When you think about GTA as a series, the first thing that probably comes to mind is driving through crowds of people, gunning down whoever you like, just generally doing crime without any care in the world. I wouldn’t exactly call it an empathy game, not to say that other games are any better at such a thing anyway. But with GTA 6 out, crikey, next bloody week, a new interview has gone up with co-studio head Rob Nelson where he shared that you have a bit more space to be empathetic compared to previous entries.
“Crime is a fundamental part of GTA – at least up until now, it has been,” Nelson told The Guardian (via @GameRoll_, ta IGN) in a new interview. “We’re trying to make sure we’re not punishing people for playing the game they are used to … [but] your actions will have some effect on how the game plays out.” When asked about whether this will be the first GTA game to encourage people to be empathetic, Nelson responded, “I would say so. I would say that it’s a product of the story we’re trying to tell. We’ve tried for the first time in a GTA to provide mechanisms that encourage it, for those who want to.”
I am deeply curious as to what those mechanics may be, given that most of what we’ve seen so far is pretty relegated to shootin’, lootin’ and a bit of smoochin’. If you steal a car, is there an NPC that loses their job because of it? Can you repair the harm you caused through that action? I’m sure hardly anyone else that’s vibrating through their skin in excitement for almost having the game in their fingertips will be asking such questions, I’m just often wary of empathy mechanics in games.
In any case, doesn’t matter all that much for us PC lot just yet, especially because Rockstar are preparing themselves both legally and technically to tackle pirated copies of the game. Rockstar will obviously be quite busy at the moment too, not just because of that whole launching a game thing, but because UK-based workers will be voting to unionise as we speak. If formed, it could be 1600 members strong, which would make it the biggest games union in the UK. Solidarity with all the workers as the voting process continues. I hope you get the result you deserve.