It's been more than seven years since Grand Theft Auto 5 originally released, and while a ton of post-launch content has been added into GTA Online, it hasn't stopped fans from clamoring for one thing in particular: Grand Theft Auto 6. Next to nothing is known about GTA 6 yet, but for an idea of Rockstar's most recent game-design tendencies, one doesn't have to look any further than the developer's most recent (and another obscenely successful game), Red Dead Redemption 2.
But those expecting Grand Theft Auto 6 to be very similar to Red Dead Redemption 2 should probably change their expectations; Grand Theft Auto 6 will likely be a different beast entirely. By looking at the two games, it becomes pretty clear that just about everything, from a gameplay perspective down to the storytelling, is treated very differently. They're both uniquely Rockstar games, yes, but aside from a few similarities in the overall structure of the game progression, GTA and RDR2 are remarkably different experiences.
GTA vs. RDR2 Storytelling
Both games employ a heavy dose of satire, but there's a definite difference when it comes to the tone. While Red Dead Redemption 2 has humor, and plenty of it, in the end, it chooses to treat the characters like Arthur Morgan in a more serious way and evolve them over the story, at least more consistently. That's not to say there aren't some serious moments in Grand Theft Auto, there are plenty of them, but they're used in a different way. Both of these games have similar storytelling toolkits, but both franchises use these tools in different amounts, and to a different effect. It's like the difference between a doctor and a torturer: they both use pretty similar tools, but they've got some seriously different goals with them. For instance, GTA uses satire to mock the world in its current state, while RDR2 uses it to suggest that the world hasn't changed as much as many think it has.
The characters in these games are another place where they drastically differ. Red Dead Redemption 2 has some colorful characters, but they (almost) all have some real nuance to them that makes them feel like real people with flaws, strengths, love, hate, and above all, a story. Even if there were characters where we never got to really see their full story, it felt like one was there, as with many secondary characters, like Uncle and Charles.
GTA treats its characters pretty differently. They aren't cardboard cutouts, and they can be very interesting, but they all, generally, have a fatal flaw that they can't quite see, or at least, one that they don't know how to fix. It's evident from the beginning of GTA 5, where Michael is talking to his therapist and making excuses for the things he did as "the opportunities he had." The characters in GTA are almost always broken people, and the cracks in their humanity are what bring them, and those around them, down.
Another aspect that could affect the storytelling in GTA 6 is Rockstar's reported approach to its development and release. Instead of releasing in one big package like Rockstar's games have in the past, it's going to release incrementally. It's unclear what exactly that means yet, but it could mean GTA 6's story will release in chapters, similar to how a Telltale game releases or like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. This could mean a release date is revealed sooner than expected, but that the whole game for quite a while afterward, still.
GTA vs. RDR2 Settings
The setting is where these two franchises differ in the most obvious way. One franchise takes place in a current-day, bustling metropolis (occasionally with body-strewn beaches), while the other takes place in America in 1899. There is, clearly, a huge difference not only in how both of these settings feel, but also in the way that they need to be constructed. Red Dead Redemption 2 had a vast and varied open-world, and because of the setting, there were big swaths of land that were largely unoccupied by anything other than a few animals. It's a beautiful landscape full of nature, largely untouched in any meaningful way by people.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely, for the most part, on the exact opposite side of the spectrum from that. There's no confirmation as to where it's going to take place, but if previous entries into the franchise are any indication, it's likely to have another city, which means tons and tons of NPCs. That also means there's likely to be thousands upon thousands of buildings, and while it's likely that the vast majority will be inaccessible, that's still a gargantuan amount of work. That doesn't mean the game can't be beautiful, some of the most beautiful places in the world are in cities, but it's going to be a radically different experience, and it's going to be a different kind of beauty.
Aside from affecting development time, setting also has one of the biggest influences on how a game feels to play and on how the game world feels to exist inside of. The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 feels... open. It feels full of fresh air. It can be relaxing and grounded in reality more so than the more bombastic, loud, modern feel of GTA. The world of GTA is crowded and full of people going about their day that really, really don't want to be bothered by anybody. They're both settings that present a plethora of opportunities, but those opportunities are not the same.
GTA vs. RDR2 Gameplay
The setting sets up the gameplay opportunities, and those gameplay opportunities are, at the end of the day, what defines a game for many. Because of the differences specifically in the time period, GTA is going to have much more recognizable opportunities in the game, which can be a blessing and a curse. Some of the things in Red Dead Redemption are so far removed from modern life that the emulation is inspiring and new. Meanwhile, GTA is trying to emulate some experiences that many have every day, like driving a car, walking through a city, but ultimately creating wanton mayhem at every conceivable opportunity. Creating that accurately, even though Rockstar has done it before, might take a while for Grand Theft Auto 6.
Because of this, Red Dead Redemption turned its attention elsewhere, towards creating a sense of grounded reality where the player's weapon needs to be cleaned and Arthur Morgan needs to maintain a healthy diet. GTA doesn't care about being realistic; it seems to spit in the face of realism in favor of creating scenarios to throw its already insane characters into.
GTA 6 is, in all likelihood, going to be an extremely different experience than RDR2. The things that remain in the Rockstar formula in every game are likely going to be there; a huge and interesting open-world, fairly on-rails gameplay, with witty writing, and some stiff controls. But looking beyond that is going to reveal a new game that is going to be the kind of upgrade to GTA 5 that RDR2 was to the original Red Dead Redemption.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is reported to be in development.