GTA 6 in Edge: 90 minutes of play at Rockstar North and what’s new

A big new preview ahead of launch comes from Edge. For the November issue, on sale from October 29, Simon Parkin spent a morning at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, where about 900 people work. Rob Nelson, the studio’s co-head, played the current PS5 build for 90 minutes with no script. Parkin also interviewed Aaron Garbut and Phil Hooker, who share Nelson’s head of development title. The article is free on GamesRadar+.

Size and density

The map is about twice the size of GTA 5’s. Rockstar told Edge that all its land, Vice City included, comes close to the playable maps of GTA 4, GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined. Garbut says there are an order of magnitude more interiors than in earlier games, and that he still finds rooms he hasn’t seen. The 600,000 animations we covered earlier came up again: pedestrians are art-directed one by one and have traits such as temper and aggression, and different districts have their own populations and jobs.

A disgust reaction first built for one scene now works anywhere: Jason winced on walking into a house a dog had wrecked, without any scene written for that house.

Criminal profile and the couple

• The criminal profile runs from Professional to Irredeemable, with an angel and a devil icon. Knocking an enemy out or scaring them off moves it one way, shooting first the other. Rockstar says it shapes the story
• Jason and Lucia’s closeness has four levels. It grows with walks on the beach, cycling, the gym (after you buy a membership) or just driving together. They can’t break up for good, and Nelson wouldn’t say if they can marry
• The story is about a couple who want more than money. Nelson ties this to Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, who had to decide whether to spend on himself or on the gang

Police and stolen cars

The heat icons at the top of the screen work like the police report you are trying to outrun: description, clothes, CCTV, the weapon, whether there were two of you. Split up, change clothes or drop the gun and each piece goes away. In Nelson’s demo the police laid a stinger strip on a dark road, and after the crash a police dog caught Jason. Unattended patrol cars can be robbed: Nelson took a shotgun from a trunk during an arrest across the street. More in our police guide.

Some drivers run when you take their car, others are armed and fight back. Newer expensive cars may have trackers, and almost any owner can report the theft. During a chase you can switch to the passenger and shoot while the game drives. Every vehicle shows fuel and engine health. You can have a car brought over with the Scooter Bros app, and your weapons are in its trunk (stealing and driving).

Everyday life

• Coffee boosts stamina and a protein shake gives a health buff
• Buses and trains run on routes; Hooker says he has memorised them all
• Story missions sometimes wait until the couple raise cash: a gas station or jewelry store holdup, or a car a fence wants through the WAINK app, paid less if it arrives damaged
• Random events include street races: in the demo a group in a 4x4 pushed Nelson into one
• Roads are narrower than in GTA 5, and days and nights last longer

Weather

Clouds move on their own and depend on wind, humidity, fog, time of day and season, so you can watch a storm form in the distance. Wind moves trees and waves; islands and buildings shelter water, which changes how boats handle. A storm buffets planes and helicopters and can lightly damage them, and pedestrians look for cover.

How it was made

In 2015 Nelson took a small team to Miami to scout locations. The story of Jason and Lucia took shape only after Red Dead Redemption 2 was finished. Rockstar Toronto led on the world’s population and research, Rockstar San Diego on ambient and interactive events. The studio works in milestones of six to eight weeks, and Sam Houser and Nelson play each one for about two weeks. Hooker said he can’t guess how players will react; Nelson said the game is ready.