Summary
Grand Theft Auto 6has been anticipated since the fifth game hit store shelves in 2013.GTAfans have insatiable appetites and are always craving the next big adventure. Goingback to Vice Cityis a big deal because the last game to visit that location was released on the PSP in 2006, calledGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
A lot has seemingly changed in Vice City as it appears inGrand Theft Auto 6. Now, whether or not the game actually comes out in 2026 doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Rockstar releases a complete package without any funny business regarding microtransactions. No glitches would be a plus too, along with these othersuggestions that the developer should avoid if they want to takeGrand Theft Auto 6from a hit to an all-time classic.
Making Jason The Only Playable Character
It’s Time For A Female Star
In the trailers forGTA 6so far, it sure seems like Lucia is a playable character. However, Rockstar has not yet confirmed this. It would be a real shame if Rockstar created a love story and didn’t make both lovebirds playable.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Cityis when the protagonists started to matter in the series. Since then, Rockstar has never focused on a playable female character. Online components to games don’t count, but they were steps in the right direction. Here’s hoping Rockstar has finally leveled up and included a woman like Lucia as a mainplayable protagonist in aGTAgame.
Don’t Force Players To Be Bad
Besides not focusing on Jason, Rockstar could learn from what they did with the star ofRed Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan. Based on knowledge from the first game, players assumed that they had to be a hard-nosed criminal through and through when playing as Arthur. Thankfully, players could customize Arthur to their liking, even making him into a redeemable anti-hero by the end.
While the trailers forGTA 6have focused on Jason and Lucia committing crimes, that’s not necessarily all the game is going to be about. Players could perhaps be a good or worse version of Jason or Lucia. A dynamic character system is how Rockstar can bring more people in and invest them in the story they’re telling. Making Jason and Lucia irredeemable criminals who just happen to love each other simply won’t be enough to win everyone over.
Avoid Limiting Players With Standard Weapons
Level Up With Customization
Shooting has improved with each newGTArelease, and the weapon selectioncan get wild; think AC cars with bombs strapped to them. A lot of those strange weapons are limited to specific missions, though, leaving players to choose between standard rifles, shotguns, and pistols when they’re exploring the open world.
Rockstar doesn’t have to create future tech to make the gunplay more exciting, but they could certainly freshen up what they built inGTA 5. Customizable weapons, better cover systems, improved aiming, retooled physics, and so on. Simply having serviceable gunplay won’t suffice in 2026, given the numerous great shooters already available on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
A Big World With Nothing To Do
Also, No Roadmap For Multiplayer Or Expansions
The graphics in the lastGTA 6trailer simply look unreal, even by current console standards. Vice City is more than just a city, as there are plenty of biomes to explore, including dunes and forests. While it seems big, two things could be troubling about what fans have seen so far.
In one scenario, the game could indeed be large, but it could also be barren without a lot to do. In another scenario, it could be packed with activities, but the world could be smaller than it appears in promotions. Either way,GTA 6could also be very short. Some would appreciate that, while others may quickly redeem the game for credit at GameStop, especially if Rockstar doesn’t have any kind ofmultiplayer available at launchto rivalGTA Online.
Do Not End Like Bonnie And Clyde
It’ll Recolor The Whole Story
To recap, Rockstar hopefully won’t focus on Jason and won’t limit players to just being criminals. Those are both things to avoid, but it may not be the end of the world if Rockstar messes those aspects up. What will truly hurt them is the game’s ending, which could go a myriad of ways for Jason and Lucia. As lovers, Rockstar could pay homage to Bonnie and Clyde, the real-life gangsters, and have them gunned down. No one wants to have theirheroes die at the end of a game, although it wouldn’t be the first time Rockstar took this approach.
Also, even if only one of them dies, be it at the hands of the cops or a rival criminal, that wouldn’t be satisfying either. The worst thing Rockstar could do would be to have Jason turn on Lucia, or Lucia turn on Jason, leading to either their separation or deaths. To avoid spoilers, let’s just say there was a gangster-focused game on the PS4 that ended similarly, which altered the entire story and left players disappointed. Alienating an audience at the end of the road is not the kind of backlash Rockstar should want to attract.
Make It Affordable
Avoid $80-100 Price Tags
Rockstar could easilymakeGTA 6cost as much as a new console, and some fans would buy it. “Some” is the important word here, because while the demand would be there, if the game is not affordable, it won’t sell, no matter if it’s an 11/10. The same applies to some games that cost $80. $10 more may not seem like a lot to some, but to others, that amount could be used for groceries or gas money.
The more the game adheres to a reasonable price point, the better Rockstar is going to look, and maybe then other publishers and developers will start to calm down about the $80 price tag thing. Rockstar has always been a trendsetting and boundary-pushing company, so they should attempt to do some good for the gaming community as a whole and release a high-quality $70 game.
