Summary
With all the excitement surroundingGrand Theft Auto VI,a former Rockstar developer wants fans to understand that the game may not be as much of a technical leap asGrand Theft Auto V. While little is currently known about the sixth mainline installment in the ever-popular franchise, fans are already excited to return tothe sun-soaked streets of Vice Cityand embark on a journey filled with trouble. Despite the hype, some have been left wondering howGTA VIcould top its predecessor which is one of the most popular games of all time.
Speaking to YouTubeSanInPlay, former Rockstar developer Obbe Vermeij, who served as a technical director on everyGTAfromIIIthrough toIV, stated thatfans may need to lower their expectations when it comes to the sixth game, noting thathe doesn’t think “it’s going to be wildly different to GTA V.”
He elaborates by saying that the massive technological jump between PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 allowed for some major improvements but that the same gap doesn’t exist between the PS4 and PS5. Despite these concerns,Vermeij is still convincedGTA VIwill be “the best game out there.”
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Could Grand Theft Auto VI Disappoint?
Nothing Is Impossible
Vermeij does go on to state that he doesn’t have any insight intoGTA VI’s development (he left Rockstar in 2009) but there’s certainly some truth to what he’s expressing. The former technical director is correct thatthe jump between the previous hardware generation to now isn’t as drastic as those that came before, so it’s doubtful that the kind of technical leap some players expect to see inGrand Theft Auto VIwon’t be as obvious. Having said that, Rockstar has a reputation for consistently delivering the best open-world experiences on the market.
Given how long Rockstar’s been working onGTA VI, it stands to reason that the final product will be impressive.It may not fundamentally change the industrylikeGTA III, butit’ll undoubtedly make ample use of the hardware at its disposal and provide a unique experience.One impressive moment in the game’s trailerthat stands out to Vermeij is the clip of the beach where dozens of NPCs are all doing their own thing with unique animations, a feat that would have been near impossible on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
What Do We Already Know About Grand Theft Auto VI?
Returning To One Of The Franchise’s Most Beloved Cities
Grand Theft Auto VImay still be a ways off, but Rockstar has been generous enough to share some insight into what fans can expect from the next game. After months of rumors and speculation,the first trailer confirmed thatVIwill be returning to Vice City, the location that first appeared in the 2002 gameGrand Theft Auto: Vice City.Heavily based on Miami,GTA VIwill take place in modern times, buckingVice City’s original setting of the 1980s, a theme it largely reinforced with itsneon-lit streets and retro soundtrack.
As for the story, most of the narrative is still largely under wraps butRockstar has confirmed thatGTA VIwill be the first game in the entire series to sport a playable female protagonist.Users will step into the role of Luciawho seemingly has a troubled past as the game’s trailer begins with her in prison before cutting to her participating in a variety of crimes with an unnamed partner. Fans have taken to calling Lucia’s accomplice Jason, although this isn’t confirmed to be his name, andit appears that the duo have a “Bonnie and Clyde” style relationship.
In terms of gameplay,it’s safe to assume thatGTA VIwill continue the series' trend of presenting players with a massive open-world sandboxthat’s littered with chaotic potential. Despite speculation that the next installment in the franchise would ditch the inclusion of a single-player campaign, that’s fortunately not the case but it remains unknown whether or not it will launch with an online mode similar toGTA V. Rockstar continues to makeplenty of money thanks toGTA Online, so a new game could represent an opportunity to migrate its player base over to a fresh experience.
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GTA VI Feels Too Big To Fail
No Matter What, People Will Play It
Given the excitement generated byGrand Theft Auto VI’s first trailer, it’s likely that the game will prove to be a success no matter what.Rockstar has earned its reputation with a stellar track record marred by the occasional disappointment(such as the disastrous launch ofGTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition) but consumers will probably trust that its next major title won’t disappoint.Grand Theft Autois practically an institution at this point so it’ll be difficult to really botch its launch.
WhetherGrand Theft Auto VIdoes end up disappointing the community remains to be seen.The game does not yet have a release datebutreports suggest that Rockstar is looking to release it toward the end of 2025. Until then, players will just need to kill time by causing chaos inGTA Onlinewhich shouldn’t be too difficult since Rockstar is still putting out a near-constant stream of content for the game.
