Rockstar's next open-world game apparently does away with the "drive here, kill these guys" missions and adds stealth, carjacking, cops who recognize your face, and a buddy who notices when you run away.
Rockstar Games' debut in the popular open-world GTA series is, as writer previews of various influencers invited to Rockstar North firsthand, intended to shake up the traditional mechanics of stealing cars, robbing stores, and outrunning the police when it ships this November. Set in the state of Leonida, around the city of Vice City, GTA 6 is reportedly designed to guide players toward a greater sense of the repercussions of crime through vehicle security systems, a police heat mechanic, and partner relationships affected by your actions.
The excitement is already deafening. "Rockstar is preparing to shatter the AAA holding pattern this November," one of these major GTA content creators wrote in a review of the preview coverage. He opined that no one has yet to provide a real next-generation experience in the 2020s.
Read a system-by-system summary of what has been reported so far in our GTA 6 new features guide. It differentiates between confirmed information and anticipations, so you know what to take with a pinch of salt before placing a pre-order.
The partner system reveals how the gameplay might work. In a preview, the streamer El Rubius robs a bank for GTA 6 Money with his character Lucia, then flies away in a helicopter. Jason messages: "Hey, you forgot something?" The "press preview," in its presentation to preview attendees, informed them that Jason and Lucia would be teamed for the duration, but to leave your partner behind would decrease your relationship score. IGN covers a mission with "multiple ways to enter the bank," and "multiple ways to exit it." Rob, during the presentation, elaborates, "you could actually enter hundreds of places, the vast majority with no indicators."
The implications apply well beyond the campaign. The main story is claimed to be about 80 hours, which would make it Rockstar's longest ever, and there's no official info as yet on online mode. Some creators argue it might make the 2027 cut, but that's a prediction, not a fact. My own take is that if the police memory, stealth theft and heist systems work as claimed, then rival open-world studios will come under pressure to match them. Rockstar's higher-than-normal pricing, and the Ultimate Edition's exclusive mod shops, will also need to satisfy gamers who want justification at launch, especially those looking for cheap GTA 6 Money.
