Top 5 things Rockstar should keep in mind for GTA 6's map design

As GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced version will soon mark GTA 5's third generational release, fans are growing impatient and have their sights set on Rockstar's next foray into the Grand Theft Auto franchise. With GTA 6, hopes are high as Rockstar has had a 8-year-gap between titles. Here are 5 things Rockstar Games should be mindful of with GTA 6's map design.

5 things GTA 6's map design should account for

---

1) Verticality

A sense of verticality in an open world is an extremely underrated feature that truly serves as a testament to good map design. Traversing a map is easy, but feeling truly like part of a sprawling city can only be sold with a sense of verticality like in the mission 'Three's Company' in GTA 5 when players had to rappel down the side of a building to rescue their target.

2) Bigger isn't always better

Budgets and time are the greatest enemies of game developers and map designers out there. While going ambitious and trying to build a humungous map may sound appealing, adding meaning to such a large map could prove difficult with a limited development schedule. Instead, focusing on adding depth to a moderately sized map makes a lot more sense.

3) Interiors

A growing staple of modern open world design is explorable interiors, something that GTA 5 partially accomplished in 2013. With fully fleshed out indoor environments, GTA 6 could go from just a sandbox, to a truly immersive world, perfect not only for the game's narrative but for roleplaying opportunities as well.

4) Wildlife

GTA 5 was the first in the series to have fully modeled animals roaming around San Andreas and it was a welcome decision. The hunting mechanics of GTA 5 spawned a hunting career path for GTA roleplayers and added a level of depth that was sorely needed in an open world game. A return to the system with deeper mechanics could be a great choice for Rockstar Games, as players can get their fix for hunting in GTA itself.

5) More unique housing options for GTA 6 Online

Central to the experience of living a life in GTA Online is the house players spend their hard earned money on. With GTA 5, Rockstar has managed to add a few locations for housing over the years with updated interiors, but having the flexibility to buy a house exactly where one prefers would be a welcome change in GTA 6 Online, not to mention the feeling of truly making a home yours via in-depth customization options.