Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
There was a period in gaming when the release of certain titles wasn’t just “launch dates,” they were events. They were the kinds of things that EVERYONE would get excited about and EVERYONE had to get a copy day one to be “in the know” about what the game was like. Sadly, it feels like fewer of those are happening these days. However, in the case of Grand Theft Auto VI, the hype and fervor around it are so grand that this could easily be the biggest video game launch in history by the largest of margins. However, if you’re not “in the know” of why people are hyped for it, or what the game is about, we got you covered.
#1 – Rockstar Makes Legendary Games
We’ll start off not with the game, but with the developer. Rockstar Games is the series creator, and they went from being rejected initially by certain publishers to creating one of the biggest gaming franchises in history.
While not every game has been a hit, when Rockstar is “locked in,” they don’t miss. Look at the last two mainline entries for examples of that. Not to mention, a certain cowboy sequel that had a long wait period, not unlike this game, and it was a Game of the Year nominee/winner, and wowed people with how far Rockstar Games pushed things.
In today’s gaming industry, we sadly live in a time when not every developer or publisher can be trusted to not just make games, but make great games that fans “truly deserve.” With Rockstar, though, things are different. While they have had “bumps in the road,” they’ve become a team that gamers can truly trust for the simple reason that they won’t release a game before it’s ready. Grand Theft Auto VI is a perfect example of that, as gamers had been asking for it for years, and many hoped it would arrive in 2024, and then 2025, only for Rockstar to say that it’s not coming out until 2026 because they need time to polish and perfect it.
Usually, gamers would be furious that a game got delayed, and undoubtedly, some were in this case, but they also know that when things are all wrapped up, this title could be legendary.
Let’s not forget that when GTA V was released, it dominated the sales charts for a decade, and GTA Online is still one of the most popular things out there. So the love and hype from that game are transferring here, and that alone makes it likely to be a huge hit upon release.
#2 – A Modern Day Vice City
One thing that has kept this franchise thriving over the years is that Rockstar Games is more than happy to “change venues” to offer new perspectives and create different kinds of “crime epics.” For Grand Theft Auto VI, the game is taking fans back to Vice City, while also allowing them to explore the grander state of Leonida.
The reason this is important is twofold. First, Vice City is one of the most iconic locations in the franchise’s history, so fans have a sense of “nostalgia” in returning to it. However, things won’t be as they remember them, for this isn’t the 80s version that we saw in a previous Rockstar title. Oh no, this is a far more modern-day Vice City, and that means all sorts of craziness is about to drop.
To prove this, you need only look at the reveal trailer for the game. In it, Rockstar highlighted the many “unique things” that happen in Leonida, which is a video game version of Florida. As many gamers pointed out afterward, the things they were showing were directly taken from Florida headlines, including some really weird and wacky stuff going down. In the real-life state, there’s a phrase called “stranger than an average day in Florida,” and it appears that this game will embrace that, and then some.
Furthermore, given that this is a modern-day crime story, we’re going to meet some “unique side characters” to help flesh out the story, and that means that anything, and we mean ANYTHING, can happen in this place. What’s not to love about that, right?
#3 – The New Bonnie & Clyde?
Finally, and arguably most importantly, we have deep info about the main characters for the game: Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval. This will be the first time we’ve had a female protagonist in the franchise, and many are rather happy about that finally changing.
Based on official descriptions from Rockstar and what we see in the trailer, Lucia Carminos actually grew up in Liberty City, but moved down to Leonida to try and have a “better life.” However, things went south, and she ended up in prison. That’s where Jason Duval comes into play, as he is her “way out” of the life of crime, and as we see in the first trailer, they’re not only a couple, but they’re ones who admit they need to have an “absolute trust” in one another to survive.
That’s good that they have that trust, because they’re going to need it! Another part of the official synopsis reveals that the two get wrapped up in a “conspiracy” after they do an “easy score that goes wrong.” Thus, they’re thrown into the wilds of it all and have to figure out what went wrong, why so many people are after them, and find a way out of their predicament.
Through their journey, they’ll come across a unique band of characters as we teased before, including strip club owners, musicians, old-school thieves, modern-day robbers, and so much more. Given the scale that these games typically have, Jason and Lucia will do all manner of tasks to get money, upgrade their equipment, and deal with the day-to-day threats that are coming for them, including police and criminals.
It won’t be easy, and their relationship will undoubtedly be pushed to the limit, but if things work out well, they might just make it out alive…and together.
