Twerkin', Alligators, And Trust: Why I’m Pumped For GTA 6

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Rockstar Games dropped the first trailer for GTA 6 last night, causing the internet to jiggle and shake, finally revealing a good look at what is likely to become one of the biggest games of all time.

Initially due for release a day later, the trailer was pushed out early after some doofus leaked it complete with a big stinkin’ “Buy BTC” overlay. As if crypto bros don’t already have a terrible reputation, they’re sure to now be lampooned somewhere in GTA 6’s narrative if they weren’t already.

It may have only been 90 seconds long, but that’s plenty of time to cram in hints at the storyline, main characters, gameplay, new features, and to get an eye-melting look at the visual fidelity of Rockstar’s latest work.

This first trailer focuses on Lucia, seemingly recently released from jail, but who we quickly see taking part in the old crime life. The game is said to feature two playable protagonists, but Lucia’s partner in crime and possible lover takes a back seat for this trailer.

Notably this is “trailer 1” according to Rockstar. The first GTA 5 trailer focused on Michael (although we didn’t know it at the time, we did see a glimpse of Franklin) despite the player eventually switching between three main characters. Trailer 2 is likely to focus on the second playable character, which we know is a thing after details of the game were leaked a few years ago.

We’re expecting that character to be male, sure, but it might be too early to assume the character we see pulling heists with Lucia is the second playable character. It could well be that the chap with the cop haircut is playable character number two, or it could be a bait and switch - something Naughty Dog famously pulled off with The Last of Us Part 2. Watch this space.

Lucia’s line that “the only way we’re going to get through this is by sticking together, in a team,” sounds like this could be the first story-driven GTA game with two-player co-op. GTA Online has featured two player and four player co-op before, running missions and eventually planning and pulling off the excellent Heists, so it’s fair to assume that has only been refined for GTA 6. If that co-op gameplay is cushioned around a love story - Bonnie and Clyde is the most referenced - it could be a really strong anchor amongst the regular GTA mayhem and proof that Rockstar can do subtle, emotional storytelling.

Related: All GTA Games Ranked From Worst To Best

GTA 6 is set in Vice City and the surrounding county of Leonida, which Rockstar has described as the “biggest” in its accompanying press release. Looking at the sweeping shots of the map it’s unlikely we’ll be disputing that claim. The heaving coastlines, the views behind the busty girl in the bikini (go back a second time and try to focus beyond the bikini, friend), the interwoven freeways across swampland and shoreline, certainly compare to the size of Los Santos and beyond. Rockstar seems to be taking a similar approach to GTA 5, using real-world locations to model its fictional city. As pointed out on Reddit (obviously), this section of the Miami coast is replicated in-game, reminiscent of GTA 5’s Del Perro Pier and its real-life Santa Monica inspiration. It’s not just the locations either - the nasty racists get featured and the Florida Man is central - nice thong, dude. Welcome to America.

As with any Rockstar release it’s easy to be blinded by the obvious. Animation in particular has stepped up, and Rockstar is so proud of that it features two shots of twerking (yes, in a strip club, but also on a car), but beyond that there’s plenty of lovely/repulsive details. The dude on the beach illicitly filming a girl in a bikini captures the seedy side of Miami, the awfulness of a mud-soaked festival, the manic seemingly-random wildlife running amok. But take time and you’ll see the devil is in the detail; the neon shine on a sparkling dress, the polished chrome on vehicles, the grease and dirt on the sidewalk.

Capturing that environment also seems to be a central feature with the trailer featuring TikTok and YouTube style footage. Are we going to be capturing our crimes to share on social media, or bodycamming criminals if we’re to play as a cop? As if social media hasn’t already fouled up our real world, we’re going to be doing it in-game, for good or bad.

One of the main talking points is the reveal that GTA 6 won’t be out until 2025. That’s not far away in all fairness, we’re sitting in the cold of December 2023 right now. But I’d be surprised if it happens that year. Rockstar’s major releases last generation and the generation before have all missed their release dates. GTA 5 was announced in October 2011, with a release date of Q2 2013, eventually arriving in September of that year. The PC version of GTA 5 was announced in June 2014 and due that November, but got pushed back to April 2015. And Red Dead Redemption was teased in October 2016 for a release in the second half of 2017. But that suffered from two delays, eventually landing in October 2018. Did we care once we got our hands on them? Not one bit.

All of which is to say, I’ll be patient and I’m pumped. We got what we expected and what we wanted from a first look - a massive city, a thriving environment, hints at an interesting storyline, a tantalising overview of an open world to play in. Give me that spotless high-riser with the massive wheels, let me throw away money at the club, let’s get a chase from the cops for fun. The ending shot from the trailer does it for me. Like Lucia and her pal, like Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, I’m ready to kick down the doors and grab the cash in GTA 6.