Seven things in GTA VI that are different or totally new to the series

So the much-discussed, eagerly-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI “Extended Look” dropped last night on Netflix, it then became available at Rockstar’s YouTube channel and it’s now even available to download on the game’s own website in high quality. The only problem: this 27-minute video is edited in a cinematic way, focusing more on the visual presentation, on scripted sequences, on cut scenes and vistas than on how the game actually plays most of the time or what it brings to the table that past GTA titles didn’t.

Thankfully, both The New York Times and IGN got to actually try GTA VI in Rockstar’s headquarters in Edinburgh and have specific things to report on gameplay mechanics, the title’s underlying systems and more. IGN’s longform preview is also worth a read but, for the time being, yours truly will try to save The Point Online readers some time by listing seven of the most interesting new or changed things GTA fans can expect from Rockstar’s latest when it releases in late November.

GTA 6’s safehouses are the new RDR 2 camps

Players have been using safehouses in past Grand Theft Auto games too, but the new title’s are different: they do not actually belong to Jason and Lucia – although they seem to share a specific one that was shown in the Extended Look video – and other people can visit or stay in the same safehouse at any time. In other words, they are more like Red Dead Redemption 2 camps than traditional GTA safehouses now, which may or may not matter in certain parts of the main story.

The dialogue mechanism is now discrete and contextual

In a conscious effort to make the new GTA feel more cinematic and interaction with its virtual characters more organic, Rockstar has removed the obvious signals for whom players can speak to and even the dialogue wheel of old. The overall approach is now contextual and needs a lot less screen estate: when gamers get close to a character they can actually speak to, the option becomes available. Once the conversation begins, response options appear at the bottom right of the screen in relatively small text sizes. Both changes are meant to take the whole videogamey presentation of conversations out of the way and it looks like it will work great for GTA VI.

Expensive cars are not easy to steal anymore

The feature that put the Car Theft in Grand Theft Auto is obviously back, but changed. Sure, players can steal basic cars without much trouble early in the game, but faster, more impressive cars now have security systems that Jason or Lucia have to bypass – a skill dependent on tools that will have to be earned as the main story progresses. Gamers can still carjack any vehicle, of course, if the driver is already inside. Expensive cars also sport GPS tracking, so even if players steal them they need to drive fast or they risk being chased down. No wonder Rockstar noted that sometimes the safest method of getting away is drive a car quickly for a bit, then ditch it and just walk.

The Wanted Level system is back to 6 stars and works differently

When Jason and Lucia commit a crime that’s witnessed, police officers will come to the scene and start looking for them as before – but this time around they seem to be better informed, knowing about the main characters’ physical appearances, clothes and even escape vehicle (implying that they are getting more detailed reports). One star out of six means that players will be able to escape easily, but anything above three will make things much harder, leading to high-speed car chases, shoot outs and general chaos. Gamers will have to think on their feet, change Jason’s and Lucia’s appearance quickly, ditch or change vehicles, take back roads and alleys etc. in order to avoid being arrested.

The Criminal Profile system grades how the world thinks of the protagonists

This is similar to the honor system in Red Dead Redemption 2 but intentionally vague: there are many things in they way gamers play that are not clearly “right or wrong” morally. The main characters are basically observed by NPCs all the time and, if players follow certain patterns in their behavior, people will start reacting to Jason’s and Lucia’s presence, maybe influencing the main story too. If gamers choose e.g. to cause unnecessary violence all the time, this will affect their Criminal Profile, as will their avoiding to do so. Conversely, feeding stray dogs or throwing away the trash gives off the impression of an honest citizen, positively affecting said Profile. It’s worth noting that crimes committed on missions or in situations when players are forced to use aggression won’t necessarily affect players’ profiles negatively.

More side activities for one’s free time

Rockstar showed most of these towards the end of the GTA VI Extended Look video and it’s worth mentioning them due to the sheer variety on offer: side activities players will be able to engage in when they are not on missions or exploring Leonida. In no particular order, there was basketball, base jumping, target practice, car racing, dirt bike racing, jet skiing, fishing, kayaking, swimming, scuba-diving, weightlifting, riding scooters and, well, just drinking at bars or clubs obviously. Some of these activities involve mini-games, others seem to be just chilling pastimes with no effect on the main story. Yours truly bets that most need money, though.

A duo but not necessarily a couple

Not a new game mechanic per se, but an interesting Rockstar choice nonetheless: while this was not clear up until now, the two characters that players will be able to frequently switch between, Jason and Lucia, are initially partners in crime. That does not mean they are also romantically involved, though – not necessarily. That option exists, they do have each other’s backs in missions, but how players make them behave towards one another over the course of the game will determine whether they’ll be a proper “Bonnie and Clyde” couple or not. This will almost certainly affect the outcome of the main story, but… we’ll see.

Even after watching the Extended Look video and going through the articles and hands-on reports, one feels there’s a lot we still don’t know about GTA VI. If Rockstar does intend to reveal considerably more information about its latest title before it’s released – and do it in phases so as to build momentum – there are only just about 80 days left, which are not that many. While this Extended Look may be more than enough for a lot of people to preorder or buy the game (despite the controversy around its digital-only form), others may need to know a bit more about the title’s core gameplay before deciding. In any case, yours truly will return to it as soon as Rockstar and Take2 deliver more GTA VI news worth reporting on. Not long now.