GTA 5 Character Switching Inspires GTA IV Mod

If you're eager to play Grand Theft Auto V, a new GTA IV mod may be up your alley. The mod simulates the character switching feature at the heart of GTA V.

In GTA V, players take on the role of three criminals living in the Los Santos area. In between missions, the player can swap between characters with a press of a button. The camera zooms way out to a satellite view and then zooms in on the next character.

The GTA IV mod replicates this same basic mechanic. Instead of swapping between GTA V's heroes, though, it swaps between Niko Bellic, Luis and Johnny. Luis and Johnny were the protagonists of The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned, the two expansion packs to GTA IV. Each character has their own health, armor and ammunition. When you switch to a different character, the previous character will try to escape from cops if they have a wanted level. Otherwise, they'll wander around.

Character swapping is more complex in GTA V. Characters not currently being played will go on unique routines. For example, Michael might go bike-riding with his son and Trevor could ride his ATV. Each character has their own distinct side activities as well. Franklin could be repossessing cars as part of his day job and Trevor may go hunting on the outskirts of town. All three protagonists have their own stories which intertwine in the game's campaign.

GTA V also allows players to swap between characters in between missions. The gameplay trailer showed the trio teaming up to kidnap someone. Michael rappels down the side of a building and smashes through a window to grab the target. Franklin provides cover fire from a nearby roof with a sniper rifle. Trevor, meanwhile, pilots the escape helicopter. By switching between these characters, players can experience the mission in new ways.

It's great seeing the modding community come up with a way to replicate GTA V's character switching, even if it's to a much smaller extent. It's just one of many ways that GTA IV modders have transformed that game. Previous mods have introduced Iron Man, the Hulk and Tron to the game among other things. Hopefully Rockstar heeds the fan petition and releases a PC version of GTA V so that modders will have a new box of toys to play with. This community is what keeps PC gamers playing GTA IV years after its release. They could give GTA V that same sort of longevity.

If you want to download the character-switching mod, you can do so here. It's still being developed so expect a few glitches. You'll need to have ScriptHook installed in order to run it.