What GTA 6 MUST Learn From GTA 5
5. Pacing Is Important
Pacing can help with that.
Go back and play GTA 5 now. Then, stick on Red Dead Redemption 2. There's a marked difference between both titles; no, Rockstar didn't “grow up” (there's that idea again), and Arthur Morgan's tale might not be for everybody, but the pacing is spot on for what the game is looking to achieve.
Literally everything you do has some room to breathe, and that’s rarely the case in Los Santos. Most tasks, whether they're critical to the story or not, feel like a rush. There's a little voice in your head that screams, 'Push forwards”, and that can come at the cost of enjoying the here and now.
Would it really be such a bad thing if Rockstar amalgamated GTA 5's adrenaline and Red Dead's measured approach? They should slow things down just a tad in 6. That'd help the biggest story beats land without everyone shrugging and asking what's next.