ROCKSTAR is known for its dynamic open worlds, and even after multiple playthroughs most people have not seen them all.
Whether you’re a fan of Red Dead or Grand Theft Auto, playing the games again, you’ll discover new things like the daily routines of different NPCs you never even noticed before.
The games look better and feel more alive every time you play them, even though they were released during the last console generation.
You can still watch the NPCs get drunk, stumble around, wander off to bed, and if you wait around long enough, you’ll see them grab breakfast before heading off to work.
All of these NPCs are controlled by AI, follow a programmed routine, and yet the detail that has been added into their schedules make them feel like real people.
It adds a layer to the gameplay that few games do. Creating an immersive world by creating the illusion of life.
Even if you meddle with the people or the wildlife, they have routines for this and react to you without breaking the immersive spell.
More impressive than this is that these NPCs and routines can also be seen in Rockstar’s online games like GTA Online.
There are fewer NPCs in the world as they make room for all the real players, and while Rockstar’s worlds already feel full of life, adding anonymity could elevate online play to another level.
Without labels for other players any pedestrian you pass by could be a real person.
People could be encouraged to slow down and blend in, allowing them to pull off Hitman-style assassinations.
Players who want to fly through the air on jet-powered bikes can still do so, but they’ll also have to watch out for those hidden in plain sight.
It would add another dimension to online gameplay, and give people all the tools they need to roleplay as anything they want.
Rockstar even hired the team behind GTA Online’s roleplaying server that allowed people to play in whatever role they wanted.
You could be a police officer or a taxi driver. The game wasn’t limited to heists and thievery.
It might even add an investigative layer to the game, as players could blend in as NPCs and stake out where top earners’ stashes are.
If Rockstar really wanted to push the boat out, they could add in a library of emotes that mimic typical NPC behaviour, allowing players to blend in more effectively.
It would cause an issue with reporting toxic players, but we believe in Rockstar to keep the GTA Online community as awesome as ever.
Whether it contains anonymity or not, we’re sure the next iteration of GTA Online will be as strong as ever.
If you want to read more about GTA, check out everything we know so far about GTA 6.
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