How Rockstar Should Make Grand Theft Auto VI
Ways to make it criminally good.
We haven't had a new Grand Theft Auto game for almost four years, so come on, Rockstar, where is it? Those GTA Online updates won't tide us over forever.
In all fairness to the studio, it's more concerned with America's Wild West past than its modern-day criminal underbelly, since it's hard at work on Red Dead Redemption 2.
The western action-adventure is set for release next autumn, after which the ever-secretive Rockstar will almost certainly channel its vast resources into GTA VI.
GTA V was a triumph for the developer, winning over fans and critics with new features such as improved vehicle handling, refined physics and a more expansive story that plays out from the perspective of three protagonists.
It also made the studio a lorryload of cash as one of the bestselling entertainment products of all time, but there's always room for improvement, right?
There are ways that Rockstar could make GTA VI even more incredible than its 2013 predecessor, and given how much gaming technology has moved on in a relatively short space of time, it would be criminal to bet against them outdoing themselves.
So, here are the 10 things at the top of our GTA VI wishlist.
10. A Map Spanning Multiple Cities
From gangster's paradise Vice City to London in the swinging '60s, Grand Theft Auto has taken us to some memorable locations, but it's time for something bigger.
GTA VI should spread the action out across multiple cities. How liberating would it feel to jack a car in San Andreas and hightail it all the way to Liberty City, leaving the cops for dust as you cross state lines?
Whether Rockstar chooses to rebuild the GTA cities of old using the power of current-generation consoles or dream up some all-new backdrops, giving us a multi-destination map would make GTA VI kingpin where scope is concerned.
GTA V took place from the viewpoint of three protagonists - Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips - and this worked wonders for its narrative.
Imagine if the sequel repeated this feat with a trio of new characters, each hailing from one of the series' main cities. Their story threads entwine as the leads are caught up in an epic story which plays out across Rockstar's twisted version of America.