A key feature of Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely the Wanted Level mechanic, an iconic system found in GTA games in which varying levels of police will hunt down the player based on the severity of their crimes. Committing a crime, being trapped by squad cars, starting a shoot-out, and eventually escaping (or going out in a blaze of glory) is a gameplay loop that every player is familiar with. GTA 6 is less than a year out from release - unless it’s delayed any further - which means players could see a radically improved Wanted Level mechanic that fully utilizes advanced NPCs.

Based on its two trailers, GTA 6 already looks like an incredibly immersive gameplay experience, especially in the second trailer, which sees new protagonist, Jason, driving across Vice City while listening to the radio. While Wanted Level systems in past entries in the series have only involved the police, GTA 6 has the chance to involve random civilians in a much more direct way.

GTA’s Wanted System Is Too Easy To Escape

Outdated AI Makes Police Chases Simple

The gameplay loop provided by the Wanted Level system is simply too easy to escape. The normal series of events starts when players rob a store or steal a car, earn a few stars, begin a chase that brings them to the rural areas outside Los Santos, and eventually escape if they don’t attract too many helicopters. Since GTA 5 has been around for well over a decade, it’s no wonder that this gameplay loop has been thoroughly worn out.

While Rockstar Games did try to make the police AI more advanced for GTA 5, like attempting pit maneuvers against players, most of the time the police are simply too easy to outsmart. While it hasn’t been confirmed how exactly police will work in GTA 6, and plenty of other mechanics need updates even more, the game has the chance to greatly improve the Wanted Level mechanic by making it much harder to avoid the police for longer periods of time.

More patrolling vehicles, coordinated efforts to box in the player, and real-life tactics from high-speed car pursuits would make the game so much more entertaining after gaining a few stars. Another welcome change would be to have the police continue patrolling an area after the player commits a crime there, rather than immediately giving up after the player is out of sight. For example, if the player stole a dark blue sedan downtown in broad daylight, the police could pull over and search for other NPC dark blue sedans in the same area for a while.

More Immersive NPC Reactions In GTA Would Make Vice City Feel More Real

Realistic People With Varied Responses

From what Rockstar Games has revealed so far of Vice City, the entire city and its surrounding areas will be incredibly detailed, especially in regard to its NPCs. As seen in the now iconic screenshot of beachgoers, some leaks already.

The reactions of NPCs in past Grand Theft Auto games to shooting or car crashes have always been lackluster. In GTA 5, when players start causing chaos around Los Santos, NPCs will raise their arms up, cower for a time, and then run away for a block or two. After that, they’ll cycle back to a normal walk and act like nothing happened.

What GTA 6 could provide are civilian NPCs that not only respond realistically to nearby crimes, but have a wide range of reactions, like running into nearby stores for shelter, calling for help, or fighting back with their own weapons. The number one action that NPCs in GTA 6 should be able to do is call 911. If a random person on the street witnesses the player commit a non-violent crime, like stealing an empty car, then it would be far more realistic and immersive if they pulled their phones out to report the crime.

It could also be realistic for the modern-American tone of the game if the NPCs just took out their phones to record the crime for social media. Either way, having NPCs actually react to what the player does would make Vice City and Leonida feel much more alive and would create consequences that make players' actions far more impactful in Grand Theft Auto 6.