GTA 5's antagonists were a letdown, here's what I hope they fix for VI

Replaying GTA 5 recently and man, the antagonists really don't hold up. Wei Cheng and Stretch are barely there, and when they do show up it's just to remind you they exist before you kill them. Devin Weston had potential but ended up feeling like a cartoon villain. For a game with three protagonists, the bad guys should've been way more memorable.

I'm hoping Rockstar goes back to what they did with Tenpenny or Dimitri, someone who actually gets under your skin. The guy in the trailer who tells Jason "the only way we get through this is together" already has me curious. If he's the main antagonist, I want him to be a real threat, not just someone who pops up in a few cutscenes.

And it's not just the villains. Franklin was fine but kind of bland, especially next to Lamar who stole every scene. I need Jason and Lucia to feel like Arthur Morgan or Niko Bellic, characters with weight. RDR2 proved Rockstar can still write incredible leads, so I'm not too worried, but I really hope they don't play it safe.

Small stuff too. Let me walk into a Clucking Bell and actually order food. GTA V had all these detailed storefronts you couldn't enter, and it felt like a step back from San Andreas. More interiors in general would make the world feel alive.

And please, more than 69 missions. That story felt rushed in places, especially after the slow burn of GTA IV. I want a campaign that takes its time, like RDR2, where the pacing lets the characters breathe. If they can match that level of storytelling in modern Vice City, we're in for something special.

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Source: r/GTA6 · Curated content.

someone who actually gets under your skin

Tenpenny worked because he had institutional power. Every traffic stop and wanted level tied back to his corruption. That's the kind of systemic threat GTA 6 needs.

I want Leonida's patrol units to feel coordinated. Give the precinct some teeth. If the antagonist has pull with local law enforcement, pursuits and heat mechanics gain narrative weight. It'd make police gameplay matter beyond the wanted circle.

Give the precinct some teeth

They'll show teeth in trailers. By November it's the same toothless chase AI.

institutional power

Tenpenny's corruption landed because missions like "The Green Sabre" made you live through it. I'm hoping VI clears 90 main missions so any police-linked antagonist gets that same room to breathe. GTA 5's 69 left its villains underbaked.