GTA 6 is worth all the hype and will be worth the wait – Reader’s Feature

It’s almost here (Rockstar) A reader explains his excitement for next week’s launch of the long-delayed GTA 6, as he explores the influences behind Rockstar Games’ juggernaut.

When a game as massive as GTA 6 comes out, it’s normal for us to feel like overexcited hyenas and I think this feeling is absolutely and undeniably warranted. Rockstar know how to create massive worlds, but massive worlds with plenty of activities and plenty of depth. You can tell with every GTA game how Rockstar wants you to smother in their open world sandboxes and keep you entrenched there for as long as possible.

A key reason why the GTA franchise has been so amazing over the years, is that no two GTA games are quite the same. Yeah, they’re all versatile crime simulators at their core, but when you consider the tone, story, characters, cities, and pastimes they do feel like their own distinct worlds. For example, GTA 4’s immigrant story, serious tone, and gritty realism is totally different from GTA 5’s trio and their completely different backgrounds, and a narrative that converges all three of them together.

GTA 6 is another shakeup that will be worth it, otherwise Rockstar wouldn’t have bothered with it. I have absolutely no doubts it’ll be worth every single penny and then some. I trust in Rockstar wholeheartedly, even without Dan Houser’s input and expertise. Dan Houser’s comic book series American Caper should definitely be checked out though!

I think for many of us, we lap up all the information, trailers, and images we can when it comes to a new GTA. Personally, I listen to the soundtracks, rewatch trailers several times, and I think my brain and overall mood improves a lot due to the sheer excitement I’m feeling.

On the subject of the soundtrack, I am concerned the tune selection won’t be as amazing as previous GTA games. However, Flower In A Hurricane by Justice et al. is brilliant, and I also really like Inner Light by Elder Brook and Bob Moses. Tom Petty’s return to the GTA soundtrack with Love Is A Long Road is also great to see, although I prefer Running Down A Dream because I think it slaps harder. I’m sure there will be other great tunes that haven’t been revealed yet, I just don’t know how strong it will be.

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On a slightly different subject, what I find very striking about GTA 6 is the nightlife. Just gazing at the glow of the neon lights and the bustling nightclubs is electric. I don’t think GTA has done nightlife so convincingly since GTA 4: The Ballad Of Gay Tony. Maisonette 9, Hercules, and Bahama Mamas truly showcased how well Rockstar creates dazzling club atmospheres.

Of course, Rockstar developed Max Payne 3, a searingly underrated and brilliant action game, and that one featured Club Moderno in São Paulo Brazil, and felt connected to Payne’s narcotic lifestyle. In fact, much of what made Max Payne 3 an excellent linear action game can be found in both GTA 5 and the upcoming GTA 6.

Michael De Santa from GTA 5 reminds me of Max Payne in Max Payne 3, with his gnarled and weathered middle age appearance, difficulties coping with the past, and violent temperament. The tone and grit from Max Payne 3 can also be gleaned in GTA 6. The way violence and stylishness is blended together in both games pulsates with a unique glow and helps both games to truly establish their identities.

To bring this word salad to its chopping board conclusion, GTA 6 has earned every shred of its reputation. It is my favourite video game franchise, and after 29 years of GTA, it’s still showing off in ways the games industry seems scared of replicating. The influences that inspire GTA 6 and the magnetic soundtrack are proof positive that the franchise keeps on delivering on its promises. The fact that we still don’t know very much pre-launch is a very special thing too, in an industry that tends to reveal too much.

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