After years of waiting, Rockstar Games finally gave fans an official look at the steadily approaching “Grand Theft Auto VI.” The offering to appease what is nearly an indescribable player base debuted on Aug. 27 on Netflix, a 26-minute “Extended Look."
The sneak peek started with what appears to be an early mission, dropping viewers right into the action with dual protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos in the midst of a botched pickup job. Everything seems to be going smoothly, if not a little awkwardly, but that’s the fun of crime.
The teaser is quick to pick up the pace, with cops showing up and shots firing from both ends, causing the couple to flee. Nothing new is shown mechanically but visually the trailer starts incredibly strong. The gaming community has always sung the praises of Rockstar’s graphic prowess, with "Red Dead Redemption 2" being cited as having some of the best graphics in gaming even eight years post-release, but compared to “GTA 6,“ there is no competition.
After that brief glimpse, a montage of different scenes and game mechanics is shown. A better idea of who Duval and Caminos are became clearer throughout the extended look, the duo's Bonnie-and-Clyde dynamic coming to the forefront. Their relationship plays a crucial role in grounding the chaos in Vice City, though it was revealed that players can choose a platonic or romantic path for the characters.
Mechanically, the reveal offered the clearest look yet at how switching between protagonists will actually feel in-game. Players will be able to swap between Duval and Caminos mid-mission, switching dynamically within seconds and with an impressive amount of fluidity. The quickness is a welcome change from GTA 5’s zooming out and back in switching style, instead allowing players to stay grounded in fast-action scenes.
Another exciting change, though much larger, is the map. As reported by The New York Times, Rockstar revealed that the “GTA 6” map is three times as large as "Red Dead Redemption 2.” For anyone who has played "RDR2" or is at least familiar with it and the game’s map, that size increase is mind blowing.
The extra scale isn’t just cosmetic either, now feeding into the game's biggest structural overhaul: a new and improved tracking system. Gone will be the days of cops magically knowing your exact location the second you sneeze near a crime scene. Now, any offense has to be witnessed by an NPC before the police respond, and once they do, they will work off of specific descriptions of Jason and Lucia.
The details noted are the weapon used, the clothes Duval and Caminos wore during the crime and whether the two were seen on CCTV footage, meaning players have to consider their appearance before, during and after a job. It’s a level of accountability the series has never really had before, allowing for a more realistic mindset for players to adopt.
That philosophy carries into the new criminal profile system shown as well. It is similar to the honor system in “Red Dead Redemption 2,“ in which Arthur Morgan’s tracker was about morality, “GTA 6” is more concerned with whether or not the player is a good criminal, not a good person. For example, getting a job done efficiently and without any hiccups will contribute to a positive profile. The extended look also revealed that simple activities like petting dogs will positively affect the profile as well.
Between the tripled map size, new consequence systems, stunning graphics and more, it’s clear Rockstar seems intent on evolving the series rather than simply supersizing it. The extended look has left fans more confident that “GTA 6” will deliver what has been promised for over a decade now, though much more is yet to be seen.
"Grand Theft Auto VI" launches on Nov. 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A release date for PC has not yet been announced.
