GTA 6 makes massive changes to character models compared to GTA 5: Analysis

The GTA 6 trailer revealed plenty of information about what Rockstar Games has in store for the players. The buildings and environment look beautiful, and the character models are impeccable. The photo-realistic NPCs and protagonists are the highlights of the whole video, and fans can't help but compare it to the character models in GTA 5.

While the latter was released way back in 2013, it set new standards for open-world video games. The main characters looked great, and the NPCs didn't look cartoonish. However, things seem to have gone up a notch in the first official GTA 6 trailer.

This article will compare both titles and analyze how the character models look vastly different.

Note: The article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

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GTA 6 character models will be a big leap from Grand Theft Auto 5

One needs to keep several parameters in mind while comparing the character models and graphics of both titles. The first-ever trailer of GTA 5 is far inferior to what Rockstar Games rolled out now. The lighting and the textures look vastly different.

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Refined Skin Textures

A side-by-side comparison of character models (Image via Rockstar Games)

While the characters in Grand Theft Auto 5 are not too cartoonish, they still lack the refinement and details that normal skin has. They appear too smooth without certain shadows and blemishes that people generally have. So, no matter how high players set the graphics, the models never looked photo-realistic.

On the other hand, the GTA 6 trailer showcased a variety of skin colors and character models that look real. The clip features different NPCs throughout, with one flaunting tattoo, another covered in mud, and satirical bits from real-life incidents.

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Better Hair Physics

A side-by-side comparison of the hair in both games (Image via Rockstar Games)

The next major detail that most people noticed was hair physics. Grand Theft Auto 6 is far superior to what Rockstar provided back in 2013. The hair moves and interacts realistically with character models.

They also don't have jagged ends like NPCs and other characters in GTA 5. This is a massive improvement since hair in the current game also moves weirdly when the NPCs turn their heads or bodies.

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Advanced character movements

The characters in the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer showed advanced movement (Image via Rockstar Games)

The next important thing is how the characters in the trailer moved compared to the NPCs in Grand Theft Auto 5. Most of them have a fixed set of movements. Upon inspection, every NPC follows the same pattern.

However, if Rockstar successfully implements what it showed in the video, then the character models will have advanced movement and interactions in the open world.

One of the leaks showcased that Rockstar might implement a new character locomotion method where they will move differently depending on the weather and the situation around them.

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Better Light Interaction

The light reflects and interacts with the characters better in the trailer (Image via Rockstar Games)

One other thing that some people might not have noticed is how light interacts with the GTA 6 character models. This is another crucial factor to make them look photo-realistic. GTA 5 lacks this fine detail. Most of the time, the reflections are out of proportion, which is quite visible during interior scenes. They don't cast the right shadow or have different amounts of reflection on their body, making the model look plastic-ish.

However, it seems like Rockstar is taking this seriously because the lighting in the trailer was on point. The character models reflected the appropriate amount of light as normal skin should, giving them a realistic look.

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Realistic Facial Expressions

Grand Theft Auto 6 characters show natural emotions and facial characteristics (Image via Rockstar Games)

Another notable thing is how the characters in the GTA 6 trailer displayed emotions through their faces without looking creepy, exaggerated, or entering the uncanny valley. This was a big issue back in the day because Franklin, Trevor, and Michael showed limited emotions.

However, the developers have made drastic improvements in this field as well. Both Lucia and Jason can be seen showing a wide range of emotions and facial features that give them a realistic feel. Hopefully, this transcends to the actual gameplay when players roam across the game map.

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These were some notable improvements that were present in the GTA 6 trailer compared to Grand Theft Auto 5. Hopefully, the studio will continue making these changes to further enhance the game before the pre-orders start.