Every Rockstar fan has a different stance on realism. And well, that’s because there are things in the game that could make GTA 6 a little tedious, complicated, and maybe even boring if Rockstar pushes the realism too hard. Now, yeah, all these points are pulled straight from Reddit posts and GTA forum threads I’ve been reading, and that got me thinking about realism in GTA 6. Let’s take a look at why too much realism might end up becoming bad for the game!
Driving Physics
Lately, fans keep debating about GTA 6’s driving physics and vehicle damage. A lot of people want it to feel more like GTA 4. Like, super realistic, where you can actually feel the weight of the car while driving. Because in GTA 5, the driving feels pretty casual and arcade-like. But honestly, even though GTA 5’s driving isn’t perfect, GTA 4’s driving felt way too realistic. Which kinda killed the fun of driving around. That’s why we think GTA 6 needs to find a balance between GTA 4 and GTA 5. Otherwise, if they make it as realistic as GTA 4, it might just end up feeling a little tense.
Fuel Management
Next up is the whole fuel management system that people are saying might come to GTA 6. You’ve probably seen some leaks or theories about it, too. And yeah, on paper it sounds super cool and realistic. But once it’s actually in the game, it might not be that fun. Like, imagine you’re in the middle of a mission and suddenly your fuel runs out. Now you’ve got two options: either pull up at a gas station to refill, or steal some random NPC’s car. That alone could mess up your mission timing, but think about it—what if the cops are already chasing you? That would be a nightmare. So honestly, this feature might sound good when you hear about it, but it might not be as fun when you’re actually playing.
Cabs Instead of Taxis
Now, sure, instead of refuelling your car, you could just call a taxi. And honestly, that brings us to another so-called realistic feature. In GTA 6, our classic yellow taxis might get replaced with cab services. We actually saw hints of this in those leaked in-game websites. Basically, you’d pull out your phone, book a cab, and then wait for it to arrive. And yeah, in real life, cab apps have totally replaced traditional taxis. But in the game, I don’t think we really need that much realism. Because if they go this route, we’d probably miss out on those iconic taxi missions we used to get in the older GTA games.
Weapon Maintenance
In RDR2, if you don’t maintain your weapons, it really affects gameplay. A dirty revolver does less damage compared to a clean one; its recoil is significantly higher, and it sometimes even jams. That’s why a lot of people want to see this system in GTA 6 too. But here’s the thing—GTA and RDR are completely different games. RDR is slow-paced, all about taking in nature and the world around you. GTA, on the other hand, is pure chaos. You steal cars, mess with NPCs, fight the cops, and cause destruction in the city. Dropping a weapon maintenance or durability system into that would feel way too realistic. It’d be like giving Arthur an Oppressor Mk 2—it just doesn’t fit.
Carrying Limited Weapons
And that brings us to the whole limited weapons thing. From the 2022 leaks and some screenshots, it looks like we might only be able to carry a set number of weapons in the game. Which raises the simple question—should GTA even have limited weapons? Because honestly, as players, we don’t care which pocket our minigun comes out of. All we want is non-stop chaos. And to make that chaos happen, we want to walk around with a full arsenal stuffed in our pockets. But then again, what we want doesn’t matter. It’s pretty much confirmed that GTA 6 will have a new inventory system compared to the older games. Anyway, what do you think? Is the limited weapons feature better, or should Rockstar stick to the classic unlimited loadout?
New Realistic Crimes
Some fans actually found new crime types like speeding, driving against traffic, and riding without a helmet in GTA 5 and RAGE Engine’s source code. This made a lot of people think that these could make the game feel even more realistic. But honestly, that would just make the gameplay way too complex and frustrating. Imagine you’re in the middle of a mission and some random cop spots you breaking a traffic rule, and suddenly the cops are on your tail. That would be so annoying. Stuff like this only really fits in Mafia-style games, not GTA. If Rockstar really wants to add these mechanics, they should keep them optional, like part of a difficulty mode or just specific missions. And on top of that, in Florida, if you’re over 21, you don’t even need to wear a helmet while riding a bike. So adding that rule would actually make the game less realistic.
Short Health
See, in real life, humans are actually super fragile. It’s only in games that characters are given extra health so they can take a few bullets and keep going. Even the protagonist usually survives like 6 or 7 shots. But on Reddit, some people were worried that GTA 6 might get so realistic that you’d die from just one or two bullets. And that would not be fun at all. I mean, the whole point of the game is to play and enjoy the chaos, not stress over survival like it’s a hardcore simulation. If Rockstar leans too much into that, it could get really annoying.
Boring Missions
Who remembers the “Scouting the Port” mission from GTA 5? The one where we had to roleplay as a dock worker. Honestly, that mission was pretty boring overall, but the worst part was moving containers around. Like, yeah, maybe people who actually do that job in real life would think it’s fun at first to see it in the game. But after a while, it just gets tedious. Who really wants to spend half an hour just moving containers from one spot to another? And don’t even get me started on that yoga mission—that wasn’t impressing any real-life yoga instructor either. Now, I’m not saying GTA 6 shouldn’t have diverse missions, but when things get too realistic, they can end up being boring. Anyway, you tell me—did you actually enjoy those missions or not?
Eating and Drinking
Look, we get it—fans are super emotionally attached to the series. After waiting 13 years, everyone wants the next GTA game to be flawless. But we shouldn’t forget that GTA isn’t a survival game. So, having food and water as small side mechanics is fine, but it shouldn’t be something where your character dies without it. And GTA has never been a full-on RPG either. So stuff like gaining weight, vomiting, stamina, swimming, shooting, respect, honour, or deep character customisation should definitely be there, but in a subtle way. These features worked really well in RDR2, but that game was meant to be slow-paced and immersive. GTA’s legacy is different—it’s always been about chaos and freedom.
Tolls on Highways
And seriously, whose idea was it to add toll booths in GTA 4? Not only was the concept weird, but the execution was broken, too. You could just skip paying, break through, and all you’d get is a 1-star wanted level, which was way too easy to escape on the highway. Now, with all the leaks and speculation that GTA 6 will have a massive map with multiple cities, toll booths could make a return. But if they’re as broken as GTA 4, they shouldn’t even bother adding them. Nobody wants a game where you’re forced to stop your high-speed car at a toll just to get chased by cops.
One thing’s for sure, though, GTA 6 is going to feature one of the most interesting maps in video game history! In case you’re willing to know about some of the map mistakes that GTA 6 should avoid, then make sure to check out our recent post: Map Mistakes Rockstar Should Avoid In GTA 6. For more such posts, check out our blog section!
