Games Inbox: Is GTA 6 worth the price tag?

The Friday letters page is still upset that GTA 6 doesn’t have a proper physical edition, as a reader names Metaphor: ReFantazio as his favourite JRPG ever.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Price shock
So Rockstar Games has officially confirmed that GTA 6 will be digital-only and there will be no physical copy. Adding to this we have learned that certain businesses and an apartment will only be available in the Ultimate Edition, meaning that if you wish to enjoy owning those you will have to pay extra from the standard version to get these.

That’s bad news for GTA fans and quite frustrating and disappointing. Regardless, GTA 6 should be one hell of a game. I will be buying GTA 6, of course, but the price for the Ultimate Edition from the Standard Edition might shock fans.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: Will it? Earlier in the week people were bracing themselves for the standard version costing £100. Not even the Ultimate Edition is that much.

Not over the moon
Well, I’ve pre-ordered GTA 6: Ultimate Edition and I know I’m getting it and I don’t think both prices are bad. I went for the £89.99 one because how often does GTA come out? About every 13 years, so though I’d loosen the wallet a bit the only thing that worries me is in the details.

It says single-player only and I’m just hoping that doesn’t mean online is another charge. After all, this is Rockstar Games. If online is included I’ll be over the moon. At the moment, I’m just excited. Well, I was till I saw it is 147 days till download day.
David

Breaking the interweb
Why is no one talking about the fact that GTA 6 is potentially going to be really hard or impossible to download for a large proportion of people? Due to the ridiculously high demand everything is going to crash or slow down to a crawl. I don’t really know how it all works on a technical level, but this is going to be a huge (200GB+ ?) download which millions of people are going to simultaneously be trying to complete.

This problem will be exacerbated now that we know there’s no physical copy to get a few GB off a disc, to reduce the amount needed from download. Pessimistically I’m not expecting to be able to easily download and play this game until the new year at the earliest. I realise I’ve said ‘download’ a lot in this message. I’m really looking forward to playing GTA 6, but I just think it’s going to be a real struggle.
Alex

GC: We talked about it today, but you’re right. And 200GB is probably a conservative estimate, even without including the online stuff.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Downloads in disguise
I bought the disc drive version of the PlayStation 5 specifically to avoid massive downloads, so the news that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be download-only is annoying, but I won’t boycott it. One major concern lurks in the back of my mind. Can the servers handle the traffic when millions of people try to download such a highly anticipated game at the same time?

Apparently, this isn’t much of an issue these days, due to various strategic measures, put in place for big game releases, but with the internet connection that I presently have downloading the game might take ages.

The price of the standard edition isn’t so bad, but I do think having a physical edition that’s just an empty box with a code inside it is fundamentally rubbish. This option feels like an insult to customers who prefer physical media. Better not to even offer a boxed edition if it’s just a download in disguise, if you ask me.
Michael Veal (@msv858)

World’s worst console
I’ve been watching a few Atari Jaguar software and hardware videos on YouTube recently and goodness gracious me, no wonder the console failed so miserably. Pretty much every game I saw footage of looked absolutely atrocious. Even the supposedly good-at-the-time Alien Vs Predator appeared to have a frame rate which made N64 GoldenEye 007 look like 60fps.

Some beat ‘em-up called Ultra Vortex had to take the crown as the worst game though, it looked absolutely bloody atrocious. I’d be interested to know if any older GC viewers purchased a Jaguar back in the day and what their general impressions were and if they ended up selling the console on the cheap once the game releases dried up… which didn’t take long!
Arteta6Legend

GC: Tempest 2000 was great but yeah, it was pretty terrible otherwise.

Game of the times
I don’t write in as much anymore but as always thanks for all your great coverage and reviews. I just spent the last three months plus playing Metaphor: ReFantazio and I think it’s the best Japanese role-player ever! The story is absolutely superb and really meaningful, both for me personally and for the state of the world. Overcoming our anxieties and daring to dream of a better future is something we should all be striving for.

The voice acting is brilliant, with Heismay and the Liverpudlian Basilio particular standouts, offering some wonderful delivery. The fighting system never got old either, with quick satisfying combat which always challenged you without forcing you to grind. I actually prefer the game to Persona 5 and loved the fact that everything was achievable in one playthrough. Thanks very much to Studio Zero for making such a delightful experience!
Ryan O’D

Bottom 200
Just checking the top 200 USA N64 games list; couldn’t see Space Station Silicon Valley or Rocket: Robot On Wheels. Were they not released in the USA?

Maybe they are there and I’m not seeing them.
Tony Welch

GC: They were both released in the US but neither of them sold very well.

Progress barred
RE: GTA 6. I’ll be honest and say I’m not overly interested in the game, but it is one of those things where closer to the time I would probably be swept up in the hype and might pick it up. The fact it is download-only means I won’t bother now.

My internet isn’t overly fast, so the thought of downloading a 100+ GB game (I hate to think how big it will be) means I’ll never bother. I like buying physical so that I actually own the things I buy. Unfortunately, GTA 6 will be a massive hit, so will make the transition to digital only happen even faster and as others have said, I doubt the PlayStation 6 will even have a disc drive.

I have enough games in my backlog that I could never buy a new game again and I’d be fine, but I will miss the excitement of looking forward to a new release. Progress always means a more rubbish experience for normal people and more money for corporations.
Simon

GTA Online too
Not overly disappointed about the GTA 6 news, not because I only care about single-player, but because it’s going exactly as expected, and the disappointment has long passed.

I feel like all the clues and info we have had previously alludes to the single-player mode or ‘experience’. There’s been no mention at all about online, or even co-op, which is surely a missed opportunity for a two-protagonist game.

It’s looking more and more like it will follow and play similarly to Red Dead Redemption 2. A very linear game, disguised as open world, the mention of ‘chapter timed content’ confirms the chapter sequences, similar to Red Dead. But also from the trailer there is a lot of running involved, so fully expecting a similar story too, in terms of running from one side of the map on the lam for the majority of the story.

None of this has come from leaks, as I’ve stayed well clear of those and just purely a prediction. I loved Red Dead Redemption 1, but felt 2 was a slog and bore to finish. Hopefully I’m wrong on GTA as it’s my favourite franchise, but my expectations remain low and anything extra is a bonus.

Which brings me on to GTA Online. I played GTA 5 online quite a lot when it was new, but over time stopped. Early doors they hinted at Liberty City being an additional map, which never came through, which makes me think GTA Online will remain as it is and Vice City may become a downloadable map expansion. Possibly free or discounted for owners of GTA 6 (may also be why there’s no disc version, so they can see easily who still owns the game) and likely chargeable to non-GTA 6 owners.

How it runs, is anyone’s guess. Will vehicles and money transfer from map to map or will it be a fresh start when you go to Vice City, but having the option to seamlessly load into Los Santos with your existing assets? I’d guess the latter, I mean they’re not gonna fully ignore the map for online usage, right?
Beems

GC: There haven’t really been any substantial leaks about the gameplay or story.

Inbox also-rans
I was wondering if it would be ok to add this link to the Games Inbox for the Kickstarter I’m involved in? As we’re close to the end of our campaign, I was hoping it could be worth asking for a final boost.
Jamie

Is GTA 6 going to be released in disc version and if so, when?
Coinslot-

GC: There’s a rumour it will in December, but it is only a rumour.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Will you boycott GTA 6 for being digital-only?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Sonic the Hedgehog cooler than Super Mario?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is the Valve Steam Machine worth it?

Comments


Add as preferred source