GTA VI: the full Rob Nelson interview is out
IGN has published the full transcript of its July interview with Rockstar North's Head of Development. Money, robberies, car theft, the police and a man who lives in a dumpster: here is what's new.
IGN today published the full, unedited transcript of its interview recorded in July with Rob Nelson, Head of Development and Co-Studio Head at Rockstar North, who played about 30 minutes of Grand Theft Auto VI while talking. The highlights came out in August. Now the whole thing is here, and it's full of small details.
Money and robberies
Nelson says money carries more weight this time:
We have made money matter more in this story than I think it has in previous GTA games.
At times you'll need to earn money in the open world before the missions can continue. Per GTAVice.net's recap, robberies make up a huge part of what you do between story missions, and you can rob "pretty much anything", a headphone shop included. Use explosives on a safe and you'll damage some of the valuables inside.
Stealing cars
- Some parked cars can't be stolen until you get the right tool later in the story, like a key cloner or a slim-jim. Carjacking a driver always works.
- A phone scanner shows whether a car is locked or has an alarm or tracker, what it's worth at a Pay n' Spray or a car fence, and what it costs to register.
- Per GTAVice.net, a fence pays less for a damaged stolen car, but you can repair it first. In the demo, a stolen Infernus had a tracker that could locate the car when it moved slowly.
- Nelson says the streets are "narrower and more realistic in terms of scale".
The police
The cops know what you look like and what you're wearing. A new haircut isn't enough: you have to change clothes, at a store or from your personal vehicle's trunk. At three stars in the city, escaping on foot through the alleys is usually your best bet. Rockstar is actively trying to encourage hit-and-run play.
Daily life with Jason and Lucia
- In terms of interactivity, safehouses are "probably closer to the camps in RDR2". Jason and Lucia are staying in someone else's house.
- At the safehouse you can only shorten or shave your hair. New styles need a salon or a barber, and each salon has its own signature styles.
- Gyms raise muscularity and strength, overeating makes you gain weight, and eating gives a substantial health buff. Per GTAVice.net, hitting the gym together is "a 2-for-1" on both characters' stats.
- A "Criminal Profile" tracks what kind of criminal you are, separate from the relationship system and different from RDR2's honor system.
- Time together (pool, mini golf, kayaking, robberies) improves the relationship, while ignoring your partner's texts may hurt it a bit. Per GTAVice.net, the zoo, studying animals, scuba diving and parachuting count too, and animals can be studied as a collection, a feature borrowed from RDR2.
- Switch characters and the other one has their own routine: in the demo, Jason was naked in the shower.
- A man lives in a dumpster. Give him pills and he gives you legal advice later, and you can climb into the dumpster with him.
Everything else
- RDR2's NPC interaction system is back and expanded. Animations are retargeted on the fly, so NPCs come in many more heights and body shapes. A new team of writers, directors and producers in LA handles NPC dialogue, and NPCs notice if you eavesdrop on them or follow them.
- On Snapmatic you can follow accounts and browse, but you can't post, "because you're a couple on the run. You just lurk."
- Per GTAVice.net, your partner can drive while you shoot, and the Ryde Me rideshare service is "a good way to do fast travel". Holding down on the D-pad sets a quick waypoint.
- There are choices "big and small", and "the small ones add up to mean something". The world changes over time less than it does in RDR2.
- Every weapon you've bought is always in the back of your personal vehicle.
- "There are more radio and in-game TV ads than ever before."
- Rockstar steers clear of satire on specific political issues, memes and very modern slang, so the game doesn't feel dated.
"If you take a bit of time and explore, you will be rewarded - a lot. It's a big map, a very big map," Nelson said. He also said that, like RDR2, the game is built to be replayed. And it's big enough that, in his words: "I don't know that there's anybody on the team that knows all of it."
Insider Gaming says we're only weeks away, and the game will be playable next month. Which detail are you happiest about? Let us know! ;)
