Summary
Likely one of the most highly anticipated upcoming releases of the entire decade,Grand Theft Auto 6is set to end the hiatus of new main entries the series has seen for a decade. Coming after years ofGrand Theft Auto Online’s undying tenure, Rockstar’s biggest title sinceRed Dead Redemption 2is expected to deliver in a major way. Following up on the iconic games that came before it is no small challenge, but many fans are hopeful thatGrand Theft Auto 6will shake the gaming world when it does finally arrive.
A mysterious, mostly unaddressed topic from Rockstar since the major leaks that revealed much about the state of the game’s development at the time,Grand Theft Auto 6remains an enigmatic prospect. While not much is known about it beyond what was leaked, the nextGTAis almost certain to innovate on the series formula similarly to its predecessors. Asthe highly successfulGrand Theft Auto 5has grown more controversial among fans over time, however, it’s become clear that leaving several of its more maligned features behind could allowGrand Theft Auto 6to truly shine.
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Simplified Physics
The more realistic “ragdoll"physics inGrand Theft Auto 4are still seen as impressive to this day, with only the heavier driving being commonly criticized when it comes to lighter vehicles. In response to that,Grand Theft Auto 5seems to have significantly toned down its physics across the board in several key ways. While it may have made handling while driving far more accessible to players of all skill levels and ages, the simpler physics of the fifth game can be downright immersion-breaking at the worst of times. Animations for actions like jumping out of a moving vehicle are far less realistic when compared to the fourth game, butGrand Theft Auto 6is the perfect opportunity to find the right balance between these systems.
GTA Online’s Grind
WhileGrand Theft Auto 5may have launched as a critique of capitalism in modern society, a highly cynical lambasting of “the American dream”, its online component seems to have come to ironically embody these criticisms through its long-term focus on monetization. Reliant on a harsh grind that demands hours upon hours of the player’s time to keep up with new content,Grand Theft Auto Onlinehas only become more reliant on its Shark Card microtransactions over time.
Players can only manually deliver shipments across the map or engage in endless, repetitive criminal corporate takeover missions so many times before they become bored and desire more from a series that used to be the boldest in the industry. It’s extremely unlikely that Rockstar will ditch a product as profitable asGTA OnlineforGrand Theft Auto 6when it comes along, but fans can hope that the next game’s online mode will at least be far more accessible.
Highly Scripted Story Missions
While the open-world crime simulation genre has always been subject to the trappings of linear mission design,Grand Theft Auto 5has become known for leaning heavily into this trope. Holding the player’s hand far more thanGrand Theft Auto 4, the fifth entry’s story missions feature a multitude of fail states easily achieved by straying even slightly from the intended path.
An early mission like “Chop” is a perfect example of this flaw, as nearly every single action the player takes throughout is practically on rails from beginning to end. With this form of linear storytelling through gameplay leaving players wondering why a cutscene couldn’t suffice, it would be smart to bring more freedom into the next game’s story. AsGrand Theft Auto 6is set to possibly continueGTA’s multiple protagonist system, making player choice matter in a real way could allow that mechanic to shine more than ever.
