Few other games represent the astronomical leap forward that was displayed inGrand Theft Auto 3. Transitioning from a top-down 2D game into a fully 3D open-world city,GTA 3presented gamers with a glimpse of what the future of 3D gaming could look like in 2001. While it has remained a heavyweight in the industry, and a mainstay in terms of game sales and general popularity,Grand Theft Autohas continually attempted to capture the same ‘wow factor’ since introducing gamers to Liberty City in its third installment. Subsequent entries in the series likeGrand Theft Auto 5: Expanded and Enhancedhave remained impressive overall, however, andGrand Theft Auto 6needs to continue that tradition.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s predecessor,Grand Theft Auto 5, was re-released for a third time earlier this year withGrand Theft Auto 5: Expanded and Enhanced,for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Featuring new graphical modes including up to 4K resolution, faster loading times, immersive 3D audio, improved framerate of up to 60 frames per second, HDR options, and ray tracing, it represents a brilliant effort from developer Rockstar Games to keep the title fresh and modern while attempting to borrow from the power of the newest console generation. The fact remains though, that this is a game that was originally developed a decade ago, and in an industry where technology becomes outdated quickly, this represents a huge period of time.
RELATED:How Grand Theft Auto 6’s Vice City Could Differ From GTA 5’s Los Santos
Grand Theft Auto’s Lasting Success
Having long been rumored to be underway,Rockstar finally confirmedGrand Theft Auto 6was in development earlier this year. Details are extremely scarce at the moment, and there are many questions yet to be answered. One thing is for sure though: it presents an opportunity for Rockstar Games to truly harness the power of the new console generation rather than just borrow from it, and provide something worth waiting for. Given the graphical capabilities of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, if truly harnessed to their potential then fans could be getting a game world that looks better than anything they have ever seen. There are few upcoming games that have higher expectations than this one.
Grand Theft Auto 5was released in 2013, to critical acclaim. It presented one of the most realistic, lived-in open worlds at the time in Los Santos, and the fact thatGTA 5didn’t feature just one protagonistwas seen as a welcome change and a breath of fresh air. Gamers were accustomed to a single main playable character in previousGTAgames, but here they were introduced to three, all completely different from each other, who they could switch between at any time. This subverted expectations, and paid dividends.
The launch ofGrand Theft Auto Online, alongside the single-player game, was crucial in ensuringGTA 5’s replayability would extend far beyond that of its predecessors.Grand Theft Auto Onlineis still incredibly popular today, with Rockstar Games continuing to regularly add new content.
Indeed,GTA 5’s lifespan has almost become something of a running joke at this point. Having originally been launched on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, it was subsequently re-released for PS4 and Xbox One in 2014 before its 3rd re-release this year. Spanning three generations of consoles, and almost a decade in real-time years, it’s no surprise thatGTA 5is not only comfortablythe highest-selling game developed by Rockstar, but the second highest-selling video game ever. It has sold over 150 million copies worldwide. While several new coats of paint have certainly extendedGTA 5’s shelf life, and despite the best efforts ofGrand Theft Auto 5: Expanded and Enhancedadding a plethora of next-gen features, ultimately the original game engine cannot be replaced.
Driving home the importance of improving on old software, 2021 saw the launch ofGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, which was supposed to package together the ultimate versions of beloved classicsGTA 3,GTA: Vice CityandGTA: San Andreas, three of the most beloved games in the franchise. Unfortunately, thelaunch ofGTA: The Trilogy- The Definitive Editionturned out to be something of a disaster. With issues ranging from a severe lack of graphical improvements to various bugs plaguing all three games, this was not the triumphant release that Rockstar Games thought it would be.Grant Theft Auto 6needs to perform excellently on the latest consoles to earn back some lost goodwill from fans.
RELATED:Is Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy- The Definitive Edition Worth Buying Yet?
GTA 6 Needs to Capitalize on its Hardware
Grand Theft Auto 6is being built from the ground up, with the hardware’s true capabilities fully utilized. This is an exciting prospect, and is completely different from enhancing a decade-old game with some upgrades. Given the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S’s incredible potential, specifically around advanced graphical features, load times, and online cloud gaming capabilities,Grand Theft Auto 6finds itself in a very strong position if it uses these. While it currently has no release date, and no confirmed setting or characters, speculation puts the release window somewhere around 2024. There are signs pointing towardRockstar Games starting to ramp up development. With both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S well into their 4th year of production by the time this game might release, there’s no reason to expect anything other than an end product that maximizes these powerful consoles' capabilities.
GTA 5’s unprecedented success means that its sequel has incredibly big boots to fill. It’s probably unrealistic to imagineGrand Theft Auto 6will span the next three console generations. However, if it takes full advantage of the hardware available, and maybe even brings back someoldGrand Theft Autofeatures that should make a return, there’s no reason why its shelf life couldn’t be far longer than the average game. With the right decisions made regarding the setting, story, and gameplay mechanics, it has a great chance of providing the same lasting impression asGTA 3, which many consider to be amongst the greatest video games of all time. All eyes are now on Rockstar Games to see what it will deliver.
