In just three short weeks, gamers the world over are going to be consumed by the glorious monstrosity that is "Grand Theft Auto 5," a massive and ambitious open-world game that brings a lot of new bells and whistles to trademark mayhem that's made GTA what it is today.
In anticipation of this event, longtime "Grand Theft Auto" developer Rockstar Games released the "official launch trailer" for "GTA 5" on Thursday. While previous trailers have served to showcase particular features such as the three new playable characters or improvements Rockstar has made to the game's combat and driving mechanics, the video illustrates the new game's personality more than anything else, giving a "Reservoir Dogs"-esque origin story for how its three player characters (Franklin, Trevor and Michael) reunite and return to the bank-robbing business.
"You're back in the game?" one character asks Michael midway through the trailer. Sounding dejected, he responds: "I guess." I doubt that many gamers will sound that ambivalent when they dive back into the game come September.
Staying true to the Rockstar tradition, the "Grand Theft Auto 5" launch trailer shows off the snappy dialogue and thrilling car chases that have made "GTA" an icon of the video game industry, all set to a vibrant pop music-infused soundtrack.
Last weekend, details about the "Grand Theft Auto 5" soundtrack and storyline were leaked online after hackers broke into pre-loaded PlayStation 3 copies of the game in Europe. Sony has since apologized for the security breach and removed pre-loaded copies of the game from the PlayStation store.
"Grand Theft Auto 5" launches on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Sept. 17. Watch the new trailer below.
Yannick LeJacq is a contributing writer for NBC News who has also covered technology and games for Kill Screen, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. You can follow him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq and reach him by email at: Yannick.LeJacq@nbcuni.com.