grand Theft Auto IV fell painfully short.  I'm sure folks will rave about the multiplayer, but the single-player experience is a mess. Restarting your mission from your phone is worthless when you have to drive to your objective anyway.  Your friends are a bunch of tough guys who will get pissy if you don't go bowling with them.  If you have the audacity to fire your gun or get into a minor traffic accident, expect to run from the cops for the next twenty minutes.  I'm sure GTA V will have a large world (this time it's based on Los Angeles) and a deep story, but will it be fun?

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.