With the recent news that the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer will soon be upon us, now seems like a good time for some good old-fashioned speculation mixed with a sprinkling of hopeless desire and optimism.
It’s been over 10 years since GTA 5 was released. In the decade since, development technology has progressed, with breakthroughs in graphics, processing power, and two generations of consoles, so expectations are higher than ever for the next game.
Excitement for GTA 6 is at fever pitch levels thanks to the news the first trailer is dropping in early December, so we are going to be looking at six things—because, of course, it has to be six—that we want to see and could be possible in GTA 6.
6) A return to Vice City and/or Liberty City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a popular installment in the series that features a colorful setting inspired by Miami. Fans have speculated that Vice City could be the setting for GTA 6, seeing as we already got to see both San Andreas and Liberty City rebuilt for the modern day in GTA 5 and GT4, respectively.
It would make a lot of sense for Vice City to at least make an appearance in GTA 6, but I think a return to Liberty City is also possible. The last time we saw the city was in Grand Theft Auto 4, which released back in 2008. Both console and PC gaming have changed and improved dramatically since then, so it would be interesting to see how much Rockstar Games can overhaul such a well-known in-game city for the new generation of gaming.
Whether they are major locations, areas you simply pass through, or places you visit during certain missions, a return to Vice City or Liberty City would be a great addition to the next GTA game.
5) Customization to the max
When you think about customization in the Grand Theft Auto games, the first thing likely to come to mind is car customization. The franchise is called Grand Theft Auto, after all, so it’s no surprise a large portion of the focus is on the cars and driving. The customization of clothes and hair for the player character is also something that has been prominent since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. That being said, a whole new level of customization for various elements in the next installment could be a fun inclusion.
Although you can customize your own character in GTA Online, the main series has always been a franchise with set characters rather than player-created characters. As mentioned, you can customize them to an extent, changing their hair and clothes, but adding more options for customizing the characters could be a great way to add a bit of player personality to the central characters while still maintaining a dedicated protagonist (or protagonists).
Another way to give GTA 6 a more personal touch would be to add the option to customize your home and any other properties or businesses you own. Customization of your apartment is available in GTA Online, but there isn’t much to it, and customization of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor’s homes in GTA 5 was non-existent. It doesn’t need to be in-depth or complicated. I’m not talking about The Sims level of building and customizing, just some decoration options to give your living space a little more personality.
4) More stores and other interactable locations
There are various stores in the GTA games, most of which are clothing stores, weapon stores, fast food restaurants, or convenience stores. Players can buy from these places or rob them if they prefer, but expanding on this could be a great way to make the world feel more alive.
This could link back to the idea of more customization possibilities, such as by including stores where you could purchase items to customize any properties you own. Maybe we could even get pet stores where we could buy or adopt some furry friends for our protagonist. When playing as Franklin in GTA V, you had a pet in the form of Chop the dog, but including a pet store would be an interesting way to add a bit more variety and depth to the idea of pets in the Grand Theft Auto series.
There are all sorts of possibilities with these kinds of stores and locations that could be included in the next GTA game, though there would have to be a good balance in regard to implementing this feature. This is a GTA title, after all, and we still want it to feel like one. If anyone can find a way to maintain this balance, it’s Rockstar.
3) A female protagonist who doesn’t feel forced
Women have rarely gotten the chance in the GTA franchise to be more than eye candy or over-the-top stereotypes (especially in the earlier titles). In our modern day and age, there’s a chance for Rockstar Games to create a truly awesome female protagonist who can hold her own in a franchise primarily dominated by men.
There have been rumors that there will be two protagonists in GTA 6. The rumors suggest the playable characters will be a male and female couple with a Bonnie and Clyde-like relationship. I really hope this is the case, as playing the game as a criminal couple not only makes sense from a narrative perspective but also fits in perfectly with the other protagonists in the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
As a female gamer who has always loved the GTA games (and was way too young when they started playing them), I was initially a bit worried about rumors of a female protagonist in the next game.
I was worried it might feel forced or that the idea was being used as a gimmick rather than because the writers actually had a solid idea for a character. That being said, it’s clear Rockstar isn’t in the habit of including anything in its games for the sake of public approval, so my worries have subsided as of late. I’m pretty sure if the developer decides to include a female protagonist, it will create a character that will not only hold her own, but also do the franchise justice.
2) An overhauled weather system
This might seem like a nitpick, but the weather in the GTA games has always felt a little lackluster. In GTA 5, rain would affect your driving, which I always thought was a cool touch. However, this could definitely go bigger in a new GTA game. Seasonal changes and different weather to match the changing seasons would make the world feel more realistic and could impact how players maneuver around it.
Imagine it starts to snow when the weather goes through the winter cycle, and you get to cause chaos on the roads as people are struggling to drive in the harsh terrain. There could also be storms and other severe weather conditions that amp up the drama while in missions or free roaming. If there is an option to rob a bank in the middle of a hurricane, I’m definitely going to take that choice.
The possibilities are endless if you want to be even more of a public menace in different weather conditions. I want to cause problems on purpose, Rockstar, and I want to do it all year round, come rain or shine.
1) A change to the wanted system
I don’t think the star-wanted level system in the GTA franchise should change, as its such an iconic staple of the series. But that doesn’t mean that other elements of the policing system couldn’t do with a tune-up in the next game.
One of the biggest gripes many of us had with GTA 5 was you would get the same response to crimes no matter where you committed them and who saw them. If you ran down a group of pedestrians in the middle of the city, you wouldn’t be surprised when the cops showed up to bust your ass immediately. If you started causing a ruckus out in the middle of nowhere with no witnesses, though, you would get the same response. This doesn’t make sense, since there’s no way for the police to know exactly where you are and immediately come and get you.
There is so much that could be done with a change in the policing system in the next game. Let’s say you kill an innocent person because you’re just the absolute worst (but this is a GTA game, so you’re forgiven for now). Police activity in the area could become intense as they search for the missing person, or perhaps they find their body, and now they are on high alert for the murderer. Again, this is something that would be very tough to implement in a game, but Rockstar games aren’t considered some of the best of the best for no reason.
This could add a whole new layer of gameplay to criminal activity and the police response elements the games are well-known for. Players would need to think a little more before committing a crime to anticipate what the police response might be, rather than just drive away as quickly as they can and hide somewhere secluded until their star level slowly decreases.
There definitely needs to be some kind of change to the police system in GTA 6, as it just doesn’t make sense for the cops to instantly be on your tail even if you committed a crime with no witnesses out in the middle of nowhere.
