While it lacks a leveling system, loot tiers and other tropes you would typically associate with a role-playing game, Grand Theft Auto 6 is certainly closer to the genre than previous titles. The sheer choice in role-playing Lucia, Jason or both, whether building bonds, going to the gym (and keeping a steady sleep schedule), or the consequences of your actions, is overwhelming.
“You can really make the game what you want it to be at the time, whether that’s more of a roleplay experience where you’re buying cigarettes and beer in the shop and going on the train for the day, or going to a club,” said head of development Aaron Garbutt to Edge Magazine (via GamesRadar). “You can have your life in the game.”
With Rockstar aiming to make this the most realistic GTA game yet, it can be a lot to handle. You can’t even carjack anything as easily as previous games or escape the police’s attention by simply avoiding them for extended periods. Even cars must be refuelled. Co-studio head Rob Nelson noted how, “You don’t want to feel like you’re foisting things on the player and then have them reject those things. It’s more about trying to let people lean into the way they want to play.”
That sounds a lot like what senior VP of narrative Rupert Humphries said last month about realism for the sake of immersion and foregoing that for “what’s convenient for the player.” But for those who vibe with that balance, there are a lot of options. For example, head of technology Phil Hooker talked about the bus systems and how he’s “memorized all of the routes,” because he likes taking public transport instead of driving.
Launching November 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, Grand Theft Auto 6 retails for $79.99, with the $99.99 Ultimate Edition unlocking access to several exclusive stores and other goodies. Head here for more details and learn how the day/night cycle is longer than in GTA 5.
