GamesOpen WorldGrand Theft Auto VGTA 5 dev says Rockstar would transplant entire missions “to make sure there isn’t any section of the map missing content, missing gameplay” even when that meant starting from scratchWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldGrand Theft Auto VGTA 5 dev says Rockstar would transplant entire missions “to make sure there isn’t any section of the map missing content, missing gameplay” even when that meant starting from scratchWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
It turns out there’s a good reason so many of GTA 5’s missions take you halfway across Los Santos, and it’s not just so the characters can chit chat or you can listen to the funny radio commentators.
Perhaps the thingRockstaris most famous for is its open worlds. The developer manages to create virtual lands that feel alive, full of character and hidden details. They’re so big that people are stilldiscovering new thingsinGTA 5to this day. Despite the size of these places, there’s something to do almost everywhere, and that’s a key part of their design.
Speaking on the GTA VI O’clockYouTubechannel, ex-Rockstar developer Ben Hinchliffe, now lead designer at Just Add Water, explains the process. “We have this huge map for these open-world games,” he says. “It’s meticulously planned where content takes place on the map to make sure there isn’t any section of the map missing content, missing gameplay.”
It would be a waste of a world if all the missions only happened in downtown Los Santos, so the team ensures we have a reason to explore everywhere. “Sometimes, missions would overlap, there’d be a lot of stuff going on in one particular area, and then it’s like, ‘well how do we move that mission, that character, that gameplay, from here to here?'” Hinchliffe explains. “It might be a completely different land structure – you’ve made your whole mission work in this urban environment, and now you’re in the desert.”
This strategy isn’t without its pitfalls, however. “You’d obviously have to rework it in a way that made sense, but without having to do it from scratch,” he says. “Sometimes that had to happen […] that was always the worst-case, but you’d try and make it work in these different locations.”
Ex-Rockstar Designer Interview - GTA VI O’clock - Episode 47 - YouTubeWatch On
Ex-Rockstar Designer Interview - GTA VI O’clock - Episode 47 - YouTube
Ex-Rockstar Designer Interview - GTA VI O’clock - Episode 47 - YouTube
Issues like this are why game development takes so long. A game may be functionally complete, but if you notice there’s nomission on Mount Chiliad, you’ve got to redesign an existing one.
Another restriction is the fact Rockstar’s games are usually set in exaggerated versions of actual places. “It’s always working with the world,” Hinchliffe says. “A lot of the time you had to work with the map itself and how it was laid out – these things were based on real-world locations, and real-world structures. You were working with what you were given.”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”