Many are excited to see what kind of franchise mechanicsGrand Theft Auto 6will maintain and improve upon. It is likely that the release will follow the same general framework of its predecessors, while introducing enough new elements to make it feel fresh and unique.
For example,Grand Theft Auto 6will likely possess a lot of customization improvements for the player characters of its story and online modes. The franchise has historically aided personalization in the way of clothes and tattoos. While it would be difficult to improve on how clothing works in-game, there is clear room forGTA 6to bolster how tattoos can be utilized by players.
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Grand Theft Auto’s History of Tattoos
Tattoos inGrand Theft Autofirst arrived with 2004’sSan Andreas. In the game, players could visit a range of tattoo parlors to get inked, choosing from a variety of stencils across different body parts. As well as permanently altering the appearance ofSan Andreasprotagonist CJ, tattoos served the additional purpose of boosting the respect and sex appeal stats for the character.
Tattoos would not appear again untilGrand Theft Auto 5, where all three of the game’s protagonists could purchase tattoos that were partially suited to their unique personalities and interests. This extends to the popularGrand Theft Auto Online, where multiplayer characters can also choose from a wide tattoo selection to become more personalized.
Rockstar is no stranger to tattoos, with the cosmetic type even appearing in2006’s cult-classic titleBully. With this in mind, it seems like a no-brainer that similar body modifications will appear inGrand Theft Auto 6. With the tattoo system having existed withinGTAfor almost two decades, it seems pertinent that Rockstar makes some real improvements to tattoos within the upcomingGTA 6.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s Potential Tattoo Improvements
Grand Theft Auto 6is already being lauded for its potentially industry-defining features. For example, reports recently circulatedregarding the water physics ofGTA 6, which will supposedly take water simulation to a level the industry has never seen. With Take-Two Interactive also billing its upcoming releases as “groundbreaking,” it is safe to say many aspects ofGTA 6will wow fans upon release.
The main issue withGrand Theft Auto 5’stattoos is how they are hard to combine. With players choosing from a range of pre-set stencils, it can be difficult to create things like sleeves or larger combination pieces that organically flow with each other.Grand Theft Auto 6could remedy this by creating its own “sleeve system,” in which players could curate their own designs that can be periodically added to. Better yet,GTA 6could allow players to create their own designs for tattoos. This would of course necessitate moderation, so players could simply choose from smaller designs within a sleeve creator system to curate the perfect final product.
In line with therealism of recent Rockstar games such asRed Dead Redemption 2, tattoos inGTA 6could also be more true-to-life. For example, tattoos could be redder when first obtained by the player, and potentially even require a level of aftercare. While a seemingly innocuous change, it could be interesting to see tattoos degrade in quality if they are not properly looked after for a short time after being done. With how important tattoos have been to theGTAidentity in the past, it seems clear that there are several areas of improvement that Rockstar can make for the ambitiousGrand Theft Auto 6.
Grand Theft Auto 6is currently in development.
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