With a track record of immersive character work, Rockstar is looking to set the bar even higher for Grand Theft Auto 6.
Grand Theft Auto VI's first big trailer hit audiences with a heavy dose of deja vu. It's rare for trailers to make its viewers double take and wonder if they are watching a real-life flim for a split second. It's the kind of effect the world's most expensive video game (presumably) makes.
Mind you, it isn't just because of the graphics.
After opening its LA-based studio last August, Rockstar Games is still hiring people to, presumably, help record the NPC dialogue. Its latest job opening, in particular, is for an "Associate Writer: Pedestrian & Ambient Dialogue."
As noted by u/Sk8d3r on Reddit, the line "player-led, dialogue-based interactions with our ambient population" is proof that the interaction system from Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming back.
One reason why Rockstar hasn't lost its edge over the years is because of how it has always sought perfection, even in the little details. This job listing proves that. It's looking for an individual who can "understand and match the tone of our games" and basically someone who can listen in on everyone's conversations to try and find what fits best in GTA 6.
We already saw Rockstar's keen eye for detail in the official GTA 6 trailer, surprising Floridians with absurd accuracy.
Of course, getting the look down pat is just one thing. Because this is Rockstar we're talking about, it has to get all the small interactions between the players and the NPCs as well as the NPCs among themselves just right.
There's plenty of examples of Rockstar going above and beyond to maintain the authenticity of their games. The studio has gone as far as to let voice actors ad-lib and change dialogue based on how they felt their characters would act or speak in certain situations. In GTA 5, in particular, Rockstar hired former prisoners and actual gang members to voice some of its NPCs. This way, they didn't have to hire voice actors who sound like they were trying too hard. This should give you some food for thought the next time you walk the streets of Los Santos alone.
Given that Red Dead Redemption 2 further improved on this — there's this particularly memorable sequence revealed by u/Larry_Mud involving two drunks and horse testicles — GTA 6 could be off the rails, but in a good way.
In any case, it'll be a huge win for us audiences. We can't really complain if Rockstar is still putting on the final touches on GTA 6 with only a year or so left before its release.
At this point, we should just, as they say, let Rockstar cook.
