How much of an improvement is Grand Theft Auto VI going to be versus Rockstar’s previous blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2? Pretty massive, according to a new feature that Rockstar Mag shared earlier this week, which discusses how the latest iteration of the action-adventure series has been developed on a new, advanced engine that offers a number of significant innovations. RAGE 9, as the engine is called, is said to offer big advancements in not only physics (e.g., more realistic water and vehicle deformations), a real weather system, improved AI for smarter enemies and NPCs, but also physically simulating lighting, a first for the series that enables more realistic-looking textures and more. “The graphics gap between Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA VI will be greater than the one we experienced between GTA V and RDR 2,” the author notes.
RAGE 9 Engine for Grand Theft Auto VI Innovations
- The physics of the game (water physically simulated in real time, better vehicle deformations, etc.)
- More realistic time management (morning, day, evening, and night)
- The quality of its renderings (textures, lights, volumetric clouds, etc.)
- Its artificial intelligence (interactions with NPCs, police reaction, etc.)
RAGE Engine History
- RAGE 7 (GTA 5): this version brought certain innovations such as the improvement of its scripting engine, the implementation of DirectX 11 as well as better memory management. It is one of the most effective still today, 10 years later.
- RAGE 8 (RDR 2): this version innovated in its artificial intelligence, its management of meteorology, volumetric effects and the implementation of the Vulkan and DirectX 12 APIs. Interactions with NPCs are among the most advanced in the industry at present.
We can…speculate on the fact that the ocean will occupy a significant place in the GTA 6 universe and that new activities such as surfing will be possible (although not confirmed at the moment).
Many improvements have been made to vehicle physics thanks to a significant increase in the number of polygons compared to GTA 5. This will allow for more precise deformations and therefore by extension more realistic accidents.
GTA 6 will be the first title in the Grand Theft Auto saga to feature physically simulated lighting. This is possible thanks to materials called PBR (Physics-Based Rendering) which are the set of technologies giving materials physical optical properties ( reflection, roughness, etc.).
There will be a real weather system that will impact the game environment and gameplay. The gusts will damage the vegetation and create waves which will disrupt the peace and quiet of beach occupants. Rain and wind will impact your handling while traveling at high speed.
Of course, certain information disclosed in this file is still at the stage of development and objectives to be achieved for the teams of the star firm. It is not yet 100% certain that all these options will be implemented upon the release of the GTA 6 game and with the new version of RAGE9.
Discussion (10 replies)
Join Discussion →That's a pretty impressive advancement if they pull it off.
They have a high bar to clear. RDR2 was the epitome of physics.
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Gimmicks like that are not the epitome of physics, it is 20 year old technology.
Writing it will be so much better without showing anything is easy.
RDR2 with all its attention to detail was still a boring game. I'd have exchanged all the gimmicks in it for a compelling and exciting story in a heartbeat.
Rockstar are the masters of sociopath characters. And playing as such is not very enticing to me.
Im honestly with ya here, I havent really enjoyed a single rockstar game.
Mile wide 2 inches deep.
The last one I really enjoyed was GTA IV, I did not like the story, but at least Niko wasn't completely unlikeable, he had some redeeming qualities. But ultimately the game made no sense why were you still doing petty small time stuff when you already had millions after the bank job?
The only half decent story they produced was ballad of gay tony.
Hey, it's not a diss, I like attention to detail too, but it is what it is. I'd prefer to have attention to detail in a game that is not so empty, vapid and nihilist as rockstar's blockbusters.
I love crime movies. Maybe that is why I like the Rockstar games... they are essentially single player crime movies.
I've tried really hard to get into their games but never managed to stay engaged. I really, really, appreciate the visuals and attention to detail but just never manage to keep playing. I probably spent more time using the GTA V benchmark, or driving around listening to the radio, than I did actually playing the game. I still hope to finish RDR2 at some point but I doubt I'm going to get GTA VI when it comes out.
Oh if they keep up their console first trend I KNOW I won't be getting it when it comes out.