Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 remains one of the most impressive open-world games to date due to its intricate environments, enthralling story, and action-packed gameplay. The game channels the perfectionism and attention to detail that Rockstar is known for and cranks it up to 11, and the results are nothing short of impressive. While players who are used to fast-paced gameplay may find Red Dead Redemption 2 to be sluggish and tedious, gamers with more patience will appreciate just how much detail is packed into every frame, and how the game is best enjoyed as a slow-paced experience.
Rockstar has confirmed that the next Grand Theft Auto game, presumably titled Grand Theft Auto 6, is on the way, and after Grand Theft Auto 5's unusually long lifespan, expectations are high. One of the ways that Rockstar can meet those expectations is by learning from Red Dead Redemption 2 and crafting an open world with mind-blowing attention to detail. This will ensure the game has longevity, and that it is not overshadowed by prior Rockstar games.
Red Redemption 2's Attention to Detail of the Playable Character Should Be Replicated
For most of Red Dead Redemption 2, players take control of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw who spends most of his life with the Van der Linde gang. Though he and his gang are outlaws who make their money through immoral means, he can be sympathetic at times. The attention to detail of his character model is impressive, and players can even observe Arthur's eyes dilating in different lighting conditions. As time passes, his hair and beard will grow unless he shaves, and if he does not wash, his smell will get so bad that others will complain of his odor. He also needs regular sleep and food, and he has to switch outfits depending on the weather.
Players can customize Arthur in several ways, including by styling his hair and beard. There is a vast array of clothing to pick from in Red Dead Redemption 2, allowing players to switch out Arthur's boots, pants, shirts, waistcoats, bandanas, hats, and more. Whether players want Arthur to look like an outlaw, a gentleman, a hunter, or a lunatic, the options are all there. These outfits must be kept clean, however, and if players dirty themselves with mud or blood, other characters will comment on it.
Grand Theft Auto 6 can learn a lot from Red Dead Redemption 2 in terms of how many details were added to the playable characters. Things such as dilating pupils, reacting to the weather, and growing hair should make a return, and a large clothing selection should also be available, as it allows gamers to feel more connected to the playable characters. The next GTA game can go further, however, by allowing players to add prosthetics, tattoos, and other body modifications. Although these things may seem minor, together they help to make playable characters feel more believable and alive.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Should Have an Open World as Intricate as Red Dead Redemption 2's
Red Dead Redemption 2 presents one of the most immersive open worlds in gaming, and it is possible to abandon all story missions and just spend hours exploring the map. The wilderness is populated by a compendium of animals that players can track, hunt, and catalog. All the animals have unique behaviors, and the developer took extra care to ensure that they are authentic to their real-world counterparts. For example, possums will play dead, vultures will prey on carrion, and bears will not attack if players stand their ground. There is an incredible amount of attention paid to the details of hunting and fishing as well, as factors as minor as wind direction will affect whether players have a good day or go home hungry.
The human settlements are also startlingly detailed, and they all genuinely feel alive. Walking around places like Valentine or Saint-Denis, players can see people hard at work, drunkards slumped on the sidewalk, bounty hunters patrolling, and various places of businesses that can be entered. Inside stores, players can pick up individual items and observe them, and if they plan it correctly, they can hold up the store and empty the cash register without alerting any lawmen. The people also have good memories, and if Arthur stirs up trouble, they will remember it and they will treat him accordingly. Conversely, if he behaves himself, he can find himself receiving discounts.
A similar amount of attention to detail should be paid to GTA 6's open world, and there will be more opportunities to do so in a dense urban environment. Like Red Dead Redemption 2, players in GTA 6 should be able to enter as many buildings as possible, either to make purchases or to perform criminal activities. Environments should also be dynamic, much like Red Dead Redemption 2 where players, over time, see railroads get constructed and forests chopped down. Likewise, GTA 6 should have businesses close down for others to open and have entire skyscrapers constructed to illustrate the passage of time.
Though GTA 6 will likely not feature a wilderness like Red Dead Redemption 2, it can focus that attention on its police system instead, ensuring it is as realistic as possible. Crimes could be treated with an appropriate level of aggression from the police, and mere fender benders should not immediately trigger high-speed chases. It should also be possible to talk one's way out of getting into trouble for minor crimes, such as getting caught fighting on the sidewalk. Such details would assist in making GTA 6's world feel more realistic and a step ahead of everything that came before it.
Rockstar has confirmed that the next GTA game is on the way, though gamers have yet to receive a release date or more information surrounding the highly anticipated title. However, Rockstar recently let gamers know that it is moving more resources towards the next entry in the GTA series, though this may come at the expense of Red Dead Online. There is extreme pressure on GTA 6 to be successful, and one of the ways it can succeed is by implementing Rockstar's characteristic attention to detail.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
