It's been all over the internet today - people are saying that GTA 6 might have the best graphics we'll see in video games for a long time. It seems unlikely, given how technology is always advancing, but with the rising costs of game development and hardware, it could be true. The game's budget is rumored to be between $1 billion and $3 billion, making it the most expensive game ever made.
Of course, we have to take inflation into account, and it's possible that once we have holodecks or something similar, the graphics will improve. But in terms of what we can imagine right now, this might be the peak. And let's not deny it - the graphics are stunning.
Every detail is on display, and it's clear that no expense was spared. So why was I bored after only five minutes of watching the Netflix footage? I'm not the biggest GTA fan, but I've enjoyed the previous games, including GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2.
So, in theory, I should love this game. But that's actually the problem. At times, the footage made it seem like a remake of GTA 5, even though it's set in a different city with different characters.
I didn't see any new gameplay ideas in the entire 26 minutes. Maybe they added base jumping, but even that was first seen in GTA 4's DLC back in 2009. There was nothing groundbreaking that would make me want to play this game.
From an artistic standpoint, what is the purpose of this game? Is it just to push the limits of what can be achieved with graphics? If it's meant to tell a story, we already know that it's inspired by Bonnie and Clyde, so we can guess how it will end.
And while Lucia seems interesting, Jason comes across as a bit of a bore, at least from what we've seen so far. Maybe the story will be decent, but I haven't played it yet - obviously. But I highly doubt it will justify being 80 hours long, as Rockstar claims.
Maybe the combat will be better this time, but it's impossible to tell from the footage. However, considering that Rockstar hasn't made any significant improvements to combat in the last 25 years, I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm not saying GTA 6 will be a bad game - I'm sure it will be at least as good as GTA 5, which is a guarantee of quality.
But I'm not impressed or excited about it. It feels like we're getting the same old stuff that we've been getting for over two decades now, with no attempt at innovation. GameCentral was right to point out how awkward the conversations in cars look, with the driver apparently talking to themselves.
It's surprising that Rockstar couldn't come up with a more interesting way to show these scenes, especially since they spent a significant amount of time on them in the video. And it all seems to function exactly like it did in GTA 5. Getting caught up in drug deals and robberies - that's the classic GTA mission.
I'm sure there are others that are essentially "drive somewhere and shoot someone," but can't we have something new? I understand showcasing the tried and true elements of the game, but with 26 minutes of footage and the whole world watching, couldn't they have shown something more surprising than a Die Hard knock-off? Maybe they're just holding back the really wild ideas for players to discover themselves.
But with over 30 minutes of official footage, plus all the leaks, I haven't seen anything that feels like a new idea. Unless you count the fact that in one area of town, everyone is completely naked, for some reason. With a budget of $3 billion, couldn't Rockstar have taken some risks and thrown in a few crazy ideas?
They could have had confidence that the game would make back its budget within the first five minutes of release. If GTA 6 is too afraid to do anything other than play it safe, what chance does the rest of the gaming industry have? No, I'm not impressed.
And at this point, I don't expect to be. On a positive note, having a female protagonist is definitely a new idea for GTA. Of course, this is just my opinion, and it doesn't necessarily reflect the views of GameCentral or Metro.
But it's clear that many people are excited about the game, and it's understandable considering the success of previous titles. I hope that GTA 6 will surprise us and bring something new to the table, but for now, I'm not holding my breath. If you want more exclusive gaming analysis, make sure to sign up for the GameCentral newsletter.
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