To the surprise of no one, the highest-grossing video game in history will be getting a sequel. Rockstar has spent its sweet time milking all it can out of Grand Theft Auto V; with PS5 and Xbox Series versions of the game set to release in March 2022, the well has just about run dry. It’s past time for the next installment in the open-world mega series.
We enjoyed Grand Theft Auto V as much as anyone, but there’s still room for improvement. Here are eight things we want to see in GTA VI that we think will take the franchise to the next level:
1. Better Close-Quarters Combat
In Grand Theft Auto V, the series got the reworked shoot-and-cover system it deserved. No more wrestling with the camera to get a bead on the gun-toting gangster right in front of you. No more accidentally walking out of cover when you’ve got a dozen guns trained at your temple. Finally, combat was as fun as the rest of the game… as long as you had a gun.
See, while GTA V’s shooting felt great, the hand-to-hand combat left a lot to be desired. It has been a full two decades since the series made the leap to the third dimension; perhaps it’s time for Rockstar to make fisticuffs fun.
Get rid of the floaty animations, and give the punches some… well, punch. There are hundreds of crazy, over-the-top wrestling moves that would fit right into the wild and wacky world of GTA. Let us suplex pimps teeth-first into the pavement and pull off 10-foot elbow drops from street lamps. Quit holding back, and dial it up all the way to 11!
2. More Mission Variety
Unlike a lot of people, we don’t mind the mundane tailing missions in GTA. They’re a quick and dirty way to deliver exposition, and deliver it in a way that’s acceptably plausible. But at this point, they’ve become a bit of a crutch for Rockstar, and we want to see less of them.
GTA V was full of incredible set pieces and memorable moments, but it also had tons of generic escort quests and tailing jobs that could bore you to tears. For GTA VI, we want more of the former and much, much less of the latter.
3. A Brand New City
Nearly every game in the series has taken place in the same three cities. We want Rockstar to flex its creative muscles and give us someplace new to lose ourselves in.
According to rumors, GTA VI will take place in Vice City and a brand-new city based on Rio de Janeiro. That’s great news both for fans pining for a Vice City makeover and those who want something fresh. Again, these are just rumors, so we shouldn’t get too excited just yet. One thing’s for sure, though: We’ve got our fingers crossed hoping they’re true.
4. A Different Time Period
When talking about settings in video games, we tend to focus on cities and landmarks. But the narratives in GTA are inseparable from the time periods in which they’re set. Earlier, we talked about how we wanted to visit new places beyond Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. With rumors about a new city in the works, how about a new time period to go along with it?
GTA III was a teasing satire of early-2000s American culture. Vice City took us to the coke-addled ‘80s of a virtual faux-Miami. Then, we explored the ‘90s west coast gangbanger culture in San Andreas. The last two games, however, have lasered in on modern consumerist culture in the era of social media. Message received, Rockstar. Now, let’s go back to poking fun at other generations.
There are a million and one stories you can tell in the Vietnam War era. That hazy period of boho hippy culture and Cold War scares. Or what about the early ’70s—Motown, bell bottoms, and a mass cultural awakening of individualist thought?
Come on, Rockstar. Let us stomp jive turkeys in knee-high disco boots.
5. Destructible Environments
OK, we know this is going to be a tall ask, but hear us out: Let’s get destructible environments in GTA. Grand Theft Auto has always been about taking things over the top. But even with all the crazy things you get up to, the city remains in pristine shape.
Of course, fully destructible environments add a whole new tier of headache to the game’s design. For instance, how will your player trigger the next mission when the building it’s set in no longer exists? That’s why we’re tempering our expectations—give us breakable walls, mailboxes we can smash in, and electric posts that actually fall when you crash into them. Then, once we’ve taken our mayhem to another part of town, fix it all up like we were never there.
A little bit of destructibility goes a long way in a game like GTA.
6. Better Weather
Weather has always played a big role in the GTA series. Even with new console generations, a rainy day was only marginally different from a sunny one, and changing weather hardly affected gameplay at all. We want not just better-looking weather, but weather that matters.
In GTA IV and V, rain affects handling in vehicles. You’ll notice high-speed chases feel just a bit more slippery, and you have less control over your turns. For GTA VI, we want weather that affects your character, too.
Maybe you have to carry (or steal) an umbrella on rainy days, or else you’ll catch a cold, which affects your running speed and stamina. Slap on some snowshoes to help you run through thick snow quicker.
There needs to be a balance—after all, GTA isn’t a survival game or simulator. But with the right touch, weather can add a bit of extra depth to GTA VI’s gameplay.
7. More Interiors, Please
Grand Theft Auto games just keep getting larger. The new generation of consoles has brought another leap in graphical fidelity, and you have to wonder how much longer the games industry can sustain this bigger-is-better mentality.
Here’s an idea: Focus inward, Rockstar. We don’t need massive maps, pointless underground tunnels, and crazy, winding pathways that lead to nowhere. Give us more shops to rob, hotels to dirty up, and apartments to sneak into. GTA V was on the right path with the convenience store mini-events; now we want to take it to the next level.
8. Co-Op Mode
When we first learned that GTA V would star multiple protagonists, many were certain that meant co-op was coming. We know now that this was never in Rockstar’s plans. We did, however, get a glimpse of co-operative storytelling with the introduction of heists to GTA Online in mid-2015.
Conducting a heist requires team coordination, planning, skill, and a fair bit of luck. If you can get all your friends together, there are few things in GTA that are more thrilling. Even when things go awry, you’re guaranteed a great time.
For GTA VI, we want Rockstar to take some of the crazy multiplayer goodness of GTA Online and put it into the game’s campaign. No, we’re not asking for the main story to accommodate our co-op fantasies. We’d be perfectly fine with a series of co-op missions entirely separate from the main narrative.
People will spend dozens of hours backseat driving with their favorite streamers through a video game campaign. We just want to play with our friends.
What Do You Want to See in GTA VI?
These are all the updates and improvements we would like to see in GTA VI. Hopefully, it lives up to the hype and doesn’t turn out to be a disappointment. If you’re looking for some gaming products that could help you prepare for the release of GTA VI, head over to OffGamers by clicking here!
What do you want to see in GTA VI? Let us know in the comments below!
