Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look is out and it didn't take long for us to get a few things wrong, happily, if we might add, because, based on our free-roam coverage, Grand Theft Auto VI will have plenty of stuff for everyone to do. However, while we've already catalogued the open-world playground, we haven't taken the time to talk about the system that runs it yet.
Aside from showing off what players can do in Leonida, Rockstar Games gave us a look at the systems running it in real time, which, according to Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, is the backbone of the Grand Theft Auto experience.
What Dazed described versus what the Extended Look showed
System | What Dazed described | What the Extended Look showed |
|---|---|---|
Dual-protagonist play | Fluid switching, playing as a couple or solo | Mid-chase flips, one driving while the other shoots or uses the phone |
Reactive world | Actions carry weight; openly carrying a rifle draws a response | Police and crowds reacting to armed presence in the sequences |
Consequence system | Choices that cut deeper than prior honor systems | Angel and devil icons registering actions as you play |
Body simulation | Food, exercise, and lost sleep visibly change the characters | Weight, muscle, and wear showing on Jason and Lucia |
Description-based heat | Police recognise you, not just a star meter | Three icons tracking your clothes, face, and vehicle |
The pre-reveal pitch on the left, the confirmed footage on the right.
The biggest and most welcome reveal is how you play as Jason and Lucia. You can swap between both on the fly, and the footage showed how seamless it all works. One moment, you're playing as Lucia driving, then the next moment, you're switching to Jason, leaning out to shoot. You can even swap between them during the most mundane moments, like, for example, when one of them starts doom scrolling through their in-game phone from the passenger seat.
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Grand Theft Auto VI: Everything We KnowRelease date, map, characters, gameplay and more, updated regularly.
Based on that one particular sequence where Lucia jumps off a building, it's confirmed you can play either as a couple, or split off and run solo across the city. It's the same three-character swap from Grand Theft Auto V only fluid enough for so much to happen inside a single firefight and we're glad Rockstar took the time to show us this system in action in that particular light.
Where there's actions though, there are consequences. The dog petting that became the reveal's meme triggered a positive honor icon, kind of like the honor meter in Red Dead Redemption 2 only more integrated into your day-to-day activities. The angel and devil-style markers register what you do, good and bad, as a persistent track.
Then there are the characters. What Jason and Lucia eat change how they look, exercise builds their muscle, and skipping sleep or running from the cops for days wears on them. Rockstar detailed this to Dazed, and the showcase put it on screen, cellulite and all and that same worn-down or built-up body is the one you carry into missions and free roam alike.
Finally, going back to consequences, Rockstar North head of development Rob Nelson told Dazed the studio wanted players to shape these two "without losing the essence of the characters," and its narrative team described choices, including, and most especially, the relationship dynamic between Jason and Lucia.
As it turns out, those memes about Lucia texting Jason mid-robbery if he'd still love her if she was a worm will actually happen.
Rounding everything out is the description-based wanted system, which tracks you by clothes, face, and vehicle instead of a plain star meter, so a change of outfit or car genuinely throws police off.
What Rockstar has not confirmed about GTA 6
Open question | What we still do not know |
|---|---|
Specific numbers | How much food, exercise, or lost sleep it takes to move a stat |
Long-term progression | Whether these states build up, decay, or reset over time |
System depth | How far the morality and relationship consequences actually branch |
Mission impact | How much any of this changes missions mechanically |
The systems are confirmed in action, but we don't how much they will impact the gameplay just yet.
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These confirmed systems are what govern the people at the center of the game, and we're sure we'll find out more over the next couple of weeks. Until then, the official Dazed screenshots give you the look and style Rockstar is going for with GTA 6 while we've already detailed the many activities and fun you can have throughout the game, and if you want to see both in action, we suggest watching GTA VI: An Extended Look yourself.