Grant Theft Auto 6 is a game that has astronomical expectations placed on it, and it's yet to even be formally announced. It follows a legacy of excellent open-worlds, endless potential for user-generated fun, and an edgy humor that is becoming less apparent in other media in modern times. Rockstar Games may have another smash hit with Red Dead Redemption, but while that series boasts exceptional storytelling, Grand Theft Auto was always more about the fun of just existing in the city each one presents.
It was rumored for a while that Grand Theft Auto 6 would take players back to Vice City, which was all the more apparent when details of the game leaked in September 2022. This is an exciting thought, but the potential decision to return to that place in the modern day presents a key issue when it comes to music selections. The tunes in the PS2 original are synonymous with a decade that Vice City has since outgrown.
Music Was Vital for Vice City’s Vibe
Though the majority of the fun in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was in exploring, following along the fantastic main story, and getting into all kinds of trouble with the law, the presentation fundamentals like graphics, gameplay, writing, and sound design were equally important. A game that doesn't look, feel, or sound fun is a difficult sell for gamers, and as Vice City sold like hot cakes when it released over two decades ago, it's safe to say it got the important stuff right.
Sound is particularly crucial to the series as a whole as voice acting, gunfire, and engine noises have to be authentic for the satire to have maximum impact. The music in Grand Theft Auto games is also vital, as it sets the tone for the hours and days that people will sink into the title in the years before the next arrives. For plenty of players, memories about Vice City will immediately go to the soundtrack as, for many, it was an introduction to the 1980s, much like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was for the 1990s.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s Modern Day Approach Could Present a Problem with its Music
The tunes on the radio of Vice City are essential to the atmosphere of the area, far more than Los Santos in San Andreas. However, with 80s hits from the likes of Toto, Kim Wilde, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and Tears for Fears, it feels so connected with the decade that it can't be replicated if Grand Theft Auto 6 returns to modern day. Using a 1980s soundtrack while meandering around a city set in the 2020s could run the risk of feeling out of touch, and like Grand Theft Auto can't move with the times.
There have been recent artists like Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, and The Weeknd who have revived some of the sounds of the past in the decade in which Grand Theft Auto 6 is set. That could provide a smart way to put newer songs into the game that keeps the setting feeling fresh while retaining a similar atmosphere that the 2002 PlayStation 2 title relied so heavily on. Striking an effective balance will be tough, but as players will likely spend dozens of hours in cars, the tunes that accompany them have to be memorable and never get repetitive. They also have to adhere to the world's vibe, as Vice City wears its 1980s inspirations firmly on its sleeve.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.