GTA 6 extended preview highlights more responsive NPCs, honor and character changes

The much-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI was finally revealed early on Friday morning in an extended first look on Netflix, giving gamers their first legitimate look at the gameplay systems in Rockstar’s upcoming blockbuster. After watching the demonstration several times, I have some thoughts about the game itself, but also about the shadow of corporate greed that’s crept over it. It’s also worth mentioning that what we saw is not final, since the game is due in November and Rockstar said in a statement that it isn’t finished, so what I’ve touched on is subject to change. But the showcased build had a remarkable degree of polish and introduced the game’s systems, story missions and side activities. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games It’s lit One thing that immediately stood out to me was the massive jump in graphical fidelity from the last entry in the series. I’m a sucker for attention to detail in games, so seeing the updated animations and textures was a treat. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games The biggest improvement, and what’s doing the heavy lifting, in my opinion, is the lighting. Building off foundations in Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar’s lighting system in GTV VI is one of the best I’ve seen. Objects bathed in natural light, like clothes and skin, look so natural it’s uncanny. An example is a sequence at an open-air restaurant, where shadows are realistically cast onto the table by the game’s protagonists, Jason and Lucia, as well as items like glasses. Similarly, skin looks more natural, most probably a mix of the lighting and new textures. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games Meanwhile, the animation quality is just as good; hair, in particular, moves with a surprising degree of realism, while clothes crease and fold as the characters move. Moreover, non-player characters (NPCs) in the environment have animations for actions like holding a cigar or doomscrolling on a phone, which look organic and fluid. There are some raw and undercooked animations as well, which will hopefully be addressed and fixed before November. The most noticeable one I picked up was when Jason performs a backflip into the sea off a pier; the backflip animation triggers after Jason is in midair, making it look really awkward. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games Considering this is all rendered in real time — that too on a base model PlayStation 5 — I’m genuinely impressed with what we’ve been presented and would say that this is among the best-looking games I’ve seen. Again, it’s still not out yet, but considering we’ve seen a compressed video, I’m hopeful that it’ll look even better in the final release. You can run, but you can’t hide Another thing I’m looking forward to is the revamped police system. Rather than the system in GTA V where police would instantly catch the player and move to their exact location if they did anything remotely dodgy, the system in GTA VI seems to be a bit more nuanced. An image of the new Wanted icons in Grand Theft Auto VI. — Screengrab via YouTube/Rockstar Games Underneath the Wanted meter — with six stars this time — several icons appear while carrying out criminal activity: an image of a head shows that your character’s physical description has been logged by witnesses; an image of a coat hanger means your outfit has been recognised, among other examples. So rather than hide in an alley for 20 seconds or so, players will need to mask their identity with, well, masks, or change their outfits to evade the cops. This honestly sounds like so much more fun than simply hiding or outrunning police in a fast vehicle. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games Beyond being more immersive, this system appears to encourage preparation, with the player potentially keeping a spare change of clothes and a mask, as well as switching cars. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games It takes two Another interesting feature I picked up on is that switching between characters is making a comeback from GTA V, with the player being able to seamlessly switch between Jason and Lucia. The demo showed off a couple of things about this Bonnie and Clyde-esque couple, such as what appears to be a relationship gauge and being able to have both characters go on heists and open-world activities together. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games The footage shows the player driving as Jason, before switching to Lucia to shoot at pursuers. This might help with the aforementioned heists and it is very cinematic, so I’m hoping the driver AI is good enough to keep the chase going. Also, I can’t recall if players could do something similar in GTA V, so maybe this is an old feature being redressed as something new. But then I also can’t recall that many instances where that game’s three playable characters were ever together outside of missions, aside from calling them to hang out. Maybe something to test before November? An image of the character icons in Grand Theft Auto VI. — Scrrengrab via YouTube/Rockstar Games Otherwise, Rockstar has confirmed that the player can choose to maintain the romance between both protagonists through texting and performing activities together, ranging from heists and robberies to racing and kayaking. Hopefully it’ll be deeper than GTA IV’s “let’s go bowling” phone calls. It also opens the door to maintaining friendships or potential romances with other characters in the game, which would be very cool and add to the immersion. Vice City, baby! The best part of GTA is that the game isn’t all about crime — well, it is as much as you make of it — but there’s plenty of other activities shown in the demo to keep you occupied in Vice City and the State of Leonida. We’re shown track and motocross racing, as well as fishing and riding airboats. Jason is even shown playing basketball with a hoop outside (I think) his house. I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as in-game activities go, and it’ll be a beautiful open world to do these in, with a dense city, a bayou and (hopefully) other biomes. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games One thing that’s bothering me, though, is that a lot of content in the game will be paywalled behind the Ultimate Edition, such as exclusive vehicles, weapons, workshops, clothing boutiques, salons and other stuff that, really, should be included with the increased $80 price tag. Aside from putting a wedge between players, this stinks of corporate greed. Something that Rockstar is very well versed in. And speaking of corporate greed… This didn’t need to be a Netflix exclusive I don’t understand what the deal was having the demo footage exclusive to Netflix for six hours. In the grand scheme, it’s not a long period of time, but I’m still not a fan. While it wasn’t a big deal for me (or anyone else) with a Netflix subscription, it just didn’t feel fair for people without one. It seems like Rockstar is bent on nickel-and-diming the consumers who got them where they are to begin with; first with predatory microtransactions in GTA Online, then no physical disc (we haven’t forgotten), an increased price tag and content locked behind a $20 upgrade. Room for failure? There is a part of me that is genuinely concerned this will be another Cyberpunk 2077. We saw the phenomenal gameplay footage and demos. It looked like a true evolution in open-world design. And what did we get in December 2020? A buggy, unplayable mess that was seemingly coded with alphabet spaghetti. While it had an amazing story and superb world-building — which is how I dragged myself through it — it took several years and a lot of community backlash to get that game where it is today, and it’s one of the best games ever made in my opinion. But people won’t be as forgiving with GTA VI, I don’t think. Cyberpunk 2077 was cheaper, came out in a better economy and took less time to develop and fix. Since it’s digital only, us lot here in Pakistan are going to be paying far more for it at launch, especially if we buy the Ultimate Edition. It needs to be worth that, and by that I mean it needs to be technically perfect. The hype around GTA is massive, and people’s expectations are through the roof. We’ve waited for 13 years for a follow-up to one of the best games of the 2010s. There is more than enough room for Rockstar and parent company Take Two Interactive to make a mess of something. I need this right now Based on what I’ve seen, I’m genuinely excited and counting down the days till November 19. Vice City and its surrounding areas look like a truly promising next step in open world game design, in terms of both scale and immersion. I can see where a hefty chunk of the reported $1 billion budget went: into refining animations, lighting, physics and mechanics. We were presented with a very solid build here, and while it was not perfect, I’m hoping the issues with animations can be sorted out by the time November rolls around. Given what we’ll be paying, it had better be. Even with my reservations, I’m excited. November 19 can’t come soon enough. GIF via YouTube/Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto 6 is looking to add some extra wrinkles to several of its established gameplay pillars, but the biggest update here might just be the inclusion of an honor system. Taking a page from Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 6 will remind you that actions have consequences, as your less-than-legal activities will feed into a criminal profile that evolves with you. Not only are there various profiles within this that gauge just how effective you are at crime--or bloodthirsty--but developer Rockstar Games will let you break it entirely if you cause too much chaos. "There's no right or wrong way to play the game," GTA 6 co-head of development Rob Nelson said to YouTuber TGG. "Just a bit more choice now. How do you want to play this game if your actions may have some impact on things? You can still cause as much chaos as you want if that's what you want to do. I don't think it changes what GTA is. It changes what it can be for people who want to engage with it in that way. You still have as much freedom as you had before; you can just do more now, and you have more choice in terms of how you approach situations." https://youtu.be/33t4kUEBL5k At the highest level, players can have a criminal record that labels them as a "Professional," and from there, the states descend into Aggressive, Violent, and Psycho. Reaching the fifth, currently unnamed state, is said to be particularly tough, but once you do, there's no return from a full descent into villainy. The idea is that players will have the freedom to alternate between criminal profiles or replay the game while aiming to align with those particular states. Players can also disable notifications about their profile status changing, and the co-protagonists Jason and Lucia will each have their own profile that changes throughout the course of the game depending on the actions you take with them. How these states ultimately influence the story of GTA 6 has yet to be revealed, but we'd wager that being a homicidal loose cannon probably won't end well by the time that the end credits roll. GTA 6 will include several other features designed to heighten the game's sense of realism. Non-playable characters will notice if you're carrying weapons out in public, cars require more finesse to steal, and yes, you can throw dog poop at people. At the same time, Rockstar has also removed one of the worst legacy features from GTA 6, as you'll no longer need to wear your thumb out when you're outrunning cops by mashing a single button. GTA 6: 268 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

Rockstar Games has confirmed more details about GTA 6, including how the developer cut a feature because it was deemed too realistic. Another feature that borrows from real life is staying, however. Rockstar's Rob Nelson told Famitsu, as translated by GamesRadar, that Jason and Lucia were initially able to buy groceries and restock their fridge. However, Nelson said Rockstar decided to cut this feature because it didn't align with the studio's ideas for balancing "realism and ease of play." "At one point during development, we were experimenting with a system that would allow you to buy groceries to restock the fridge," he said. "We had specifications for stores with groceries that you could buy and take home, and the fridge could be replenished. However, because this would have complicated the mechanics, we had to simplify it." Presumably, this system would have tied into GTA 6's new gameplay feature where you can gain weight based on how much you eat. Players can also hit the gym to bulk up, and their physical appearance and stamina profiles will be directly related. Fuel up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpPpqZwUwl0 While you will not need to restock your fridge, GTA 6 players will need to refuel their cars with gas or recharge them if they're an EV. YouTuber TGG, who visited Rockstar and saw the game in action, said players can pull up to a gas station to refuel. It's not very expensive, he said, and should take only about 10 seconds to complete the refueling process, which also has its own animation. Additionally, TGG confirmed that players can repair their cars at gas stations. TGG added that Nelson suggested to him that Rockstar is aware that the refueling/recharging system in GTA 6 might be divisive. However, Rockstar is sticking with it, and it will require players to think strategically. For example, if players are preparing for a robbery--which is one of the ways you can make money in the game--they'll want to ensure their car is fueled up beforehand to help with the getaway. In GTA 5, cars have unlimited fuel by default, though if players puncture their gas tank, the fuel will go to zero and the car will stop working. There are mods for the PC edition of GTA 5 that add a more realistic refueling system to the game. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The expensive-to-produce open-world crime game is coming to market with enormous hype and expectations, but Rockstar and parent company Take-Two might not be sweating things too much. A report said the game might make enough money from preorders alone--amounting to an estimated $2 billion by launch--to pay for the game's entire production budget. GTA 6's base edition costs $80, while there is a $100 Ultimate Edition that includes a lot of exclusive in-game content.

One of the things people have said about GTA 6 following the "extended look" trailer is that the game looks too much like GTA 5. One person who thinks that's a bunch of baloney is Ned Luke, the actor who played Michael in GTA 5. Appearing in a recent stream with Party Chat and House of Highlights, Luke said, "This looks nothing like Grand Theft Auto 5." His message to people who think GTA 6 looks like GTA 5? "I think they're out of their minds," he said. Lucia and Jason in GTA 6. He added that Michael's character model "never looked that good," comparing his character to those in GTA 6. You can see Luke's reaction to the new footage below, in which he also praises GTA 6's "jiggle physics." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp24Bhi8adc GTA 6 carries forward Rockstar's formula for GTA games--having players explore a big, open world and running from the law--so in that respect, GTA 6 does indeed look like another GTA game. But it's plainly obvious to see the numerous upgrades and enhancements that Rockstar's teams have made to graphics, fidelity, and more. The tech experts at Digital Foundry claimed that GTA 6 is the most visually advanced game of all time. Not only is GTA 6 going to be a more visually and technically impressive game, but it's also bigger and more robust. GTA 6's map is 3X bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2's. Additionally, the game has “well over 600,000 animations,” compared to 55,000 in GTA 5 and 300,000 in Red Dead Redemption 2. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is coming to market with enormous hype behind it and lofty expectations after GTA 5 sold more than 230 million copies. According to Sensor Tower's data, GTA 6 has already picked up 4.55 million sales via preorders, generating close to $450 million in revenue.

Reviews are already rolling in for Grand Theft Auto VI, but not the way you think. Letterboxd, a social media site focused on journaling films, is allowing users to log the GTA 6 extended-look trailer that premiered on Netflix last week. That means people can rate the 25-plus minute advertisement like a movie and even offer up their two cents--with humorous effect. One of the most popular reviews is from user eddyburback, who wrote: "Structure was a mess, narrative was vague and confusing (felt like a trailer instead of a movie), animation looked like a video game. I would be embarrassed to release this film." As if you didn't need to know they were joking, they added that the "gameplay looked incredible" for GTA 6. Meanwhile, another top critique notes that it's unbelievable "the trailer starts with Cyberleek's execution." That's a reference to the unknown person(s) behind the ongoing GTA 6 leaks over the past couple of weeks. Memes are addressed on Letterboxd, too, as user Albert typed, "GTA in Letterboxd before GTA VI." Speaking of which, user Atrius questioned the GTA 6 trailer on the site: "So we are logging ads now?" User Stephanie Gillespie took the opportunity seriously and provided a strong critique of the presentation: "Legitimately embarrassing. Where Rockstar used to do these fascinating trailers that talked you through tech and mechanics to really show why their games are interesting, this is just ... A bunch of limply edited-together footage of Grand Theft Auto." There's plenty more from Gillespie, too, who gave the whole thing one star (out of five on Letterboxd). Last but not least, a user jokingly noted that the extended GTA 6 trailer is "Netflix's Oscar contender for best short film." This hasn't been the only way the game has been referenced to the movie industry lately, either. Last week, people compared Jason Duval's voice to Tom Hardy's Bane character in The Dark Knight Rises, since they both incomprehensibly mumble. We have compiled 29 big takeaways from the latest GTA 6 trailer, as well as learned that a playthrough can take roughly 80 hours. There also will be no microtransactions in GTA 6 when it launches November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6: 268 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

Rockstar finally lifted the veil on GTA 6 during a high-profile Netflix event on August 27. The nearly 30-minute video revealed a lot. We saw main characters Jason and Lucia in action in snippets of multiple different missions, while there were cutscenes and character interactions on display as well. The broadcast also featured a new look at some of the updated gameplay systems, like how NPCs will notice if you're carrying a weapon in public, how stealing cars works, and that the game has a Red Dead Redemption 2-style honor system. There were numerous other details big and small to be gleaned from the reveal, along with interviews from developers at Rockstar North. Check out GameSpot's video below in which Jake Dekker runs through 29 different things we noticed in GTA 6 from the big new trailer, and I'm guessing we found some stuff you didn't notice right away. Check out the video below to see it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpPpqZwUwl0 GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is likely going to be a PC edition of the game, but no one should expect it at launch. While Rockstar Games has shown off GTA 6's single-player, the developer has yet to utter a word about anything regarding an online multiplayer mode. GTA 5's GTA Online has been, and continues to be, a huge success for Rockstar, so it only stands to reason that Rockstar would lean into multiplayer for GTA 6 as well.