With less than two months until Grand Theft Auto VI finally arrives on Nov. 19, Rockstar Games is opening the vault.
Game Informer published its GTA 6 cover story on Tuesday, speaking with several members of Rockstar’s leadership, including co-studio head Aaron Garbut and senior vice president of narrative Rupert Humphries. The feature fills in many of the gaps left by Netflix’s 27-minute extended look in August, especially regarding the game’s setting, its systems, and just how much of Florida Rockstar is trying to cram into a single map.
Here’s everything new we learned, plus a quick refresher on what we already knew.
What we already knew
The basics have been locked in for a while. GTA 6 follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, a criminal duo that players can switch between. They’re a Bonnie and Clyde-type duo, and you’ll be responsible for nurturing or breaking apart their relationship.
The game returns to Vice City, Rockstar’s take on Miami, inside the fictional state of Leonida. Mashable’s breakdown of the Netflix extended look covered a lot of gameplay ground. A slow-motion aiming mode, a morality or honor indicator shaped like a small demon head, and Red Dead Redemption 2–style interactions with NPCs. Additionally, we know there will be racing, base jumping, and a more detailed carjacking system.
Most of the supporting cast had been introduced before, too, though Game Informer‘s roundup includes one fun detail: actor Stephen Root has said he voices Brian Heder, a veteran drug runner who assigns missions and lets Jason live rent-free in one of his properties.
Leonida is Rockstar’s biggest map ever
According to Garbut, Leonida is the largest world Rockstar has ever built. It’s roughly twice the size of GTA 5‘s map and denser, with far more interiors. Garbut summed up the appeal of Florida as “America dialed up to 11.”
Game Informer confirmed the map’s six main regions: Vice City, Leonida Keyes, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, and Mount Kalaga National Park. Rockstar’s senior vice president of environment art, Paul MacPherson, told Game Informer that the team studied North Florida cities such as Jacksonville, Panama City, and Ocala. That region promises ATV trails, a mud park party, nighttime demolition derbies, farms, and bass fishing.
Don’t expect a Disney World parody, though. When Game Informer asked about Orlando’s theme parks and the Space Coast, MacPherson stopped short of confirming them. He said the team had to narrow down which landmarks made the cut and suggested those exact locations may not be in the game.
Jason and Lucia’s relationship is up to you
The nurturing of Jason and Lucia’s relationship, as stated earlier, is not new. What is new is that Jason and Lucia always stay partners, but players decide whether they remain friends or become a romantic couple.
Game Informer reports the bond grows through missions and small gestures like holding hands, opening doors, answering calls and texts promptly, and accepting invitations to activities together.
Rockstar says there’s no gameplay advantage to either path. However, parts of the story will reflect the state of their relationship. Game Informer also reports that player decisions, big and small, can shift the story enough that Rockstar is encouraging multiple playthroughs.
Hurricanes are real, and the weather is local
Owen Shepherd, Rockstar’s vice president of art for lighting and rendering, told Game Informer the weather system has been rebuilt to be localized and persistent. That means you can stand in sunshine while watching a storm soak the next neighborhood over, which any Floridian will recognize.
Rain leaves lasting puddles behind, rainbows can appear in the right light, and a new wind system moves hair, debris, water, and swamp grass. Tropical storms and hurricanes are confirmed. Rockstar didn’t say how often they hit or whether they affect gameplay or the story.
More than 170 animal species
Rockstar vice president of dynamic art Michael Kane confirmed that Leonida features over 170 animal species, including more than 60 bird types and over 30 land mammals. Confirmed species include:
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Florida natives: manatees, flamingos, and pelicans, plus the alligators we’ve already seen.
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Invasive species: green iguanas, feral cats, cane toads, armadillos, and rhesus macaque monkeys.
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Marine life: sharks, whales, rays, sea turtles, and jellyfish, each with distinct movement behavior.
Borrowing from Red Dead Redemption, some animals will be trackable and sorted into Rare, Discoverable, and Legendary categories.
Leonida’s residents are also getting an upgrade. NPCs now vary in height, body type, and skin details such as freckles and tattoos, and their fashion varies from region to region. Rockstar even has a Los Angeles team dedicated solely to writing NPC chatter.
Source: https://mashable.com/entertainment/gta-6-updates-everything-we-learned-this-week
