Should GTA 6 have more missions than GTA 5?

Rockstar has yet to announce GTA 6, but fans have started filling in the blanks with all sorts of rumors and expectations.

There have been many debates regarding location, gameplay, and characters. The most likely setting seems to be Vice City, with a plot inspired by Narcos, which brings up another important question: the missions in-game.

GTA's main draw has always been its missions, and the series has frequently recreated or re-incorporated some of the most memorable ones into subsequent games. Apart from bank robberies and other heists, RC missions and mid-air shootouts inside planes have been a recurring theme.

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More missions in GTA 6?

Is more always better?

GTA San Andreas had 100 missions in the game, making it the GTA title with the highest number of tasks. GTA 5, by comparison, had 79 story missions, although the choice-based alternatives in some of them provide more replayability value than its predecessors.

GTA 4, with a total of 88 missions, had more or less a similar number to GTA 5. However, this game was the first in the series to implement choice-based alternatives to specific missions. Thus, GTA 4 also has excellent replayability value like its sequel.

While having more missions to play is undoubtedly a good choice, the quality of the tasks is what's more important. A common complaint from GTA 5 players was that the missions either lacked originality or were monotonous. The GTA franchise has been applying the same linear formula to its missions for a long time, and players wish to see a change.

Many have suggested that Rockstar should implement a more open-ended and dynamic approach to mission building.

Quality of missions and level design

There have been instances in open-world games where certain missions have outshone the game. Robbing the Cradle in the 2004 game, Thief: Deadly Shadows, is one such mission that has attained legendary status. This level stands out because of the sudden and complete shift from an open-world stealth action to a horror survival game.

GTA 6 can certainly introduce missions that incorporate such ideas to create a unique gaming experience. Anything that manages to surprise even the most astute of gamers is a certain attention-grabber. The open world may be used to construct missions with varying results dependent on time and date and even incorporate the game world itself.

Another important feature when creating missions is the tone and style of the game. With GTA 5, Rockstar tried to bridge the gap between GTA San Andreas and GTA 4 but with mixed results. This saw the creation of the well-built and challenging heist missions, but also some of the more useless or bizarre ones, like the yoga mission.

While the quantity of missions is undoubtedly an essential component of a game, it is their quality that truly distinguishes them.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.