The new next-gen port of Grand Theft Auto 5 looks pretty, but the gameplay has aged badly in some ways. Rockstar needs to revamp the shooter in GTA 6.
The new improved next-gen port of Auto grand flight 5 is pretty to look at, but some aspects of its gameplay have started to get old, with gunplay being a particular area GTA 6 should improve. The lack of maneuverability in GTA 5 can be a bit of a hassle during combat, with Michael, Franklin, Trevor and the player character in GTA online often struggle to mount the cover. Factor in a floating gun gameplay, which is a step up from Red Dead Redemption 2fast and more intuitive combat system, and shoot in GTA 5 can often be frustrating. Given the series’ emphasis on action, the shooting mechanics in GTA 6 need to be improved a lot and lean more on the gameplay of RDR2 instead of GTA 5.
The latest edition of GTA 5 brought a host of visual and performance improvements to the game, originally released in 2013 before being upgraded to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2014. While the flashier graphics are an improvement and the new features DualSense help make driving more immersive, gaps in GTA 5The simplistic combat system has been laid bare by over nine years of industry innovation. The game is still stellar, but compared to more recent third-person action titles – as well as those from Rockstar Red Dead Redemption 2 – GTA 5 feels lacking in comparison. Animations don’t have the same level of polish as RDR2and even though there is a greater variety of weapons in GTA 5none feel as unique or as fun to use.
Although there is no shortage of exciting settings in GTA 5, the shooting game is simple and repetitive. While targeting certain body parts in Red Dead Redemption 2 would lead to unique reactions from enemies – whether it’s a neck swipe causing an enemy to collapse and bleed, or a hand swipe causing them to drop their weapon – enemies in GTA 5 all tend to react the same way, collapsing to the ground after taking body blows, before immediately getting back up. Like with RDR2, the easiest way to dispatch enemies is to lock on and then move the slider up to get an instant headshot. However, because the weapons used by RDR2Van der Linde’s Van der Linde Gang all varied greatly in performance, with different weapon spreads and rates of fire, it didn’t get repetitive. There were certainly versatile weapons in the game, like the Lancaster Repeater, but combat wasn’t a simple process of aiming at an enemy and moving upwards to get a headshot in every scenario.
Grand Theft Auto 6 needs to fix GTA 5’s repetitive gun combat
As for the fights, GTA 6 must improve several elements of GTA 5. First, the variety of weapons. Although GTA 5 featured a vast arsenal for players to use, these weapons varied little in their application. Assault Rifles behave similarly to SMGs, while Handguns differ little apart from rate of fire. The only truly unique weapons in GTA 5 are sniper rifles, as they do not have automatic sights. In all cases, GTA 6 you have to watch RDR2 and make sure the guns are varied. A greater variety of recoil patterns and rates of fire would help differentiate Assault Rifles and SMGs, as would greater weapon customization in general.
In addition to changing weapon behavior to be more in line with what was seen in Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 6 could also introduce a dual wield mechanic. The ability to wield two revolvers at once RDR2 was a welcome change to gameplay, and the implementation of this same feature in GTA 6the more modern arsenal of would perhaps invoke memories of the sleek shooter seen in Max pay 3. Adjustments to both GTA 5the cover system and enemy AI could also mix up encounters; cover the destruction in RDR2 encouraged players to move around during combat, and enemies could also tackle Arthur Morgan or John Marston to the ground. Combat felt more messy and intuitive, which was further enhanced by realistic enemy AI and bullet impact.
Grand Theft Auto 6 needs to ditch the weapon wheel from GTA 5
Removal of the weapon wheel without restriction of GTA 5 would also encourage more careful weapon selection, help an arsenal feel more unique, and prevent the player from becoming an overpowered jack-of-all-trades. Although RDR2 frequently over-equipped the player throughout his story, requiring Arthur to wield two primary weapons on top of two handguns by default, the fact that each weapon was not instantly accessible encouraged greater patience in combat. Finally, for all this GTA 5 features an array of brilliant backdrops, the sense of threat is mitigated by the fact that one of the three protagonists can produce a rocket launcher or minigun from their pocket. This is obviously part of GTAbut it can get boring if the player has answers for each encounter before it even happens.
Changing the unlimited weapon wheel wouldn’t mean that GTA 6 should, however, withdraw its most forgiving weapons. By making cars more RDR2his horses, GTA 6 could allow the player to maintain a mobile arsenal from their own personal car. Being confronted by an armored police vehicle or a helicopter and having to rush to a vehicle to retrieve an RPG or grenade launcher could add an extra level of tension to the gameplay. Similarly, being ambushed by an enemy with nothing but a sidearm could add additional danger and threat to any given encounter – especially if, as in Red Dead Redemption 2the player had neglected to clean their chosen firearm.
GTA 5 is still a great game, but its shooting mechanics can’t compete with most other action titles released in the last decade – Red Dead Redemption 2 being one of them. Drawing inspiration from both this game and Max pay 3 would help GTA 6The shooting mechanics of become a step up from its predecessor, with a better cover system and a variety of weapons two key areas to focus on. Auto grand theft 5 is a classic open-world title, but if GTA 6 is going to move the series forward, gunfighting should be its top priority.
About the Author