Thirteen years is a long time to wait for a game, but GTA VI is already a year over schedule, and promotion is ramping up with streaming giants like Netflix, with close to half an hour of new footage released to a highly engaged and intrigued GTA fanbase.
If we had to name all the distinctive elements of Grand Theft Auto that have turned it into one of the greatest gaming franchises of all time, we would be here for weeks. However, some elements of the game have had to adapt to how the world has changed around it.
As the new game is on the cusp of being released to feverish anticipation, will the soundtrack be as integral to this game as it has been for the likes of Vice City and San Andreas?
Assessing The Changes Of GTA V
GTA V introduced online gaming to the GTA universe, letting players play online, face off against friends and others, race, pull off heists, and play casino games. With a plethora of new ideas on the table, the game soundtrack didn’t carry the same weight as in entirely offline versions.
By hardwiring this web of global interconnectivity, we watched Rockstar tap into the same avenues in casino gaming that traditional games like blackjack have used for over 20 years. Fun blackjack table games online have come a long way since 2013, with many brands adding themed games, unique variants, and expanding payment options, such as digital payment systems.
This multi-faceted approach to entertainment, along with the integration of casino gaming, online ideas, and facing off against other GTA gamers from all over the world, has meant the power of the soundtrack has taken a back step, but that doesn’t mean Rockstar won’t have something up their sleeve.
The Integration Of Social Media
Many gamers think Rockstar will look to integrate social media concepts and music streaming apps. Those who have paid attention to the advances in GTA will still have some of the songs from Vice City and San Andreas ingrained in their mind.
However, with YouTube becoming the biggest source of media on the internet, relating to all things GTA-related and beyond, as you can see in the link below, it’d be naive to think it won’t feature in any format when it comes to shaping the game’s soundtrack and how we listen to music as we revisit Vice City.
GTA 6 could drop the unique elements of its radio stations and let people listen to their chosen tunes in a more modern format.
For older fans of the game, like me, it’ll be odd to see it take such a secondary role given how important it was in creating the aura and mystique that still defines the older generation of the game.
On the other hand, another defining element of GTA games is their willingness to move with the times and to be the pioneers. While it would be nice, particularly from a nostalgia point of view, to have many defining songs that give the game its own unique flavor, it’s likely to follow a format where people can pick songs of their own choosing or opt to speak to their friends instead, as this is the modern way we listen to our favorite artists.
The Power Of Choice
GTA’s soundtrack may have been seminal in building the brand recognition it enjoys in today’s global market, but it was also shaped by its circumstances. Rockstar had only a finite amount of space to work with in their earlier games, and with online gaming not part of the mix, they could focus solely on the music they used.
With pre-orders already going through the roof for the most hotly anticipated game of the decade so far, there are already countless potential ideas that are being thrown into the mix.
Still, in the world of streaming, and with our smartphones able to provide an ocean of content and entertainment at our fingertips, it could be a nice change for GTA 6 to go back to the basics and home in on the importance of its soundtrack and how defining it is to each game.
Summary
Despite the amount of money that has been poured into developing GTA VI, and the innovations that it will undeniably create, it’s also important that they don’t lose sight of the elements that endeared a generation of gamers to them in the first place.
The soundtrack is one of them. When the first trailer broke the internet back in December 2023, it was Tom Petty’s roaring Love Is A Long Road that kicked down the doors to let everyone know that the game was on the way.
Although Spider-Man has since broken this record, the point remains valid. We can spend all day on Spotify or use a playlist randomizer to regurgitate our favorite songs all day.
But for someone whose taste was shaped largely by the music I heard in Vice City and San Andreas, it would be sad to see them completely overlook this part of the game. Obviously, the game has changed. There’s bigger fish to fry, but it’s not going to be long until we find out just how integral the soundtrack is going to be in the latest blockbuster installment in the GTA franchise.