I loved RDR2 but I don't want GTA 6 to feel like a chore. Where's the line on realism?

I keep seeing people go back and forth on this and honestly I'm torn. RDR2 is one of my favorite games ever, but the slow movement, the skinning animations, the way Arthur would take five seconds to pick up a can of beans... it worked for that world. GTA is different. I don't want to pump gas or get a speeding ticket every two minutes.

That said, GTA 5's arcadey feel is starting to show its age. The weapon wheel letting you pull an RPG out of your pocket is convenient but it kills any sense of tension. I'd be fine with a limited loadout like RDR2, maybe a duffel bag in the trunk for bigger guns. Fall damage should be forgiving enough that you can still jump off a roof and walk it off, but not so much that you're basically a superhero. And if I crash a supercar into a wall at 150mph, yeah, I should probably die. That's fair.

The police system is where I really want the realism to kick in. If I'm out in the Grassrivers and nobody's around, the cops shouldn't magically spawn behind a bush. But if I speed past a patrol car on the highway, I don't need a wanted level. Just a fine or a warning. Make the world react, not just punish.

But the kind of realism I'm actually excited about is the visual stuff. The way NPCs go about their day, the weather rolling in off the coast, the little random moments that make the world feel alive. That's what RDR2 nailed and I want more of that in Leonida. Give me chaotic, unpredictable streets. Give me details that don't affect gameplay but make me stop and stare.

I just hope Rockstar doesn't forget that GTA is supposed to be fun. A little friction is good, but if I wanted a life sim I'd go outside.

Source: r/GTA6 · Curated content.

Cops spawning behind a bush in the Grassrivers would kill the mood dead. Give me a real patrol chase set to a Flash FM banger instead! I'm not trying to play Life Sim 2026. Keep the needle drops loud, the streets chaotic, and let me vault a fence without dying!

ok so i'm totally with you on the friction thing, gta needs that arcade heartbeat or it stops being gta. the way i see it from the trailers leonida's already selling that visual density without the life sim baggage, like those street scenes in vice city with npcs just living their lives.

Cops spawning behind a bush in the Grassrivers

yeah that would be a total mood killer. i'd much rather they lean into the actual geography, so if you're deep in the Grassrivers or up Mount Kalaga the response time should actually reflect the distance. let me keep a duffel in the trunk for heavy stuff but don't make me manually fuel up the car. and if i wanna jump off a two story roof i better not snap both legs, this isn't a survival sim. give me chaos with consequence, not a chore list.

I don't have time to watch skinning animations or pump gas. I've got maybe an hour to play.