Grand Theft Auto 6is still rumored to be in development by Rockstar Games, though everything about the game that has come out so far is simply that: a rumor. Though the game will inevitably be worked on and shown off at some point in the future, it doesn’t stop fans fromspeculating whereGrand Theft Auto 6will take place, or various other elements the game could include. Many speculateGrand Theft Auto 6will take place in Vice City once again, like howGrand Theft Auto 5took place in the ever-popular state of San Andreas, andGrand Theft Auto 4took place in a reimagined Liberty City.
It’s not uncommon for Rockstar to take what was introduced in its past games, improve, and then reintroduce features in new games. Rockstar would even go so far as to make games that allowed for testing out new mechanics or ideas for future products. Many features that have been part of theGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemptionseries have been improved upon and expanded as well, culminating in a more gameplay-rich and feature-dense product with each release. Despite all of this,Grand Theft Auto6has many things that it could borrow and improve upon fromGrand Theft Auto: San Andreasinstead ofGTA 5.
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Grand Theft Auto 6 Could Include Better Protagonist Progression
InGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas, players are in control of one protagonist, Carl Johnson (“CJ”), as opposed tothe three featured inGrand Theft Auto 5. The ability to tell a gripping narrative while swapping between three characters is a huge undertaking and was done very well. That being said, as a result, it limited the capability of truly personalizing each character to great extents. WhileGTA 5has many customization options in hairstyles, tattoos, and clothing, whatGTA: San Andreasbrought to the table was truly unique.GTA: San Andreasallowed player action to improve CJ in many facets than just his superficial appearance.
InGTA: San Andreas, CJ had more interesting stats that needed to be managed as the game progressed. If CJ ate too much his Fat percentage would increase, causing an actual change in his body frame, making him slower, and causing NPCs to take notice and even comment on it. One might think that burning away all the Fat would be key, but that would actually hurt CJ in the long run.
At zero Fat, any sort of movement involving CJ’s Stamina stat (running, cycling, swimming) would drain his Muscle stat instead. Much like in real life, it was best to maintain a healthy amount of fat for optimal performance, and it was a very unique addition to theGTAseries that only recently saw aslight return inRed Dead Redemption2’s Arthur.
The Muscle stat inGTA: San Andreascould be compared to the Strength stat inGTA 5, though it’s a more fluid stat in the former entry.Increasing Muscle inGTA: San Andreaswas facilitated by various gyms that were located throughout the game world. The player could come to these gyms and through mini-games, improve CJ by lifting weights or using the bike to burn fat. This also changed how much more muscular CJ looked, increasing his Sex Appeal stat alongside the Muscle stat, making him do more damage and the ability to learn new fighting moves, or get girlfriends.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Needs a More Involved World
WhileGrand Theft Auto 5has a huge open-world for players to exploreand wreak havoc in, there is a lot of dead space in terms of things to do. TakeSkyrim, where every so often there is a landmark that can involve the player in some way, or a unique biome that is more treacherous than the last.GTA 5, while large, has buildings that players cannot interact with, and areas like nightclubs and casinos that are simply inaccessible. Though Rockstar Games has added more to the game world inGTA Online, this doesn’t do anything for players who want to enjoy the singleplayer experience.
GTA: San Andreasnot only had many landmarks, but actual facilities that players could explore. Like mentioned previously, if the player wanted to improve CJ, they could hit up the gym and work out or learn new fighting moves than the basic jab-left, swing-right swing combo. It also included nightclubs with a dancing mini-game, restaurants players could enter and rob, bars with a pool table, horse race betting, casinos with many gambling mini-games, and stadiums where CJ is presented with unique vehicle challenges. Many of these areas help facilitate the more intricategame mechanics that help makeGTA: San Andreasa masterpiece.
One major positive forGTA: San Andreaswas the many biomesit had with three central unique cities, Mt. Chiliad with rural surrounding areas, and a vast desert with secrets all on its own. This made the now-small by comparison world ofGTA: San Andreasfeel so much larger than anyGTAgame before it. Each city and county came with its own unique pedestrians and police force, while also acting as narrative checkpoints as the player progressed through the game. ThoughGrand Theft Auto 6doesn’t need to include three cities, a more involved world with player choice being the forefront of interaction would be a step up fromGTA 5.
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Bridge the Life Simulator Gap in Grand Theft Auto 6
GTA: San Andreashad some fun featuresthat aren’t a big part of theGTAseries anymore, and one of these is player hideouts. Early in the game, the player is allowed to start buying property, each with its own unique interior, and many with garages of varying sizes. This really made the world feel more lived-in and, depending on the player’s tastes, they could choose to reside anywhere they’d like. This was convenient if the player would want to start in the middle of nowhere or near their favorite mini-games, as opposed to Michael’s house for the 30th time.
The ability to have a girlfriend was another prominentside feature introduced early inGTA: San Andreasas well, with CJ having access to multiple girlfriends that he could try his luck with. With the right stats and the right dates, CJ could work his way up to the final reward with one of his girlfriends which were powerful upgrades. Some of these included not losing his money or guns when arrested or wasted, free pay and spray, and even some pretty unique vehicles and outfits.
Grand Theft Auto 6could truly benefit from including some of these features fromGTA: San Andreasthat were axed in future installments. The option for players to choose their residence, how they progress their protagonist, even which significant other that reside alongside them could help make the singleplayer feel more immersive.
Grand Theft Auto 6is reportedly in development.
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