GTA VI finally shows its hand

The long, anxious wait has been quelled with Rockstar Games having released a new extended look of  GTA VI, which premiered on Netflix  on 28 August. Hype for the next installment has been building for more than a decade since GTA V. Rockstar has pushed the gaming experience further with every new game, let it be GTA or Red Dead Redemption. 

But has the extended gameplay lived up to the anticipation, and did the recent embarrassing leaks circulating online take anything from the player's first proper look into the story and gameplay?

The extended look itself was announced to be a gameplay reveal of the mechanics in the game getting an early showcase. Mechanics like combat and item interaction, NPC interaction, how missions are structured, and the overall visual feel. The 26 minute reveal also gave us a more in-depth look into the story, as we follow Jason and Lucia into a life of crime.

The premiere starts off with a mission playing out, in true Bonnie and Clyde fashion. Jason and Lucia are picking up drugs for an acquaintance, and as all action media entails, the deal goes down in flames. This chaos breeds the perfect environment for showcasing combat. Diving headfirst into the combat system, which seems to be derived from that of RDR2 and is a mix of previous GTA games. A new combat cutscene has also been introduced where it plays in slow-motion when an enemy is killed with a headshot, zooming in on them and showing the glory of the blood and ragdoll physics.

The visuals themselves feel fluid and on par with how it has been hyped by Rockstar. It remains to be seen whether Rockstar can maintain these impressive visuals while optimising a world as vast as GTA VI. The reflections and texture detail all seem to be ray-tracing enhanced, hinting at what type of specs might be needed to run it effectively for PC users. The character models shown have more texture and detail than those in RDR2.

There is also a dynamic system of relationship balance that was shown, which indicates players will need to also maintain the relationship between Jason and Lucia through different decisions in order to keep their criminal enterprise moving smoothly.

The details of the world itself are also equally enticing, with the destruction physics seen in the cars crashing showing that every part of the car is modular, making the wait for the release more unbearable. The carjacking mechanics have also been updated, with them being more detailed, giving you the option to covertly lockpick the car or smash the window and blaze through the streets.

Other aspects of gameplay are also introduced, such as hunger and thirst, that appear to operate in a similar fashion to RDR2; they also showcase driving, slightly deviating from the formula of its predecessor while still making it enjoyable, so you can anticipate those night drives through Vice City to be as enamoring as GTA V.

The seamless transition between cutscene and regular gameplay gives it a more movie-like feeling. The premiere then also shows the character-switching mechanic, similar to the one in GTA V, but based on distance. There is no need for the large zoom-out when the characters are changed, just a quick shift from Jason to Lucia or vice versa. We are also shown gameplay as both Lucia and Jason, with only some snippets of Jason's gameplay being leaked or shown directly by Rockstar. But this time around, a lot of Lucia gameplay is also shown, with her in gunfights, robberies, and random missions.

The side character interactions throughout the missions seem very lively, and the characters actually feel alive, even those that are roaming on the streets randomly. It is shown through gameplay that every robbery plays out differently from the one before, which adds to the depth that Rockstar is promising upon release. Additionally, the AI on the cops during chases also seems to be a step up from that of GTA V.

Speaking of cops, the 6-star wanted level is brought back and creates room for more intense chase scenes and chase driving experiences, with a more in-depth criminal system put in place tracking what type of decisions you make and what crimes you commit, like the honour system in RDR2. There is also a dynamic system of relationship balance that was shown, which indicates players will need to also maintain the relationship between Jason and Lucia through different decisions in order to keep their criminal enterprise moving smoothly.

The showcase also showed the other terrains and sceneries that can be experienced, starting from lagoons to nightclubs and from oceans to dirt mountains, all of which have respective races connected to them. This creates a standard of how much content there is going to be in the game. In the lagoon showcase, the water physics were also something to take note of, as it is definitely one of the best I have seen so far. The interaction between vehicles and water is also top-notch. The premiere also revealed what we could expect of the number of vehicles in the game, and that number seems satisfactory, assuming it will carry on the legacy of Los Santos Customs.

Some features from the older renditions have also been shown to carry on but in a more advanced way, such as the clubs and the drinking, in addition to interactive fixtures and furniture, similar to that of RDR 2 but more advanced. Lucia is also shown working out, and it can be assumed that they might reintroduce the gym system but in a more dynamic way.

Finally, at the end of the showcase, the release date is shown, and it is revealed that the gameplay shown was all on the PS5; it goes to show the level of optimisation Rockstar is aiming for. One that I personally pray they can achieve so that the millions in pre-orders are left satisfied and everyone gets to have the amazing gaming experience we have been anticipating since 2023.

Alongside the extended look announcement, Rockstar has also addressed the recent controversy surrounding the leaks, stating their deepest sorrows and apologies and that these leaks will not affect the gameplay or the game's release. They have also previously announced that the game will not have a physical copy, which adds to the controversy surrounding the biggest game of our decade. With the release date nearing on November 19th, 2026, we can hope to stop hearing the corny "this happened before GTA VI" and finally enjoy the game.