The GTA 6 reveal has me wowed by Vice City and underwhelmed by Rockstar's same old missions

The big gameplay reveal for GTA 6 has left me both impressed and underwhelmed. Vice City makes an incredible first impression, with its promise of an unforgettable open world filled with activities and human touches. Eating, drinking, sleeping, recreation, hanging out with friends, skydiving, dirt bike racing, and store robbing are just a few of the experiences that the game seems to offer.

It's so enticing that it's almost overwhelming, but the story missions leave something to be desired. After 13 years, I was hoping Rockstar would innovate and create something fresh, but the same old tools seem to be in use. One of the first missions involves Jason and Lucia dealing drugs for Boobie Ike. They exchange uneasy words with the buyer before the deal goes wrong as the cops arrive.

Our heroes shoot their way out of the building. Another mission sees Jason and Lucia as security detail for a corporate bigwig, walking, talking, discussing a new US headquarters, and then being interrupted by professional killers. They shoot their way out of the building. This pattern of missions is present throughout the gameplay reveal, following a consistent formula.

Rockstar seems to believe every story beat must check off the same bullet points. It's as if every mission consists of meeting a new character, talking and driving with them for a while, and then shooting 18 people. This formula grew tiresome in Red Dead 2's lengthy story, making it difficult to replay despite loving everything else about it.

My hope is that GTA 6 can avoid this trend, focusing on action for spectacle rather than relying on predictable story beats. I'm eager to see quieter moments centered around choices, mysteries, or just having fun. While GTA is known for its explosive action, wouldn't the thrill be greater if the action was unexpected? There's plenty of GTA 6 news to come, including a live blog that detailed the reveal as it happened.