GTA 6 Details in Edge Magazine Cover Public Transit and Smell Reactions

EDGE’s latest GTA 6 preview details the game’s Criminal Profile system, world, vehicles, weather, and development. The article, titled The State That Never Sleeps, was published online on October 29 and appears across 16 pages in EDGE special issue No. 430.

For the preview, the EDGE writer visited Rockstar North in Edinburgh, Scotland, and met with Rob Nelson, Aaron Garbut, and Phil Hooker. Two of them also head the studio. Nelson played the game in his office for an hour and a half, without a prearranged sequence of events.

The article includes 12 new screenshots, though they are not in 4K. It did not include exclusive artwork.

Where to Buy

The issue sold out almost immediately in the online store. The single issue, listed as XMAS 26 for £5 in the UK, is no longer available. It may return to stock.

A copy is still available through a subscription for six months (£30), one year (£60), or two years (£123). Readers can also look for the issue at British newsstands and supermarket magazine sections, including Tesco.

Game Details

Some of the details in EDGE’s preview have appeared elsewhere, while others are being made public for the first time.

Main Characters

• Jason and Lucia’s optional romantic relationship can be strengthened by spending time together. Activities include walking on the beach, riding bicycles, going to the gym, which requires a membership, and driving around.
• It remains unclear whether Jason and Lucia can get married. The couple spends much of the story on the run.
• Coffee boosts stamina, while protein shakes restore health.

Walkthrough

• The Criminal Profile system evaluates the player on a scale from Professional to Irredeemable, represented by angel and devil icons. It also influences the story.
• Some missions become available only after the player reaches a certain amount of money. Robbing stores is one way to meet the target.
• Random Events can unfold in different ways. Robbery victims may fight back, bystanders may try to intervene, and drivers on the highway may challenge the player to impromptu races.
• Enemies can be incapacitated or intimidated.

Vehicles

• Players must drive a considerable distance to use a full tank of gas, while refueling is quick.
• Some drivers carry weapons and will fight back when players try to steal their vehicles.
• The Scooter Bros app lets players order a car for delivery. The car arrives within seconds for a small fee, and the delivery driver leaves on a scooter brought along for the trip.

Wanted System

• Minor offenses do not immediately increase the player’s wanted level.
• During highway pursuits, police deploy spike strips across the road. They can be easy to miss.
• Police K-9 units can join a chase, latch onto the protagonist, and hold on.

Game World

• The map is roughly twice the size of its predecessor’s, while the game’s landmass is larger than the combined landmasses of GTA 4, GTA 5, and RDR 2.
• The game has more interiors than previous entries. People inhabit these spaces and leave signs of everyday life. For example, a photograph of a dog may indicate that the animal can be found somewhere in the home.
• Even the studio heads have not explored every location. Garbut recently discovered a room he had never entered before.
• Players can travel from one end of Leonida to the other using public transportation. Buses and trains operate on schedules.
• Roads are narrower than in Grand Theft Auto V.
• Time passes more slowly, with longer days and nights. The change was intended to make activities that unfold in real time feel more believable.

Weather

• Wind affects boat handling.
• Open bodies of water are more exposed to bad weather, while sheltered areas are less affected.
• Storms can cause minor damage to watercraft.
• Pedestrians seek shelter from bad weather.

NPCs

• The game features 600,000 animations for non-player characters, twice as many as in Red Dead Redemption II and 11 times as many as in GTA V.
• Pedestrians react to how the player carries weapons. They remain calm if a gun is slung over the player’s shoulder but become nervous if the player takes it out.

Other Details

• The game features a smell system. When Jason entered a room with an unpleasant odor, he reacted with a grimace. The system was initially developed for specific moments and later expanded for wider use.
• Casting for both lead roles took a long time.

Development

• Sam Houser’s role is compared to that of music producer Rick Rubin. Houser sets the direction, decides what needs more work, and points out what needs fixing. The president remains in constant contact with Nelson, Garbut, and others.
• Different Rockstar offices focus on different areas. Rockstar Toronto has played a leading role in populating the game world and conducting research. Rockstar San Diego contributes to environmental elements and interactive events.
• Some teams work exclusively on specific aspects of the game, such as radio commercials or television shows.

Nelson described the work of the different teams:

It’s this massive thing made by thousands of pairs of hands over many, many years but you still want it eventually to feel like it was made by one set of hands.

No single person knows everything about the game. Garbut added:

We’ve not compromised on the scale… I feel like we’ve built a pyramid on Everest.

Source: GTA.com.ua