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GTA 6 Leaks & Rumors: Is The Next Game Really A Spin-Off?
There is a lot of speculation surrounding GTA 6, and recent revelations about the Grand Theft Auto series' publisher has caused some players to wonder if GTA 6 will be some sort of spin-off title in the franchise. Grand Theft Auto is a series which hasn't been afraid to explore side stories in the past, with the appropriately-named Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories acting as perfect examples. However, these aren't the only times the developer has veered into different territory.
Both Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 can be considered spin-off GTA games as well. While they were based off of the same mechanics and gameplay systems as the original Grand Theft Auto, they offered a seperate story in a different location, one which the GTA series has not returned to since. However, the rumors surrounding GTA 6 and its potential spin-off possibilities are a little more extreme.
Recently, it was revealed that Rockstar Games is in the middle of developing a "groundbreaking" new title, and although the details on the game's name are scarce, many players have started wondering if this could be the long-awaited GTA 6. What is known about Rockstar's new game is that it will be an open world VR title, something which the company hasn't experimented with since the release of L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files. While this isn't something which has been featured in the Grand Theft Auto franchise before, it could be implemented in interesting ways.
What GTA 6 Could Be Like As An Open World VR Game
Rockstar Games, while primarily known for their third-person action gameplay, introduced a first-person camera to both Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. While somewhat jarring at first, players quickly began to realize that the amount of detail which Rockstar added to their open world environments was much easier to appreciate with this more intimate camera, and if the company could incorporate the amount of object interactivity found in groundbreaking VR titles like Half-Life: Alyx, the world of Grand Theft Auto 6 could feel more immersive than anything the developer has created before.
However, implementing this would call for some major changes to Rockstar's game engine, which can at times feel clunky and unresponsive on foot, especially inside buildings. One of the biggest problems players had with Red Dead Redemption 2 was the game's obsession with lengthy animations which accompanied every task performed, something which would be exponentially more frustrating in VR. Instead of designing all of these luxurious animations, Rockstar should simply allow players to manipulate physics objects with their hand, grabbing items off store shelves or opening cabinets at their own speed, much like Valve did in Half-Life: Alyx. This would allow players to feel in control of the actions the characters in the game are performing, while simultaneously giving them the same feeling of immersion Rockstar was hoping for.
Unfortunately, it's not likely that Rockstar will make Grand Theft Auto 6 a VR-only game, even if the mode is supported. VR is still a fledgling technology, and until the price point comes down (and far more quality games are released) it wouldn't make financial sense for the company to alienate their massive fan base just for the sake of VR technology. It's more likely that this is a completely separate title, not related to Grand Theft Auto 6 at all... but after the long-awaited Half-Life 3 turned out to be a VR game, anything is possible.
