Rockstar’s stellar track record of pushing boundaries with every subsequent release has led players to draw up their own feature wishlists for GTA 6. These range from somewhat feasible, like tons of buildings you can enter, to the downright insane, such as a detailed taxation system. While these expectations are all over the place, player opinions about features they don’t want to see are much more consistent. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the most prominent things fans don’t want to see in GTA 6 and made a case for why they shouldn’t make it into the upcoming title.
7. Linear and Restrictive Missions
Rockstar’s one-note mission design has been a constant source of criticism for the developer. GTA 5 did little to modify the formula, as most missions boiled down to the familiar blueprint: go to point A, interact with an NPC, go to point B, and complete the objective.
This play-by-play approach to the gameplay structure works mainly because of the sharp writing and quality set pieces. But open-world games have come a long way since 2013, and titles like Cyberpunk 2077 prove that you can provide both player agency and thrilling sequences.
GTA 6 needs to catch up to modern standards on this front, preferably through open-ended missions that allow players to approach the objective from multiple angles. For starters, the use of stealth should be permitted and supported in most cases.
Additionally, having the opportunity to talk things out instead of going gung-ho would be nice to see. These inclusions also shouldn’t come at the cost of GTA’s signature set-pieces that always get the adrenaline pumping. As such, seeing a more open mission design would be an absolute boon to GTA 6.
6. Overbearing Realism
GTA games have always struck a satisfying balance between realistic elements and over-the-top features that are ludicrously fun. The same cannot be said for Rockstar’s most recent open-world game, Red Dead Redemption 2.
For all of its merits, the game was overly indulgent with its emphasis on realism. Daring heists and action-packed shootouts were intermixed with Arthur Morgan rummaging through cabinets – all for a single can of kidney beans.
No shade to kidney beans, of course, but I could’ve done without the elaborate animation that momentarily brings everything to a halt. There are many other examples of excessive realism being detrimental to Rockstar’s Western classic, which is why fans hope that it doesn’t creep into GTA 6.
5. Abandoning Single-Player for Online Updates
When I heard Steve Ogg (the actor behind Trevor Philips) confirm that a “James Bond Trevor” DLC was in development at one time before being unceremoniously scrapped, my heart sank a thousand leagues under the sea. Excuse the exaggeration, but it’s a massive bummer that we lost out on watching Trevor play-pretend as a secretive spy because of the cash cow that is GTA Online.
This doesn’t even scratch the surface of the features that should have made it to GTA 5’s offline mode. Unfortunately, the single-player was effectively placed on the back burner while Rockstar churned out Online updates that had players whipping out their Shark Cards.
Fans, like myself, are hoping that GTA 6’s campaign doesn’t suffer the same fate. And that, at the very least, all the new vehicles and weapons added to the online mode are ported over to the single-player mode as well.
4. Always Online Requirements
GTA titles have traditionally catered to offline players by ensuring that the single-player mode can be played without an internet connection. Offline playability used to be the standard back in the day, but we’ve seen AAA devs move away from this model by enforcing an online-only requirement, even for single-player games.
With that being said, GTA 5’s PC port did feature an annoying Social Club linking procedure that rubbed many fans the wrong way. This also meant you needed to be online on GTA 5. Otherwise, you will be kicked from the game itself. If Rockstar insists on implementing the platform in GTA 6, we hope it’s optional at the very least.
3. A Deluge of Trailing Missions
Trailing missions are typically the worst kinds of quests in any game, let alone an open-world sandbox rife with possibilities for joyous destruction. Yet, most Rockstar games are packed with them. While GTA 4 was the worst offender in the series, GTA 5 had its fair share of trailing missions as well.
The game had players ambling behind snail-paced NPCs, tailing vehicles for long stretches, and creeping carefully to avoid being seen. Admittedly, this mission structure does help switch up the gameplay rhythm from time to time, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying.
GTA 6 will almost certainly feature multiple missions of this variety, but it needs to reduce their frequency or risk boring players. A well-crafted balance between slow and fast-paced missions could give Rockstar the exact momentum it needs to keep GTA 6 interesting.
2. Excessive Futurism in GTA 6 Online
Thanks to constant updates, GTA Online saw the transformational introduction of futuristic weapons and vehicles. These were undoubtedly cool at first, as you could fly around like Marty McFly on the Deluxo or rain down hell from above using an orbital strike.
However, they had a drastic impact on the sense of realism baked into Los Santos. There’s nothing as immersion-breaking as seeing motorcycles fly over grimy ghettos or being griefed from miles away by an Atomizer.
Players online eventually grew to detest this evolution, and many have made it clear that they don’t want to see it at all in GTA 6. While I do love seeing flying cars from time to time, I still sure hope Grand Theft Auto 6 keeps it low.
1. Exorbitant Price Tag
This is easily the most significant point of contention among players, and for good reason. There has been no shortage of rumors surrounding the GTA 6 price, with some sources even quoting the astronomical figure of $ 100. I think it’s fair to say that video game pricing is a complicated subject that requires a ton of context and nuance. However, the prevailing opinion among fans is that GTA 6 cannot be priced too high.
Nintendo appears to have sounded the horn for $80 becoming the norm, and fans definitely don’t want to see Rockstar follow suit. Not only will GTA 6’s price set the standard going forward, but it will also serve as encouragement for other AAA developers to price their games similarly despite being a fraction of its size.
We’ll have to wait and hope these things don’t make it into GTA 6. Until then, let us know your expectations about GTA 6 and what it will have in the comments below.
