GTA 6 Producer Confirms the Game Is Fixing One of Red Dead 2’s Biggest Criticisms

One of the key producers on Grand Theft Auto 6 has confirmed that the game will end up resolving one of the biggest issues that players had with Red Dead Redemption 2. Although RDR 2 is one of the most acclaimed games of the past decade, there were aspects of the open-world Western that some players felt were still a bit too dated in its design. Now, with the shift to GTA 6, Rockstar has made clear that it’s trying to address some of these concerns head-on in a way that should make the game that much better

Speaking to IGN as part of an extensive new interview, Rockstar producer Rob Nelson said that the development team has made a strong effort with GTA 6 to try to give players less structure and more freedom during missions while still telling a compelling story. In the past, Rockstar’s mission structure has been more or less funneled players down a very specific route as a way of ensuring that there wouldn’t be storytelling problems that would arise. If players deviated from this course, it could result in mission failure where they’d then have to restart from a previous checkpoint. Rather than continuing with this design philosophy in GTA 6, Nelson said that Rockstar is looking to give players more control within the game’s world while not compromising its storytelling chops.

“We are always trying to find that balance between freedom and storytelling,” Nelson said. “It is a challenge and sometimes when you are trying to create a specific or hopefully compelling narrative, the narrative aspect does need to take precedence at times – at least for us it does. To move the narrative forward in a believable way, you have to hit these beats, and so in those cases we have to kind of guide the experience. But with this game we have made a very conscious effort to open things up where possible, without compromising the quality of the experience.”

“That first mission that you saw in the [Netflix preview] video where they’re in the tower block trying to get out – there are multiple routes out of that tower block,” he continued. “Or the mission where they meet Raul and he gets in the back of the car – the first bit is on rails because you, the player as Jason, are shooting and Lucia’s driving, but then you switch and you’re driving. There is an optimal route that you’re told to get out, but if you don’t follow it, you can still get out – the mission is essentially a police chase. Anything where a mission can become systemic and it’s a wanted level or robbery system – we try to make it so that it doesn’t feel inconsistent with how the game works in the open world.”

One of the biggest critics of Rockstar’s previous mission structure seen in Red Dead Redemption 2 was perhaps YouTuber NakeyJakey. In an extensive video titled “Rockstar’s Game Design is Outdated” posted after the launch of RDR 2, the creator levied numerous criticisms at the game for the manner in which it requires players to adhere too closely to certain constraints. Although NakeyJakey also praised the story of RDR 2, the video garnered over 11 million views and became the centerpiece of a larger discussion about some of the game’s struggles and how Rockstar needed to evolve in the future.

Clearly, Rockstar seems to have watched this video or heard about the larger conversation that emerged as a result, as these changes in Grand Theft Auto 6 feel like a direct response. While there will surely still be fail states with the missions seen in GTA 6, it’s apparent that Rockstar is trying to make them much less common than before. Whether or not this will make GTA 6 drastically better than that of Red Dead Redemption 2 remains to be seen, but this move shows that Rockstar is clearly listening to its fanbase.

After years of anticipation, Grand Theft Auto 6 will finally launch next month on November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S platforms. Be sure to continue following our coverage here on ComicBook as we’ll have a lot more to share on the game leading up to release.

GTA 6’s Official Rating Reveals Just How Mature the Game Will Be