Highlights

  • While Grand Theft Auto 5 was beloved, there is still room for improvement in GTA 6, and oddly enough, the Rockstar title could use something from cozy games.
  • Taking inspiration from how titles like Tales of the Shire let players decorate their houses could make GTA 6's world feel a bit more personal.
  • If in-depth house customization existed, players would have something new to chase, earning and collecting unique personalization items to make their apartments stand out from those of other players.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to bring a new chapter to Rockstar's long-running action franchise, and based on the game's first and only trailer, it may be one of the biggest GTA games yet. As soon as the trailer for GTA 6 dropped last year, it immediately broke records. It's now been over 10 years since GTA 5, so there are some high expectations for the next game, and one improvement that the franchise needs could come from an unlikely source.

Another highly anticipated game that has yet to be released is Tales of the Shire. The cozy life simulation game puts players in the shoes of a Hobbit living their day-to-day life. Tales of the Shire is set to be an exciting new addition to the cozy game genre that boasts titles like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, and if GTA 6 wants to bring things to the next level, it may actually find a great source of inspiration from this specific type of game.

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GTA 6 Taking Inspiration From Cozy Life Sims

When looking at both GTA and the various games in the life simulation genre, the two camps couldn't be more different. GTA and Animal Crossing are rarely even mentioned in the same sentence. Despite these vast differences, GTA 6 would benefit from taking note of Tales of the Shire and Animal Crossing's customization features, especially when it comes to in-game housing.

Heightening GTA's Immersion

Although players take on the role of a defined character, the stories Rockstar brings to life are still incredibly immersive. Rockstar games boast detailed worlds that truly feel alive, and GTA 6's return to Vice City already appears to up the ante with its realism. If GTA 6 truly wants to bring the immersion to its full potential, then the game should allow for in-depth apartment and house customization, which is something that Tales of the Shire and its fellow cozy titles completely nails.

Of course, in the past, GTA has allowed players to have their own safe houses and cars, but there is still a lot of room for improvement in these areas. Traditionally, the grind in GTA has been heavily focused on cars, but evolving this to include items that help make a player's home base unique. Whether it's furniture, high-end art for decoration, or the interior colors and wallpaper of the place, allowing players to make the space their own would not only just be fun, but it also adds a deeper layer to the game's lived-in feeling.

High Hopes For New Features in GTA 6

It's hard to imagine the type of pressure that is on developers at Rockstar as GTA 6's release date grows closer every day. Although Rockstar has proven itself to be highly capable at creating huge worlds, the expectations are still enormous, since GTA 6 is probably the most anticipated game at the moment. In a sea of future releases slated for launch, GTA 6 is a juggernaut of a title. GTA 5 was a huge hit, but if GTA 6 wants to be hailed as a worthy successor, it needs to heighten the features that had so much potential in the previous game.

So far, GTA 5 has only scraped the tip of the iceberg with customization. GTA 6 needs to move its focus away from cars and put a spotlight on customizing the daily lives of the game's main characters. The personalities of the protagonists in GTA games are set in stone, but their home bases and living quarters should allow room for flexibility. It not only offers a fun side activity, but also gives players the chance to build more on the main character's inner life.