Rockstar, especially North, cannot do wrong in my book. Even though my expectations were unrealistically high for GTAIV, I still very much enjoyed the game and it's still easily top five of this generation for me. I loved RDR greatly too, but it really only served to make me anticipate what the guys at Rockstar North were doing next with GTA even more.
Honestly I'm not worried about the locale, the story, the cast, and just the overall world/culture of GTAV. I'd prefer if it was another timepiece like San Andreas or Vice City, as I feel that's what works the best for these games personally. While I thought GTAIV was great, I thought the nostalgic tinge of SA and VC worked out better and I hope that GTAV follows in there footsteps, but am indifferent either way.
What I really want to see is an improvement in the on-foot systems/combat. I seem to remember leading up to GTAIV's release, previews were mentioning Niko doing free running and climbing type things, sort of similar to the Assassins Creed games. I'm not sure if those mechanics were cut or scaled back, or if it was just the previewers over-hyping on things that weren't actually in the game. If they make the character control more fluidly with the ability to scale buildings like inFamous/Assassins Creed, and take cover more easily like Uncharted/Gears, while refining the aiming mechanism, then I'll be seriously excited.
Other than on foot stuff, I'd like to see some slight tweaks and improvements to the vehicle system from IV. Make helicopters easier to fly and just improve on the already great base, and I'll be happy. I'd also like to see more things to do, spend money on, side quests, et cetera to fill out the game.
Basically, if GTAV is an expanded GTAIV timepiece with a larger world and some tweaks to the core system, then I'll be very happy.
Bring on Wednesday.