How NPCs evolved over time in the GTA series

Throughout the last two decades, the GTA series has undergone major changes in their non-playable characters (NPCs).

GTA would be a rather lonely place without NPCs populating the streets. These civilians try to live their day-to-day lives, which the player can interrupt at any given moment.

Whether it's Liberty City or the state of San Andreas, these NPCs breathe much-needed life into these locations.

NPCs can range from Elvis impersonators in Las Venturas to Russian immigrants in Hove Beach. Every GTA title has a unique theme, which the NPCs have to match for the atmosphere to work.

Rockstar values attention to detail, which is why they have continued to work on NPC behavior over the years.

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The evolution of NPCs in the GTA series

NPCs in the GTA series have changed throughout the years. From the first GTA titles to the most recent one in GTA 5, NPC behavior is only as diversified as current technology allows.

What pedestrians have in common throughout the GTA series

NPCs in the GTA series are identifiable by their appearances - early games have a set model while later ones try to randomize it. All NPCs have recorded voice lines and later games would allow GTA players to engage in conversations with them.

Most are relatively peaceful, yet few will pick a fight if provoked.

There are two types of NPCs to keep in mind. The first are regular civilians who go about their day, whether standing around or walking down a sidewalk. The second type of NPCs are those with jobs; this includes cops, paramedics, and taxi drivers. There are also services like weapon sales and prostitutes.

Note that for every GTA title, there are no underaged NPCs beyond the cut-scenes. This is obviously done to avoid controversy over potentially killing these NPCs.

Speaking of which, GTA players can either leave NPCs alone or try out their weapons against them (at the risk of wanted levels).

Early beginnings in the 2D era

There wasn't much in the way of advanced NPC behavior in the early GTA titles. Given the blocky textures and top-down view, it was hard to tell what they looked like. For the most part, they simply walked around minding their business.

Rockstar wasn't able to do much with the limited technology of that time period. Instead, most early GTA players had fun attacking these NPCs as one of the main draws of the games was performing criminal acts.

Transition to 3D brings about changes

When GTA made the jump from 2D to 3D, Rockstar finally had the technological capabilities for improved NPCs. They were fully modeled, making them more distinctly recognizable than previous games.

Pedestrians will be found in locations that correspond with their character. For example, homeless people will live in poorer areas while businessmen are found in commercial districts.

They also perform actions like smoking, sitting down, or conversing with one another.

Meanwhile, cops will chase players if they have a wanted level. Depending on how dangerous the threat is, they might add roadblocks or use spikes to blow out a player's tires.

If an NPC is killed in action, a paramedic might arrive to resuscitate them. Firefighters will arrive to put out any fires from explosions.

Starting with San Andreas, GTA players have the option to engage in dialog. Depending on the player's response, they can either positively or negatively answer a pedestrian.

Should the player act rudely toward rival gangs or drug dealers, it may provoke a gunfight.

Significant improvements in the HD era

GTA 4 is the first game in the series to bring physical randomization to pedestrians. Previous games used specific models for each pedestrian. While it made them recognizable to GTA players, there weren't that many NPC models.

These randomized changes in physical appearance also reduce clumping. The term clumping refers to the same model of NPCs interacting with each other. It was common in the 3D era, given the limited number of pedestrian models.

From GTA 4 onwards, these issues have been fixed.

NPCs will now engage in more dynamic activities. They can carry grocery bags from the back of their car, for instance. GTA players can also interact with more of them, such as Niko Bellic giving a saxophone player some change.

The most notable improvement in NPC behavior involves law enforcement. Whenever a GTA player engages in criminal behavior, witnesses can now call the cops on their phones.

In GTA 5, players should also not stand next to pedestrians too closely. Otherwise, they will get into trouble.

On a lighter note, pedestrians will take pictures of the player's vehicle if it's a high-end model. It's a nice little touch that rewards players for spending their hard-earned money.

Speaking of interactions, GTA 5 has three different protagonists with various dialog options, depending on their personality.

Cops now have the ability to arrest the player while giving them the chance to escape. Unlike previous GTA titles, players are no longer immediately busted if a cop points a gun at them. instead, they can get out of the situation by shooting. However, it raises their wanted level by doing so.

GTA 6 could revolutionize pedestrian behavior

Given the lack of juicy leaks for GTA 6, fans want something to bite their teeth into. Luckily, a recently-filed patent may give clues as to what Rockstar is up to. GTA series publisher Take Two Interactive registered a navigational method for AI to explore their surroundings.

What it means is NPCs can potentially increase their intelligence when driving. For example, they could learn the time and distance it takes to brake their vehicle. Note that the patent mainly deals with AI-controlled traffic routines.

It remains to be seen what the future holds. While it's not confirmed the patent has any relation to GTA 6, it's a reasonable possibility since Rockstar is working on the game.

Either way, Rockstar is a highly ambitious company. Expect pedestrian behavior to be even better this time around.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.