Gamers hoping for GTA 6 to amp up the realism when it comes to losing their wanted level in the sunny state of Leonida are in luck, with Rockstar confirming in a recent interview that Jason and Lucia can do far more than escape a glowing red zone on the map to shake off the law.
Speaking to IGN ahead of the Netflix Extended Look back in August, head of development and co-studio head Rob Nelson walked the outlet through a 30-minute gameplay demo in which several new mechanics and locations were detailed.
The demo begins in Jason and Lucia’s safehouse, one of many interactive personal spaces the player can call home in GTA 6. Here you can switch characters, partake in unique interactions, or even decorate the place to suit your style. However, Rockstar has stressed “this is not their own house, they’re staying in someone else’s house.”
From here, Nelson takes Lucia on a stroll through downtown where an evolved version of Red Dead Redemption 2’s NPC interaction system is used to mess with random citizens, which can range from dangerous gangbangers to normal people jogging in the local park.
But now these interactions possess significantly more depth and go far beyond saying hello, being rude, or holding someone at gunpoint. Rockstar describes several examples such as eavesdropping on a conversation for too long and being called out, or following an NPC as he goes about his regular routine only for it to blow up into a moment that feels earned and can be tackled in a multitude of ways.
This is where the evolved wanted level system comes into play, although Rockstar has made it clear that you will still have an opportunity to cause untold chaos and murder hundreds of cops if you’re that way inclined, but doing so will come with significantly more variables since Rockstar doesn’t want GTA 6 to make you “all-powerful” like GTA 5 often did.
After an interaction ends with an NPC pulling a gun on Lucia and a group of people she has just interacted with, dispatch is called and a one-star wanted level star shows up on screen. If you manage to escape the area where the authorities are going to respond, you’ll be in the clear, but Nelson goes on to describe a number of ways this can be achieved.
“As much as possible, we tried to design the game so that you have options,” Nelson said. “Things can escalate quite quickly if you want them to, or people who don’t want to escalate can try to avoid it. It's not always possible! To me, that supports the narrative. This is a story about a couple on the run. We have tried to make the systems and the design support our narrative when and wherever possible. Meaning, if you hit and run, commit a crime and run, get into trouble and move on before the cops get there, and you don’t start shooting people, don't start escalating – which you absolutely can do if you want to – but if you don’t, you’re generally going to be fine.”
Nelson expands upon this system further after Lucia experiences another NPC interaction that puts the fuzz on her tail. Even if you haven’t killed someone, a stolen vehicle or beaten and bruised pedestrian is still going to raise both eyebrows and your wanted level. You can run away the old fashioned way, or decide to get a haircut, change your outfit, or even split up if Jason and Lucia happen to be travelling together.
“Again, if I take off here, I should be fine. We’re really trying to encourage this hit-and-run style of gameplay.” Nelson explains. “So, the police are looking for me. We have this heat system, and they know what I look like and what I’m wearing. Here’s a pair of glasses–I'll put on this and this baseball hat. But they still know what I'm wearing, so I would need to go to a clothing store or call my personal vehicle, which has changes of outfits in the trunk.”
The idea of being able to lose the law by dashing into an interconnected network of alleys or blending in amidst NPCs in a random storefront sounds thrilling, especially dynamic systems designed to keep you on their toes are constantly interacting with one another.
Outfits can become compromised, while cops will be quick to recognise what vehicle you’re travelling in or where you were last seen. But Nelson notes that “so long as you don’t draw too much attention to yourself, you should be fine.” Easier said than done in an open world as ripe with possibility as this one.
GTA 6 releases on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and according to reports it is already close to 6 million pre-orders more than a month before launch.
