The long wait is about to end, yet the gaming public is still on edge. The latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto Series, Grand Theft Auto V, is about to hit the shelves on September 17. IGN was given the chance to be the first to actually play the game and the review can finally be compared with the speculation.

When comparing a sports car model driven in GTA V with a similar model in GTA IV, the reps from IGN had this to say: "The low-slung supercar feels more sure-footed and grippy than similar models in GTA IV."

On the overall visual experience, IGN reps were quick to compare the clarity of Dos Santos, which is also based in San Andreas (a previous GTA setting) to other GTA editions:  "The harsh, San Andreas sunshine... gives the whole environment a brilliant, suitably over-exposed summertime feel." The game has a massive map, more ambitious than any other previous GTA incarnation. Their suggestion: grab a chopper!
"On the ground you feel like a tiny part of a huge world. From the air you see why."

It was already known that the game will feature three characters: Michael, Trevor and Franklin. There have been speculations as to how they will be controlled. Here's the early lowdown.

The three will work in tandem, as described in the third mission: "Michael, Trevor, and Franklin have been conscripted to extract and deliver a high-value FIB target from a large building in downtown Los Santos. It's an audacious plan. Michael makes the extraction, Franklin provides sniper support from an adjacent rooftop, and Trevor flies the chopper."

GTA is the most anticipated game of the year. The hands-on review just fans the flame.