It’s always nice to have a break when you just take some time to yourself despite a long list of tasks to do. That’s equally true of open-world games as it is in real life, and with the year’s biggest one now merely days away from its long-awaited release, we’ve been quite curious about what GTA 6 could feel like when we decide to just engage with Leonida while our to-do list takes a back seat.
We’re thinking about what it’s going to feel like when we engage with Rockstar’s latest game without an agenda or an objective, letting the world just draw us into whatever it has in store for us. Can GTA 6 give us evenings spent doing nothing in its world that still have us coming away with many fond memories?
Judging by what Rockstar has revealed, we think the groundwork’s all there. Here’s why.
And oh, before we move ahead, this feature draws on published previews, interviews, and official footage to explore how the game’s systems could come together. We’ve also included a few hypothetical scenarios and wishlist ideas, so keep in mind that those are speculation rather than confirmed features.
A Relaxing Start To Exciting Adventures
Let’s take a hypothetical scenario: how you will likely begin a new day in Leonida, which is important because official information about the game showcases the potential for simply lazing around at home. You could enjoy a cup of coffee that you’ve made from scratch, and then simply hang around and see what your partner in crime is up to if you’re not inclined to step out of the house.
The act itself seems simple enough, but we’re thinking about the potential to set up a routine, and how that can make our safe houses feel like a space that’s actually lived in. If things are detailed enough, the scope to spend an entire day just observing whatever the other person gets up to can be an interesting way to spend your time in Leonida while whatever the campaign wants you to do stays in the background.
It’s a sign that this is a world where taking your time to savor its minute details is encouraged, and that’s something we’ve all seen Rockstar pull off with style in the past. When you think about the sheer scale and ambition of its latest flagship, it’s hard not to see ourselves choosing to just enjoy every interaction instead of seeing it as something to optimize.
Of course, we can’t stay at home forever, lest we run the risk of what’s happening outside our safe spaces passing us by. Leonida’s crowded beaches from the very first trailer immediately come to mind, as do its street gatherings and the increased amount of NPC interactions that the game is bringing.
The range and scale are already evident, with people sporting varied appearances and gestures, and a variety of ways they can respond to your presence in any given place. Rob Nelson’s guided preview of the game from a short while ago to EDGE highlighted an NPC taking offense at Jason staring at him for too long. We wonder how many other such interactions could unfold as we free roam around Leonida, and about all the hours we could spend just trying to uncover as many as we can.
Of course, that isn’t the extent of how the open world could encourage ignoring what you have to do to indulge in stuff you want to do.
Taking In The Sights and Sounds
The game’s approach to the radio is another facet of the experience we’d like to call attention to thanks to reports of some very popular names at the helm of the many radio stations we can tune into, not just from our car, like in GTA 6’s predecessor, but via our phones if we decide to take a walk through a new neighborhood.
We’re not sure about you, but many of us are the kind of listener who’s more than happy to just find a nearby bench and engage with a new song or podcast until it’s complete. Given that it’s something we do so often in our daily lives, combined with Rockstar’s penchant for great playlists and a whole lot of punch, simply turning on the radio could mean hours spent just vibing to whatever beats are being broadcast over the airwaves.
It’s an excuse to take the long way around when you’re trying to get to a mission, and with the game’s penchant for unscripted events factored in, forgetting what you meant to do seems like it could be a lot more organic than it was in the past – a hallmark of an open world that truly lets you loose to wander its bounds without a goal in mind.
That ties in well with the already astounding biome variety on display in Leonida and its surroundings, and we can’t wait to just drive and walk around with our music blaring at full volume, oblivious to the world around us. Vice City, Leonida Keys, the National Park, and so many other places have already caught our attention, and it’s evident that they’re only a slice of what’s to come.
From the many official screenshots and footage, it’s clear: the city’s architecture and unique vibe seem well-placed to make wanderlust a pillar of the experience instead of something players force themselves into for the sole reason that they are playing an open-world game. It could make wanting a change of pace and scenery a very natural thing, and make getting what we want feel so easy that it would be illogical not to do so.
The Beauty In The Mundane
Let’s not forget that the game also requires you to take care of Jason and Lucia, lest they become unfit to face the dangers that await them. As per Famitsu’s preview, Hitting the gym is already a part of the officially confirmed additions to the game, and the fact that there are effects on the gameplay stemming from your fitness levels showcases how detailed the world really is.
Of course, that variety extends to the things you get to do while you’re lifting weights, with interactive mechanics, stamina management, and other potential additions making even working out a very immersive part of your time in Leonida. That something as mundane as working out becomes an interactive activity that you’re going to want to engage with in exchange for tangible rewards is telling, as it is evidence that choosing to just exist in Leonida while your criminal activities are on hold is not just a possibility, but something you should actively pursue.
The same could possibly extend to your safehouses, as it’s on you to keep your stocks topped off, and we’re guessing that there could be more that you can do to ensure the place’s upkeep. Might we find a leaky pipe that we have to fix and need to step out and find a store to get the right tools and supplies for the job? Could painting our walls a different color become a fun little activity for Jason and Lucia to spend a whole day on before grabbing dinner at one of Leonida’s finest establishments?
The possibilities seem so infinite, and that’s another reason we’re almost convinced that having no goal in mind could be among the most entertaining facets of what Leonida is bringing to the table.
Breaking Patterns
When you bring all of what we’ve talked about together, and what they have developed in the past, specifically GTA 4, GTA 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2, and then attempt to consider the sheer scale of what Rockstar is trying to achieve in its latest game, it’s easy to see how life in Leonida could be more than just crimes and staying away from law enforcement. I still can’t believe all the stuff they pulled off in Red Dead Redemption 2’s world, and that was eight years ago!
Of course, all of that seems to be on the table, and we are hopeful it will be a big part of the experience, but it’s in how domestic routines, the city and its people, its mood, and the lives of its people could make indulging our curiosity something as thrilling as getting into gunfights and getting away in style.
Our past experiences with Rockstar titles, something we feel it’s safe to say most of us have shared, are a factor to consider. We know how dense, unpredictable, and alive an open world from the studio can be. Leonida, being the culmination of years of effort and constant iterations, has us believing that there are several ways to enjoy the open world outside of just the story and side content.
The sense of freedom that such a world could bring is something we think is going to make even ordinary moments extraordinary, and the potential to spend a significant amount of time in the game without committing a crime in case we’re so inclined seems vast enough to have us very curious to see if our predictions are true.
We could go around chasing something fun to see, or perhaps set out to do something with a specific goal in mind, or, you know, just walking across the road on a rainy evening, only to be distracted by an NPC interaction, a song on the radio, or an interesting place that merits further exploration. Some of the finest open worlds out there are built on that foundation, after all, and guess what? Those finest open-world games came from the same house: Rockstar Games.
GTA 6 looks more than ready to set a new benchmark in that regard, and we can’t help but get hyped about the many sessions of play where doing nothing in the game becomes the reason we can’t really put it down and spend weekends away from the real world as a result.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
