5 things GTA 6 should learn from Starfield

Most of the gaming community is waiting for Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6, but Bethesda's new release, Starfield, has managed to garner a lot of attention as well. It is a space exploration game that features a unique map full of diverse topographies, flora, and fauna. While the two titles are completely unrelated, there might be a few things that Rockstar Games' upcoming offering can learn from it.

This article is going to focus on both the good and the supposedly weaker aspects of Bethesda's RPG that Rockstar can adapt and avoid, respectively, to ensure that its next release is worthwhile. With that said, here are five things that GTA 6 should learn from Starfield.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.

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Optimization and 4 more things that GTA 6 should learn from Starfield

1) Diverse map

Starfield's space setting gave Bethesda a lot of room for creativity, allowing the studio to create a unique map without many constraints. On the other hand, the cities in Grand Theft Auto games are based on real-life locations. However, that doesn't mean that Rockstar cannot be innovative with it.

Rumors suggest that Grand Theft Auto 6 could take place in Vice City, a fictionalized iteration of Miami. Hence, that game can feature a map that combines different biomes of the state of Florida, contributing towards a diverse world, quite like Starfield's. As such, it could feature a variety of flora and fauna, unique to each section.

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2) Travel

Players can travel to and explore different planets in Starfield, although it is unlikely that GTA 6 will involve space travel. If the speculations about its map being the biggest in the series yet turns out to be true, players will have a sizeable in-game world to explore.

That said, it is vital that each portion of its map features things that make it worth visiting. Additionally, how players travel there is also important. While Starfield utilizes fancy spacecrafts, Grand Theft Auto 6 must include other interesting options besides cars and bikes to make travel more interesting than its predecessor.

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3) Optimization

Even modern consoles such as the Xbox Series X and S can run Starfield at only 30fps. Although it is understandable, given the scale of this title, performance is a major area of concern when it comes to big games.

Therefore, Rockstar Games should aim to provide the best possible experience with GTA 6, taking full advantange of today's advanced hardware. However, Grand Theft Auto 5's Next-Gen version is already capable of running at up to 60fps, so fans should not be too worried.

That said, it can only be confirmed after an official GTA 6 announcement or when the game finally comes out.

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4) NPCs

Starfield is one of Bethesda's most ambitious projects, and while it does have many great aspects, NPCs are not its strongest asset. To make any game's world feel alive and lived-in, its population must be crafted with great attention to detail.

As Rockstar wants its games to be as realistic as possible, learning from Starfield's mistakes in this regard is the best approach. Nevertheless, Red Dead Redemption 2's NPCs are near perfect, so GTA 6's population can be expected to be just as good, if not better.

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5) Visuals

Starfield's visuals are one of its best selling points. The game is beautiful to look at and has understandably been locked at 30fps on consoles to not compromise on this aspect. Although features and performance are often given more importance, having good graphics is crucial as well.

Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as one of the best looking games of all time. The gaming studio has the potential to build upon that and deliver extremely impressive visuals in GTA 6; however, Starfield can serve as an inspiration as well. If the rumored GTA 6 release date of late 2024 is true, Rockstar still has some time to enhance its graphics even further.