GTA VI empathy mechanics Rockstar, Digi Mart USA News: Rockstar co-studio head Rob Nelson, one of three creative leads on GTA VI, told The Guardian that the game is the first in the Grand Theft Auto series to provide mechanisms that encourage a measure of empathy, for players who want to use them. The remarks followed a session in which the Guardian watched him play at the studio’s Edinburgh headquarters a month before the game’s November 19 release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The clearest example is the relationship between protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. Players can switch between them in most situations, though some sections lock them into one perspective.
When apart, the pair can text and call each other; together, players can take them on dates and press a button to make them hold hands. According to the report, neglecting the relationship has consequences, and Nelson said in an August interview with Famitsu that options such as holding hands or kissing can disappear, though they can be regained with effort.
Crime is handled in a similar way. Jason and Lucia begin with small jobs, such as hot-wiring low-end vehicles and picking basic locks, before moving to higher-value targets.
Nelson said it would not make narrative sense for the young couple to cause maximum carnage, so players can scout targets, disable cameras or steal footage, and find backdoors and safe codes instead of using guns. Skipping that preparation can lead to failure: in the Guardian’s session, a jewellery-store robbery collapsed when a guard opened fire.
Nelson stressed that crime remains central to the series, but said Rockstar is trying not to punish players for the style of play they are used to, while acknowledging that their actions will affect how the game plays out. The game’s Criminal Profile system, which the report links to Red Dead Redemption 2’s Honor system, rates how professionally each character operates, with states reported to run from Professional through Aggressive, Violent and Psycho.
Nelson told Famitsu that the world becomes more aggressive toward players who act aggressively, and that, unlike the Honor system, the profile does not unlock store discounts.
The report notes that these details come from sessions run by Rockstar’s own developers, and that the reporter’s own hands-on time was less choreographed than a typical preview. How much these systems change the story, and how far they build on Red Dead Redemption 2’s Honor system, will become clear when players can judge for themselves at launch on November 19.
