5 Important things we need in GTA VI

Taylor Lyles

December 11, 2015

It has been over 2 years since the release of Grand Theft Auto V; with GTA V expanding and moving the game in a positive way in terms of gameplay and expansion in the open-world gaming genre, to being one of the best-selling video games of all time, even being well recognized as one of the best if not THE BEST and most significant title on seventh generation home consoles to date. Although Rockstar Games has not confirmed an official GTA VI release date, considering the success its predecessor has received, we’re definitely excited about it. While we wait for more information to be released there are 5 important things that Rockstar should implement in GTA VI as well as future installments.

5. New Location and new time period

Rockstar, we need a new location in the series. While I was a fan of the location of GTA V being set in San Andreas and while they did expand the city more than in the last game that was set in the location (GTA: San Andreas). it’s time for a new location to be created within the world. Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas have been overused and it’s time we have a new setting in the series. With rumors speculating that GTA VI may potentially be set in the 1980s in a city based off of Chicago, I personally would love to see them explore this idea even more. Regardless if GTA VI time is set in the 80s or present day. I would love to see this game be set in a fictional version of Chi-Town. Even if the rumors are false about the game being set in the Windy City I would still love a different time period explored, preferably early 80s or any time period during the 1970s, when there were a bunch of major crimes occurring in the United States.

4. Bring back the old health bar

Although GTA V can be one of the best games in the series the game’s health bar system is incredibly flawed and vague; leading to your characters dying too easily while exploring the wonders of San Andreas. Future GTA games and implicitly, GTA VI, should implement the older health bar system which has your health start at 100 then decrease the number when the player has taken damage with 0 meaning the player has died.

3. Keep multiple protagonists

Prior to GTA V, the series was known to have a memorable main protagonist in their games, like Niko Bellic from GTA IV, and CJ from San Andreas, and Tommy Vercetti from Vice City. While all those characters were amazing and awesome in their own way the multiple protagonists was surely a fresh idea that worked extremely well and was one of the key reasons GTA V was critically successful; replay value was able to expand on more options than past games. Each of the three protagonists had their own individual traits, personalities and special abilities, and storylines blended perfectly. Hopefully Rockstar keeps this dynamic in GTA VI.

2. Bring back ‘Old School’ style weapons

Anyone who has played all the GTA games or at least a good handful of them would argue that Vice City had the best weapons hands down; from meat cleavers, to chainsaws to screw drivers Vice City had a wide diversity of melee weapons at your leisure. I would love for them to bring a store where you can buy melee weapons like spike bats. The melee weapons in GTA V were not very creative and somewhat bland. Hopefully, GTA VI and future installments in the series will have a wide variety of both firearms and melee weapons alike. (I would also like to see a return of the tank, for ultimate destruction of course.)

1. Female Protagonists

Regardless whether or not Rockstar will keep the multiple protagonists dynamic (which I hope they do) we need a female protagonist in GTA VI. With GTA garnering criticism for its misogynistic views towards women, even allowing players the option to attend strip clubs and sleep with prostitutes, Rockstar needs to start coming up with ideas to advance the series in a new direction by having a female protagonist. The last strong role a female player had was in Grand Theft Auto III; although Catalina was not a playable character she did have a strong role within the game’s plot.