The Grand Theft Auto series has gone from strength to strength with arguably each and every one of its releases, and with GTA 5, it probably perfected the open world formula that it pioneered with GTA 3. And while a lot of the series’ most important elements have grown and improved beyond recognition over the years, there’s one aspect that remains disappointingly lacklustre. That is, of course, the hand-to-hand combat.
Gunplay itself is quite well structured in modern day GTA games, with solid cover mechanics and precise and slick shooting, but the melee side of things remains as overlooked and under-developed as ever. It feels clunky, unweildy, and more like an afterthought that anything else. Perhaps Rockstar should try to develop this aspect of the gameplay more with Grand Theft Auto 6, whenever it launches.
For instance, the game could have a melee combat system similar to what we saw in 2013′ Sleeping Dogs, which itself was somewhat based on the fisticuffs that characterize the Arkham series. Perhaps Grand Theft Auto 6 could even see players choosing between different styles of fighting for their players, and then developing and progressing with deeper and more rewarding mechanics in place.
In fact, even something like making full use of the environment during combat could make it so much more better. Using the popular physics engine of the GTA series to make the environment more reactive and interactive, and then using that to our benefit during hand-to-hand fights, would add so much depth and an extra dimension to the game’s combat.
It doesn’t have to be a full0-fledged brawler or beat-em-up, of course, since the focus of GTA is very squarely on entirely different mechanics. However, it would be great to see the series shifting away from its current lightweight and rudimentary melee combat mechanics, and instead opt for a system that has more depth to it.
This article is part of our series on Rockstar’s next big entry into the world of Grand Theft Auto. Through this series we take a look at the possible new features that Rockstar can add into the next GTA game, based on what they implemented in the previous entries and player feedback.