GTA 6 Wanted System: Full Breakdown & Transcript

[00:00] There are dozens of mechanics, ideas and quirks that are considered core to Grand Theft Auto's identity. The wide variety of vehicles, a cast of oddball criminals, radio stations playing hit after hit after hit,

[00:15] toilet humour packed into every billboard, product, brand and TV ad. But there's one thing arguably more foundational than all of those ideas, something that the entire concept of GTA was built upon.

[00:27] I am of course talking about car chasing. Since the very beginning the series central has been committing crimes and getting away with it.

[00:42] The getting away part has more often than not been literal. Tearing through city streets as cops do everything in their power to put you behind bars. The working title for the original GTA was

[00:54] racing chase. Those chases inspired by cinema's best getaways are manifested by Grand Theft Auto's wanted system, an escalating state of emergency that sees the city's police force deploy fiercer

[01:07] and fiercer measures as the severity of your crimes increases. Originally represented by four pixelated police heads, it evolves into the trademark star system. Get a single star and a a couple of beat cops will turn up to investigate your pedestrian collision or unarmed assault.

[01:24] Rack up a full six stars and you'll summon a battalion of militarized law enforcement with the goal of putting an end to your unstoppable murder spree. The system has changed and advanced with every new game,

[01:36] and that evolution doesn't stop with GTA 6. After Grand Theft Auto V dropped the number of stars by one to both streamline the system and match the five in the title, TPA-6G's The Full Six Stars returned to the HUD for the first time since 2009's Chinatown Wars.

[01:53] And while it's still much too early to know the nuanced criteria for triggering each of those stars, during our hands-off demo at Rockstar's Edinburgh HQ, we saw that there are several new factors involved beyond the individual wanted levels themselves.

[02:09] Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North, explained an elaborate new heat system to us that adds granularity to the traditional wanted system where the police know what you look like down to individual items of clothing and so putting on a hat and glasses can make it a little harder for them to spot you But if you really want to throw them off the fence you going to have to change your whole outfit A fresh change of clothes can be found

[02:34] in nearby shops or, if you're a prepared player, stashed in the boot of your car. Sitting beneath the row of wanted stars on the HUD are a series of new red icons, each of which identifies the level of information the police have on you. A silhouette of a

[02:49] a person indicates that the police have a physical description of you, a clothes hanger denotes that the police know what clothing you're wearing and a camera means that the police have witnessed you on CCTV security footage. It appears the system goes even deeper

[03:02] than that though, there are icons to tell you that the police have identified your current vehicle and even do your whiz. They can know for example that Jason and Lucia are a couple and so splitting them up can be an effective strategy. These factors add new layers to

[03:17] GTA's foundational wanted system. Naturally, they influence the way the police force's artificial intelligence is able to track you through the state of Leonida. Your crimes can be witnessed by the police or reported to them, and the circumstances dictate how much or how

[03:33] little the police know about you in that instance. While our hands off didn't delve into the depths of how that all worked, the possibilities are already busy. Could Rockstar have gone as far

[03:45] to create a system where cops can build a profile of you via a statmatic and life-invader photo posted by Vice City's social media-obsessed public. GTA 5 pedestrians were able to call 911 from their phones to report crimes that went unwitnessed by law enforcement, so it

[04:01] seems realistic to believe that the wider population will impact the wanted system in additional ways this time around. Regardless of how deep the individual mechanics go, it's clear that Rockstar intends to racket up the tension of each and every getaway. You're

[04:15] not just wanted by the cops, but actively hunted by a force that can utilise multiple information sources and data points to narrow their search.

[04:28] It's a natural evolution of Red Dead Redemption 2's bounty system brought into the modern world, and the similarities don't stop there. As in Red Dead, you become wanted in specific regions of the world and returning to that area will see you face the consequences. The

[04:43] in map will tell you where you have hit Police can linger in an area after a crime is committed so just like in real life it not a good idea to return to the scene of a crime I assuming I

[04:56] never done any crimes because I'm nice. The most fascinating aspect of this system is not the apparent enhancements to police AI routines though, but the promise of new gameplay opportunities. GTA's police have long been able to recognise your vehicle, and a quick

[05:11] stop off at the local pay and spray with a fast pass to douse the heat. But now that applies to us human protagonists. In our demo we watched as Jason purchased a baseball cap from a convenience store which when worn removed the description icon from the HUD. But it

[05:26] didn't remove the clothing icon which indicates the system's debt. Jason was still wearing the same clothes and could still be identified by them but the addition of the hat meant the cops physical description of him was now out of date. If only giving Arthur Morgan

[05:41] mutton chops granted him the same peace of mind. It's exciting to consider all the possibilities we're going to have to bamboozle the cops. Stopping by the salon after a bank robbery to turn a gorgeous hairstyle into a buzz cut. Packing a complete change of clothes in your

[05:56] getaway vehicle. Getting a full body tattoo after an assassination. Maybe that last one's bit much, but you get the idea. In E3-6, reducing your wanted level is about far more than just

[06:08] evading the cops. You can actively put them off your scent. The other thing to think about is that these new layers mean how you commit a crime is just as important as the crime itself. If being seen either by people with CCTV cameras,

[06:24] arms, or hunters with information, then denying them those descriptions potentially lends you a significant advantage. And this makes stealth a valuable weapon. During the demo we saw Jason crouch to keep out of a police officer's line of sight, and so we can reasonably

[06:40] assume that we'll also be able to avoid the gaze of security guards, civilians and cameras. Tactically eliminating CCTV networks or patrolling wardens before they can call in reports feels

[06:52] like scenarios that GTA's new wanted system could encourage, especially considering that as a new type of wanted level that would fit into this scenario. A hollow wanted star is displayed when the police are responding to a crime that has

[07:05] no information who the perpetrator is. Denying the flow of intimidating data to ensure you only trigger hollow wanted stars is an idea to build an entire gameplay approach around and we excited to see just how deep it all goes For the more aggressive players

[07:21] out there we've also seen that the mask system is back and it'll presumably build upon the rules established in Red Dead Redemption 2. Cover your face, protect your identity, give the cops a bad day at the office. While a quieter, more tactical approach could perhaps

[07:36] to slip in and out without raising the alarm, this is still GTA and so there's going to be some mayhem. A mask, be it a securely tied bandana or a rubbery famous face, will at least limit the details witnesses to your crimes can actively report. But even in moments

[07:52] of direct confrontation, there are ways to ensure the subsequent manhunt goes in your favour. There's a little more nuance in how you can handle direct aggression. A good example of this is the way NPCs respond to threats. In our demo we watched as Jason aimed a gun

[08:07] at a group of aggressors but held short of pulling the trigger. Rather than just default to engaging in violence, the enemies thought better of it and fled the scene. And while the crime was reported and the police were on their way, they weren't responding to

[08:21] a violent crime and so the wanted level stayed low. You can save yourself a lot of ag from the cops if you just hold back from outright violence. simply administering some mortal terror can be just as effective in pursuit of your goals.

[08:41] The changes made to the wanted system tie into the larger picture of what stars in count for Grand Theft Auto 6. This is the GTO you know and love, but each part of it has additional layers that allow you to drill deeper than you ever have before. We already know that

[08:58] the series core formula, established way back in its first 3D open world, has stood the test of time, not just because it's a bulletproof idea, but because each new game has carefully reinforced it. By enhancing the wanted system as well as interlinked mechanics like car

[09:15] jacking, Rockstar is making sure that in GTA 6, the things you've done a million times before have the potential to feel brand new. For more detailed info on the upcoming GTA fixed, be sure to stick with IGN.

[09:28] There's loads more to come as we head towards the game's release in November. But until then, as ever, remain calm.