Full disclosure: I know there’s been a whole slew of Grand Theft Auto VI leaks making the rounds. I haven’t looked at them, nor do I intend to, and I don’t want to know what’s in them. This won’t, however, stop me from fishing out more information from verified sources, such as this giant GTA VI deep dive interview from Dazed Magazine, which comes with all sorts of details about avatar immersion and the romantic relationship between protagonists Jason and Lucia.
How Jason and Lucia’s Appearances Change in GTA VI
We already know that GTA VI will allow you to customize Jason and Lucia’s appearances by visiting shops to buy clothes or giving them a new haircut. In the interview with Dazed, we learn that player activities will affect how they look as well.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, for instance, Arthur’s appearance would change over time, especially if he hasn’t shaved in a while. After a few in-game weeks, he could also gain or lose weight depending on how much he’d eaten. GTA VI will see the return of these immersive systems whereby food will affect the protagonists’ appearances, while exercising will also make them look more toned and defined.
The article also goes on to state that staying away from your bed for too long or going on extended rampages or crime sprees will also take a toll on their appearances. To that end, players may think twice before going on an insane bender.
Will Player Choice Affect Romance?
And we also arrive at what is, in my opinion, the juiciest bit of the deep dive: the romance. GTA VI‘s story is billed as a Bonnie and Clyde-style romance narrative centered around Jason and Lucia. The article points out that romance has typically always taken a backseat in the series, and this is the first time it’s in the spotlight proper. GTA VI also marks the first time a GTA game has featured a proper female protagonist, which is refreshing considering the deeply embedded misogynistic vibes of GTA V.
Speaking with Rupert Humphries, the senior vice president of narrative at Rockstar, it’s suggested that the choices made in-game “can have repercussions that cut much deeper than Rockstar’s previous titles or ‘honour’ systems that reward conscientious game playing.”
This is a deliberately vague statement, but it did get me wondering if there would be some sort of relationship meter in GTA VI that determines how well Jason and Lucia get along with each other based on your actions. Sort of like the Paragon/Renegade morality system in Mass Effect maybe, except this measures how much the protagonists love each other. Which would be pretty funny.
My goal, of course, would be to make sure that they’re always simpatico. Ride-or-die, basically.
Grand Theft Auto VI is set to be released for PS5 on Nov. 19.
