In August, hacker Cyberleek published several gameplay recordings of Grand Theft Auto VI. Players are studying the released materials and noting details that not everyone likes.
Judging by the presented footage, Rockstar Games decided to elaborate on mechanics related to cars: if nothing is cut, the release version of the game may feature a realistic car refueling system, meaning players will have to refuel their cars.
This discovery caused a mixed reaction: some like such elements of realism, while dissatisfied users fear that this system will quickly become an annoyance.
During the discussion, the words of the Valve boss were recalled. In the documentary "Half-Life: 25th Anniversary Documentary" (2023), Gabe Newell spoke about realism in games:
During design discussions, someone might say, "That's not realistic." And you're like, "Okay, but what's that got to do with... Explain to me what's fun about that." Because in reality, I have to make grocery lists. And I've never found realism to be fun. And I play games to have fun.
Ultimately, Gabe explained then, the developers at Valve had to "derive a definition of fun":
We understood that it wasn't universal and described it as: "It's the degree to which the game recognizes and reacts to the player's decisions and actions."
The words of the Valve boss are still relevant: reality can be tiring, and in pursuit of "realism," developers can kill the fun by adding "realistic mechanics" to their game that will ultimately become an annoyance.
Rockstar Games plans to hold the official reveal of GTA VI on August 27 — the premiere will first take place on Netflix.
The official release of Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for November 19 this year on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Rockstar Games and Take-Two have not yet announced the release date or release window for the PC version of the game.