As big as Grand Theft Auto 6 is, especially with a world that’s about three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2’s playable map, it’s not just about square feet. Rockstar has spoken about the attention to detail in each hand-crafted room – “Who’s sitting where, what they’re drinking, the marks that are left on the table,” as studio co-head Aaron Garbut described it. Which obviously leads to the next question: How many buildings can you explore?
While the developer has yet to confirm a hard figure, head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe, Garbut, and other leads like Phil Hooker and Rob Nelson told Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier there are “hundreds” of interiors to explore. The context involved entering a gas station without being detected and making off with cash without alerting anyone.
“There are so many of these little interiors — hundreds of them — that you can go and explore.”
Schreier also noted that the story seems “more inspired by Red Dead Redemption 2 than Grand Theft Auto 5.” What does that mean? “This is a story about two people who actually enjoy spending time together.” He contrasted the first hour with GTA 5’s, noting the “sour nihilism” got “tiring fast.”
Your mileage may vary, and the sequel has plenty of opportunity to dip into the same well later on. After all, depending on how the player interacts with Lucia and/or Jason, they can influence their overall direction, which can impact the story. How exactly remains to be seen, of course, but with Grand Theft Auto 6 about a month out from launch for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Of course, storytelling isn’t the only thing that’s RDR2-inspired. Even the world’s complexity takes cues from Rockstar’s last title. Head here for more details.
