Gamers are currently going through their longest wait betweenGrand Theft Autogames ever. The last new mainlineGTAgame to be released wasGrand Theft Auto 5in 2013, and while it has been lauded for its stunning detail and limitless freedom it provides players as they adventure throughoutLos Santos, many feel like the game has had much too long of a lifespan, and that it is time for a successor. Fortunately, Rockstar is not planning on milkingGTA 5forever, and it has confirmed that the nextGTAgame, which is presumably titledGrand Theft Auto 6, is in development.
At this point, close to nothing is known about the game, though that has not stoppedGrand Theft Auto 6rumors and speculation from flowing freely. Gamers have voiced their hopes for the upcoming game, including wishes for a female protagonist, a smarter police system, and the return of beloved characters such as Franklin. However, perhaps the best feature the game could add is the ability to genuinely climb up the ranks of the criminal underworld and become the top dog of the city.
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Progression in Past Grand Theft Auto Games
Although theGTAseries is mostly known for its open-world freedom that lets players create their own fun, the games have also featured plots that made surprisingly poignant commentary on contemporary society as well as the human condition. Through the plots, a framework is given for gamers to progress and figure out how they are going to climb from rags to riches. While the stories from pastGrand Theft Autogameshave all featured protagonists who make their way through life via crime, there has been very little ability to genuinely climb the ranks of the criminal underworld, and the few examples that do exist are quite outdated.
InGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas, players take control of Carl Johnson who returns to his hometown and attempts to restore Grove Street Families, the neighborhood gang that has fallen from grace. While dealing with enemy gangs and corrupt police, players slowly grow the strength of their gang by tagging turf with graffiti and engaging in gang warfare to take over territory. Although it is great to grow the gang’s power, the gang warfare often feels disconnected from the rest of the criminal underworld, and there is no sense that CJ ever truly becomes king of the city.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citywas released in 2002, and it is set in a city inspired by ’80s Miami along with the crime movies it birthed, includingMiami Vice,The Godfather, andScarface. Vice City is revisited withGTA: Vice City Storieswhich was released in 2006, and this time instead of Tommy Vercetti, gamers play as Vic. The game features empire-building, which Vic can engage in by running businesses that act as fronts for illegal activities. MimickingGTA: San Andreasand its gang warfare, rivals inGTA: Vice City Storiescan attack Vic’s property, and they will be seized if they are not protected. While it is impressive, its improvement overGTA: San Andreas' gang warfare is minimal, and it feels like Rockstar could still go much further with it.
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Perhaps the best way to get the feeling of conquering the criminal underworld inGTAis to playGTA: Online. Thanks to theExecutives and Other Criminals update, players can run their own criminal organization, and they can even have bodyguards to protect them. WithGTA 6, Rockstar should learn a lot fromGTA: Online, as well as from other games with progression systems, and add a crime twist.
How GTA 6 Can Let Players Conquer the Criminal Underworld
WithGTA 6, Rockstar has the opportunity finally let players truly conquer the criminal underworld, and with the technology of current-generation gaming, it can be more realistic than ever, and scratch that criminal empire-building itch better than before.Rockstar Gamesshould learn from its pastGTAgames and implement features such as claiming and defending territory, seizing power from other gangs, and running legitimate businesses as a front for illegal dealings. However, it should not stop there.
Rockstar should also let players get into the nitty-gritty of empire building in thenextGTAgame. The fun of getting into gun fights to seize territory should not be the end for gamers; they should also be able to micromanage the finances of their empire, decide what fields of crime to specialize in, and how to protect their criminal dynasty. Gamers should also get to decide how they deal with rivals and the police. While violence may be the obvious answer, perhaps bribing the police may be a less messy solution, or simply absorbing rival gangs into one’s own. Through features such as these, the empire-building process would feel less like a scripted event and more like an organic process of climbing the criminal underworld.
It is important thatGTA 6put its best foot forward when it comes to letting players climb the criminal underworld because, by the time it launches, it will have plenty of competition to go up against. This includes the upcomingSaints Rowreboot where players will attempt to take control ofSanto Ileso, a city in the grips of three criminal gangs. Players will have to take control of the nine districts of Santo Ileso and set up illegal businesses to fund their gang if they wish to topple their rivals and become the top dogs of the city. If its ideas are executed correctly,Saints Rowhas the potential to set the bar high, which is somethingGTA 6will have to contend with.
Currently, Rockstar has given gamers no indication as to when they can expect the next entry in theGTAseries to release. Hopefully, developers are hard at work crafting a title that will provide the classic lawless fun gamers have come to expect from theGTAfranchise. However, if Rockstar wishes to elevate things further, it should take some inspiration fromSaints Row, and focus on criminal empire-building and climbing the ranks of the criminal underworld.
The nextGrand Theft Autogame is currently in development.
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