GTA 6 is all set to release in 2025 after the trailer went live on December 5, 2023, and broke several records. After the game’s trailer was released, fans began speculating what the title would offer, not just because it is part of a series known for outdoing its predecessor always, but also because the game will come out 12 years after the last one. Rockstar Games has had plenty of time to ideate, propose, and implement many new features for the upcoming title.
The trailer offered the first look at Lucia, the title’s protagonist, and another individual suspected to be Jason, the second protagonist. However, the trailer did not offer much about what innovations we will see in the title. Regardless, some guesses can be made regarding what the series’ latest addition will incorporate.
GTA 6 Should Have More Lifelike NPCs
GTA titles get a lot of things right in terms of gameplay, story, and overall mechanics. However, one thing that the games have lacked is interactive NPCs. While basic quips and dialogue with NPCs can be initiated in GTA 5, there isn’t a lot of depth to the NPC AI in-game.
While the title isn’t an RPG where interacting with NPCs will reveal important information or additional quests, the NPC and player interaction in the title lacks depth. For example, when fleeing a scene after committing a crime or shooting in public, the NPCs should ideally inform the cops about the player’s last seen position and more.
At the same time, one can argue that this may push gameplay; regardless, it would be fun to turn up the challenge with this addition. One can look at this video to see how NPCs react to each other, what happens in their proximity, and what happens to the player in the game. They look robotic and lifeless, have never-ending conversations, and are not seen engaging in activities like normal humans. Not to mention that the possibilities to engage with them are very few. To master realism, Rockstar Games should ensure that it pays close attention to NPCs.
GTA 6 Should Improve Upon Its Traversal Mechanics
The whole point of an open-world game is to explore the lifelike environment with things to do and locations to gaze at. Most of this exploration uses a vehicle, a boat, a motor vehicle, or an airplane in GTA titles. However, these concrete jungles should be explorable on foot. While one can sprint and vault over some structure in most GTA titles, it lacks a dedicated system to do it with fluidity. It appears clumsy.
While I am not suggesting that it should heavily focus on parkour as a central traversal mechanic like the Watchdogs, Assassin’s Creed, or Sleeping Dogs games, an excellent middle ground would be welcome. A middle ground would be not to make climbing and traversing feel sluggish while keeping the animations coherent with the player’s physical statistics.
The leaks that occurred for GTA 6 show that the two protagonists will be able to lose or gain weight or muscle mass, as various videos made the characters sport different physiques. This could work well with nuanced character animations, which would be a welcome addition. Also, Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, filed for a patent for a more realistic animation system based on building blocks. So, it seems that animation will significantly be improved this time.
There Should Be More Freedom to Plan and Execute Heists in GTA 6
Heists have been a significant part of the gameplay loop in GTA 5 and GTA Online, while they offer enough room to make some choices regarding the methodology and the crew. Some more options and points to ponder would make for an even more indulging experience in GTA 6.
For starters, we could pick locations manually using procedurally generated interiors, making for a more challenging heist. While heists have been a recent addition, some more factors that increase the margin for error and introduce more environment variables for the setting would make for a more polished experience throughout.
Also, the executed heists should have more freedom regarding moral choices. If one of the crew members is left behind, we should be able to choose if we want to help them or abandon them. If the police then arrest them, there should be a game mechanic that allows you to free them from custody or get them killed so that they do not reveal sensitive info. Also, after the heist is executed successfully, there should be an option to betray the heist crew and keep the entire cut for yourself.
GTA 6 Should Introduce More In-Depth Car Customization
The car customization was a game-changer in GTA 5. One could head to Los Santos Customs to build the ride of their dreams, which was unique and unlike anything else in the game’s world. While both visual features and performance upgrades were introduced for cars, there is still scope for more in the game.
Vehicles and illegal street racing should be a more explored mechanic in the title. Installing aftermarket parts customized to one’s liking should be present. While many colors were present in the last title to apply to a car, a custom color picker and selective coloring were missing.
Features like Nitrous, which were present in GTA San Andreas, were missing from the last title, and if they were to make a comeback, it would be a fantastic addition. Also, the ability to make one’s ride bulletproof or mount guns or turrets on it to make it into a killing machine would introduce new avenues for destruction in the title. Overall, car customization should be enhanced to include elements from acting games and bizarre additions usually associated with GTA titles.
More Nuanced Melee Fighting and Stealth Mechanics in GTA 6
GTA 5 had good enough fighting controls for getting into and out of fistfights using characters. However, it lacked the nuanced fighting styles and animations for characters. If one were to remember how fighting worked in GTA San Andreas, one could learn martial arts and boxing, which would introduce new fighting animations for Carl Johnson to use when in a fistfight.
There is no such feature in GTA 5 that would allow one to build on the existing fighting prowess of a character. Also, the stealth mechanics in the title should undergo a massive improvement to incorporate elements like diversion and misdirection.
This will make the title more fun and allow players to choose the methodology they see fit for any missions in the game’s campaign. Not to mention that incorporating stealth mechanics, which are more polished and nuanced, could make way for additions like robbing houses at night, akin to the repossession mission in GTA 5, where we infiltrated Michael’s Mansion. While it was a one-time thing in the title, GTA 6 could introduce it on a much grander level.
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