Readers discuss what they want from GTA 6, from playing as a corrupt cop to different kinds of cities and characters.
The subject for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Grant, who asked what you want and expect from GTA 6, given rumours that it won’t be out for several years yet.
There were plenty of different suggestions, but some of the most common were a new setting and a female lead. Many were also worried that the new game might see a focus away from single-player, which most seemed to be firmly against.
The jerks
I’d just like Rockstar to make some likeable characters! They spend so much time satirising stuff that I personally find everything too abrasive in tone. You seem to spend your whole time being a jerk working for other jerks! I’m sure I’m in a minority but I’ve grown tired of it!
The only character I think I’ve found remotely likeable (for a drug and gun dealing criminal!) is Little Jacob in GTA 4. He was a good, loyal friend to Nico, backing him up when he didn’t have to.
Rockstar could have made GTA 5’s Michael a more likeable family man but I found him, his cheating wife, and obnoxious kids loathsome!
When games such as Sleeping Dogs portrays its criminals as far more multidimensional I wish Rockstar would try something new with its characters and story.
LastYearsModel
Virtual gangster
The most important thing I’d hope for is a major improvement in gameplay. I mean, seriously. GTA 5 is the best-selling game in history and yet it plays like a mediocre AA game from the Xbox 360 era. And that’s actually a major improvement on the previous ones, which were even worse!
The fighting, shooting, and car racing is all varying degrees of bad and that just shouldn’t be possible given how much Rockstar spend making these games. Not to mention they’ve been doing this for decades now and barely seem to have learnt anything.
It’s a testament to how enjoyable the basic premise of being a virtual gangster is that people have put with the mediocre gameplay for so long. That and the dialogue as well, although I worry what will happen to that now that Dan Houser and Lazlow has left.
Gaston
Boys own club
Well, it would be nice to just have GTA 6 exist. And to be brutally honest, I don’t see that happening. What? Start GTA Online all over again from scratch when the existing model can be tweaked and improved with updates? I mean, from anything other than a creative point of view, why? Why would Rockstar bother? Let’s be real, the last time Rockstar were truly creative was around the time of Bully and The Warriors.
But if they were to do such a thing then it’s long past due to have at least the option of a female protagonist. Something Saints Row has been doing since the second one.
And let’s not have any bologna about, ‘Well, we don’t ever really hear about violent, female criminals willing to get their hands dirty.’ Rockstar haven’t done it as female characters only get to be wives and girlfriends in all those gangster movies they watch. And that and the fact they’ve been run by ‘gentlemen’s club’ douche-nozzles for at least the past 10-15 years. Let there be choice!
DMR
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More than gangsters
Personally I’d like to see a bit more variety in the type of character you are in GTA 6. We have had all these low level gangsters for so long how about playing as a corrupt cop or a rich exec trying to take over the city? We’ve had these sort of characters in the games before but we only ever play as the same sort of people. It’s probably high time there was the option to play as a woman too.
In terms of the setting I don’t really know what to say because the obvious choice is somewhere that’s not America and yet they’ve said that that’s never going to happen. So I don’t really know anywhere that that’s different from what we’ve already got.
Most American cities are kind of the same so maybe smaller towns and suburbs? But that doesn’t seem too interesting and has kind of already been done with San Andreas and GTA 5.
Moony
American Mafia
The mega franchise that GTA is just astonishing, I played the first one on the PlayStation 1, which I very much enjoyed as that type of gameplay for me I had never played before.
Killing pedestrians, Hare Krishna, cops, and other gang members, and stealing cars. All a new novelty that people flocked to and it’s essentially a gangster sim. I remember the music being good too.
Fast forward to GTA 3 and Rockstar perfected the gangster sim with better graphics, story, cars, and characters. And the main character is the city itself, which Rockstar very smartly knows is the heart of the game, which is why they put so much effort into making it come to life.
San Andreas and Vice City are my personal favourites because I just love them cities and the tone of them games. The remasters are a great temptation I admit, but would I want GTA 6 more? Maybe, but GTA 5’s success as the best-selling game of all time is keeping Rockstar from pushing GTA 6.
Now, for GTA 6 I think they could make a full American Mafia set-up, modern or 1900s, with each city in the game and maybe a Seattle, Houston or El Paso influence from Red Dead.
Creating a gangster empire, which the player could choose were to start and who could join, would be epic in scale because Rockstar don’t do small and are always making the next GTA bigger and could add DLC cities to play over time.
Whatever grand design Rockstar comes up with I think we know it will be good. GTA 6 in 2026?
genghis1492 (PSN ID)
From the writer of GTA
I’m sure GTA 6 will be enjoyable if it ever comes out but I’m more interested in seeing what Dan Houser does next…
TommyFatFingers
Expect the unexpected
I am sure the GTA role-playing community will have their own ideas for the next GTA Online game but I’ll just concentrate on the single-player, and if 2025 is to be believed then it should have ideas that I will not even think of!
First of all, a choice of different playable characters from all sexes, ethnicities, religions, races, and sexuality, etc. All with unique backstories and possibly not all violent or cliched either! The story can be clever about this and establish who they eventually turn out to be with some of your choices causing it.
The rest of the game is basically played out in a third person or first person with non-playable character, which can make for a better experience when interacting with them. The world can be big and maybe two or three large cities on maybe two land masses, traveling to them by boat, ship, yacht, plane or even a Channel Tunnel type of structure!
Maybe even a rocket to fly to the Moon and Mars, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Jeff Bezos style. The thing is, everything else is just an upgrade to what is available now! Just look at NoPixel GTA Online’s effort, how can they top that!
Either way, the above are what could evolve the series to a new level of immersion but imagine the visuals in 2025. It should be the biggest event in gaming history, and what a time to be around to see it happen.
Alucard
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MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 1: What do you want from GTA 6?
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