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.