With the Grand Theft Auto 6 Extended Look finally premiering today and hands-on previews to follow, it’s only fitting that several new details should drop – legitimately, mind you – ahead of time. Beyond simply confirming the return of some beloved mechanics (and teasing new ones), it also has us excited for what could be revealed.
To that end, here are 15 gameplay details we want to see from the Extended Look, whether it’s a closer look at the interiors of various buildings, vehicle performance, the social media system, gunplay, and much more. For starters, however, we’d like to see…
How Jason and Lucia Switching Works
With how character switching panned out in Grand Theft Auto 5, it’s interesting how much more intertwined Rockstar wants the dynamic between Jason and Lucia to be. For example, you could be the former driving or the latter scrolling through social media on their phone, according to Dazed’s recent deep-dive story. You may also be motivated to swap between them during a car chase, whether it’s Lucia firing out the window or Jason swerving to avoid obstacles. The real question is if you can just stick to one character throughout such instances or if switching is mandatory, but it appears to be seamless all the same.
How Reactive NPCs Really Are
Dazed’s story also mentions how the world will react to the player walking down the street with a rifle, and I have a laundry list of things that I want to see happen. NPCs phoning 911, taking out cellphones to record (even if it’s from a safe distance), posting those videos online (which you can probably watch on your phone live at that moment), and of course, cowering in fear if you aim. Depending on the establishment, will someone politely ask you to leave, sweating up a river, or will they pull out a shotgun and demand it?
Weight, Exercise and Physical Transformation
San Andreas players, rejoice: You can finally eat a bunch of food and gain weight, altering your character’s shape. In that same vein, you can exercise and become fit, gaining muscles in the process, as confirmed by Dazed. But I’m more interested in seeing what it’s like to go without sleep for multiple days on the run – how your character’s appearance becomes more harried, and how they may even start nodding off on their feet.
Dynamic Events and Random Encounters
Grand Theft Auto 5 had its share of random events, but Red Dead Redemption 2 raised the bar so incredibly high that it was absurd. There’s the expectation that Rockstar will build on this further, though how remains to be seen. They could very well be larger in scale – like suddenly getting into a chase on airboats in the swamps – or more bizarre – like capturing an alligator that’s run rampant inside a convenience store – or really both. Either way, we’re interested to see if these characters will intertwine with the story, and to what extent, especially since retailer listings indicated that NPCs could generate “random organic events across the map.”
How the Social Media System Works
A clue may lie in the social media system, where you can follow different influencers and watch viral videos as they’re happening, per retailer listings. Dazed’s story indicated that rap duo Real Dimez’s ascent into the music business could be “traced” through “viral social media posts.” Maybe that’s just an indication that you can go back and read their Bleeter timelines to see how they made, hearting and bookmarking posts as if they were the real deal. I’m interested in whether interacting with recent posts could influence the characters’ current trajectory. NPC posting about a crime? What if you DMed them for a meet-up, only to beat them up and steal their cash? Could the level of interaction affect the so-called “secret missions” that become available, and will ignoring them cause a huge shift in a player’s fate? It all sounds very RPG-esque and, quite frankly, very enticing.
The Wanted and Police Systems
In Dazed’s story, Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson talked about looking back on previous titles and seeing “where we want to evolve based on what we didn’t do as well as we would have liked to” for various reasons. But given the general state of the Wanted system – if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it – what could be added on? The level of escalation reached a pretty big high in GTA 5 – maybe Rockstar will take a few cues from its Honor system from Red Dead Redemption 2. Perhaps you have an unofficial rap sheet of sorts, where even if you don’t get caught, NPCs rely on word of mouth and treat you accordingly. Maybe undercover cops will try to hunt you down. Adjusting all this depending on who you encounter from what walks of life would be an immense undertaking, but if the team could pull this off, it would be very exciting indeed.
Gunplay and Combat
From a gameplay perspective, Grand Theft Auto 5’s shooting has always been…fine. Not particularly impressive compared to the likes of Max Payne 3, but still. If it sounds like I want the sun and the moon from Grand Theft Auto 6’s gunplay, you’re absolutely right, whether it’s a more realistic tactile feel to firearms, improved sound effects or environments that crumble in minutely detailed ways. I want to see dismemberment as well – Rockstar has done it in Red Dead Redemption 2, and with the sheer amount of potential firearms in late 2020s Vice City, it would make firefights feel that much more visceral.
Driving Physics and Vehicle Handling
With everything that Rockstar has done in terms of world design, environmental details and whatnot, reading that it has real-life race car drivers to refine the vehicle handling makes perfect sense. Why not, right? Grand Theft Auto 5 was certainly no slouch for its time, but I have to wonder if the team is trying to push the boundaries of what it can achieve in terms of physics and the overall sensation of speed.
Weapon Carrying and Inventory Management
The general vibe from Dazed’s story is that Rockstar wants to focus on realism. Delivering a more grounded world. So does that mean a more realistic take on the number of weapons you can carry, or inventory management? I’m not expecting to be “encumbered” after picking up too much stuff, but is it really so far-fetched to think certain clothes will limit how much you can fit in your pockets? Or that a backpack and duffel bag are essential for going on rampages with various weapons? Again, a lot of different possibilities (especially with confirmation of weapon lockers in some garages), each changing the gameplay in significant ways if true.
Reactions to the Fit
With Vice City’s fashion playing a huge role, especially given the sheer amount of clothing options that we already know about, I’m curious to see how the world will react to the way you dress. Think Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, where dressing for the occasion could trigger different reactions and maybe open up some new options. It may be simple compliments, but I’d like to see various neighborhoods be more accepting or hostile depending on your clothing, even if it’s just in terms of vibes (which could then escalate into violence depending on your approach).
Stealth
Speaking of evolving things, there’s stealth. Mostly a rudimentary concept, but with the retailer listings noting how you can “directly influence the criminal ecosystem and the tactical intelligence of the missions,” why wouldn’t more stealth options be on the docket? It could take more than a few ideas from Hitman, where players use disguises, spot different opportunities to create distractions, and maybe even indulge in some hacking to get by. More sandboxy, less scripted and contrived.
Companion AI
Character switching was already a given, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rockstar showcases more of what the companion AI is capable of. When taking either Lucia or Jason on missions, I’d like to see the other make small talk, maybe opening up some dialogue choices. Whether it’s reasonable to expect or not, the ability to issue commands in combat, even if it’s something as simple as cover fire, would be a very welcome addition. But at this point, I want to know if the other character behaves like the many realistic NPCs out there – following a routine – or adjusts their behavior based on what you’re doing.
Enterable Building Interiors
We’ve only seen images of some structures until now without a real feel for how massive or detailed they could really be. For that matter, how many buildings can you actually enter? Both GTA 5 and RDR2 were incredible in this aspect, but once again, you’d have to think the sheer amount would pale in comparison to Grand Theft Auto 6. More importantly, can players extensively decorate safehouses? Will the ability to purchase properties return?
Activities Outside the Main Story
Which ties in neatly with activities outside of the main story. With the weight and exercise systems returning, training in the gym seems a given, and we’ve seen plenty of indications for fishing. It also wouldn’t be a GTA title without a ton of sports (and I don’t just mean the previously confirmed kayaking). But I can see Rockstar taking some notes from GTA Online, especially with confirmation of secure locations to place stolen goods. Gun running, contraband, perhaps even a black market where you can buy low and sell high, and pawn shops would all add a lot to the open world, besides interacting with all the existing systems in incredible ways. And while flight school seems a given, I want to see San Andreas’s boating school return.
How Much the World Changes Without You
One of the best sandbox survival titles out there, Kenshi, is famous for its world simply going on, even if you do nothing. Combining everything that we know, including NPCs having their own routines, Vice City and Leonida would feel like a living, breathing world in almost every aspect. Does that mean other people would get involved in random events if you stand by and do nothing? Would a rival gang organically take over a neighborhood if you’re busy focusing on the story? Could Lucia or Jason (or both) become absolutely weathered through days of not sleeping and end up affecting their connections with other characters – maybe Raul deciding you’re not worth heisting with anymore, and closing off that section of activities until they clean up their act? It would be fascinating to see, for sure.
