Rockstar Games released a long-awaited extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI on Thursday, and the eye-popping 27 minutes of footage revealed some interesting details about the massive game.
Fans of the series have been waiting for 13 years for the next installment of Grand Theft Auto, and after a series of delays, we're not far from the official November 19th launch date.
We won't be discussing any story-related content from the extended look, so you don't have to worry about spoilers. Instead, let's review some of the small details revealed on Thursday.
1. You'll need to pay attention to the road
Escaping the police didn't provide much of a challenge in GTA V, but Rockstar has made some subtle changes that could make clearing your wanted level a bit trickier in GTA VI.
The first look at the
HUD map popped up when Jason entered a car, and it's gotten a very Apple Maps-like upgrade, showing 3d buildings in the area as you pass by. The color scheme may prove to be divisive - as Jason was driving along, the streets on the map were a various shades of gray. Compared to GTA V and that game's more monochrome map, it seemed a bit harder to navigate, especially in dense areas.
When pursued by police, the map is heavily obscured by flashing red and blue lights - meaning you're going to need to get familiar with your surroundings to avoid driving yourself into a dead end. These seem like intentional changes to rachet up the intensity of chases.
2. Don't forget to have a snack
You never had to eat in Grand Theft Auto V, but there may be some good reasons to keep your refrigerator stocked in GTA VI. A scene indoors showed that opening the fridge gives the player multiple options of what to select. In the preview, we saw two different types of beer, and interestingly two smoothie variations and a protein shake that were accompanied by small icons indicating that drinking the item would give you a boost to a related skill.
The Blitz Berry Smoothie had a small green lightning bolt and a purple eye, potentially meaning you'd get a speed or stamina boost, along with what looks to be a bullet-time boost. It remains to be seen if there's a full-scale Publix equivalent to stock up on food.
3. Body transformation is back
One of the cool features of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was that players could customize CJ's appearance through various activity. Want to be a ripped bodybuilder? You can hit the gym off of Grove Street and play a few minigames. Want to let yourself go entirely? Go ahead an eat a daily diet of Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell.
The extended look of GTA VI briefly showed Lucia using a bench press, in what looked like a very similar minigame to what was in San Andreas. An exclusive story with Dazed earlier this week confirmed that working out or eating will visibly affect Jason and Lucia's character.
4. There's a car-unlocking minigame
In one scene, Jason was presented with two options when breaking into a car. He could either smash the window - potentially drawing the interest of any nearby NPCs or police - or use a "slim jim" to unlock the vehicle. That choice requires you to execute a movement with the right stick.
It was a short interaction, and we don't know the consequences of failing the event - but reinforces the idea that Rockstar is taking steps to make the police a more present threat in Vice City compared to what was an often lawless Los Santos in GTA V.
5. The Red Dead Redemption 2 influence
Red Dead Redemption 2, released all the way back in 2018, remains arguably the most impressive open world ever crafted, and there are many elements Rockstar is carrying over to Grand Theft Auto VI. From an item menu where Jason and Lucia can use various tools to disguise themselves to the basic movement of the characters (which, fortunately, looks a bit quicker in GTA VI), you can clearly see the Red Dead 2 DNA present.
Although it hasn't been confirmed, I'd expect hunting to be back in a big way in GTA VI. During one of the scenes, Jason approached a dog and was given options to scold, pet, or study the animal. In Red Dead 2, studying an animal gave you information and added it to your compendium - meaning there's likely similar features in GTA VI.
We also saw a scene on a drivable swamp boat, in an area teeming with wildlife. If you just want to get out in the wild and explore Leonida, it looks like GTA VI will deliver.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 5 small details from the GTA 6 extended look
