Michael, Franklin and Trevor share one campaign while maintaining separate homes, vehicles, money and skills. The character wheel switches between available protagonists during free roaming; missions sometimes restrict the choice or assign a particular role to each participant.
The minimap provides navigation and mission markers. Health, armor and the special-ability meter sit beneath it. The weapon wheel groups equipment by type and slows action during selection in Story Mode. Wanted stars describe police pursuit: escaping the search area and breaking line of sight matter as much as driving speed.
Heist plans combine preparation, an approach and a crew. A cheap specialist can cost more through mistakes, while experienced crew members demand larger cuts. Business income and stock investments use different systems; the assassination missions make timing particularly consequential.
Use the phone for contacts, internet services and quick saves. Keep manual saves before important story choices. Later editions add first-person play, while the original PS3 and Xbox 360 release uses the third-person presentation.