GTA 6 has me hyped for a game I barely played a decade ago

The next evolution for Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto will drop in 2025 through GTA 6, and for the first time in the franchise’s history, I’m excited to play it.

I vividly remember the launch of GTA V through PC in 2015. I was a single dad with a kid in high school while working multiple jobs to stay afloat. As a parent, I didn’t want to hype up the controversial open-world game in front of my adolescent kid, so I restrained myself from playing it during daylight hours. I mostly tried to play the storyline, but was often distracted by life. And by the time my kid was grown, playing GTA V wasn’t high on my list of priorities.

The Floridian Vice City soundtrack

Nearly a decade later, I find myself in a very different place in life with the release of the GTA 6 trailer. For starters, I live in Florida. An open-world and single-player storyline in Vice City taps into settings I am familiar with, from airboats and mudding to shady city life. Call it a mid-life crisis as I nearly approach 50, or my inner child wanting to come out and play, but what I do know for a fact is that I’m not the only boomer excited to play GTA 6. 

Multiple friends, ranging in age from mid-thirties to over 50, have told me I need to purchase an Xbox so that we can play GTA 6 together. And I’m seriously considering it. Even my real-life partner in crime has shown an interest, and she’s never played a GTA game in her life. As Floridians, we are comfortable laughing at ourselves and our neighbors every day. We like playing in the mud or coming within inches of a gator, so why not push the boundaries even further through a video game?

The GTA 6 story and open world

The storyline for GTA 5, from what I picked up a decade ago, was fine, but it didn’t stand out as exceptional. Based on what the GTA 6 trailer has shown, Rockstar seems to have taken a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde storyline approach through Lucia and Jason. This is the type of storyline I can get behind, one that potentially contains relatable characters and emotions working in conjunction with the shootouts and action. 

What I want from GTA 6

I’m excited to get into the open-world aspect of GTA 6, joining up with friends like we’re a second coming of thieves from Reservoir Dogs. I want to style my character in a simple black suit with a thin black tie, chatting with friends about our heist while munching on a taco, followed by hitting the Vice City strip in our tricked-out vehicles to celebrate our success. 

As a Floridian, I’m also excited to see what Rockstar has cooked up concerning the saltwater way of life. I want to purchase yachts and jet skis to go along with the airboats. Off-roading up and down the coastal line while taking a break to engage in illegal activities has me pumped to invest my time in the game. The city life is appealing, but the salt life is where the real action is—or at least I hope it is.

What I want from GTA 6 NPCs

One of the downsides to open-world games is the lack of, or poor interaction, between your character and the NPCs. An NPC doesn’t have to act like another gamer, but basic interactions could provide the type of flavor needed to set GTA 6 apart from other games. Having a random naked Florida man running down the road being chased by cops or sharks attacking beachgoers while you’re on a mission is the type of spice I can get behind.

Playing GTA 5, or any of the earlier versions, wasn’t a priority for me a decade ago, but life has a funny way of changing one’s perspective. As for now, I’m excited about GTA 6 and its potential. I want to experience Vice City to its fullest with friends. And I’m hoping the hype I’m feeling after watching the GTA 6 trailer transitions into an extraordinary gaming experience.

Update Jan. 17, 10:50am CT: Added what I would want from GTA 6 NPCs.