A new Guardian preview reports that Grand Theft Auto VI will let players nurture Jason and Lucia’s relationship or neglect it. Looking after your accomplice extends well beyond keeping them alive during a robbery. You can take them on dates, call when you’re apart and hold hands when you’re together.
Keza MacDonald’s November 14 Guardian Saturday feature, shared by GameRoll, reports that whether the pair remain romantically involved is in the player’s hands. That makes their relationship an unusually interesting part of the sandbox: time spent together can matter alongside the next job.
The interesting possibility is that time spent together might make the partnership matter outside the story’s big confrontations. Calling someone between jobs or choosing to hold their hand gives the player a small part in sustaining the relationship. If a game asks you to care about two people, letting you participate in their ordinary life seems a promising place to start.
Caring About Your Partner Is Part of the Game
Rockstar’s official character profiles already describe two people trying to change their circumstances. Jason is a former soldier working for drug runners in the Keys; Lucia has recently left prison and wants a better life. The relationship activities offer a way to explore that shared ambition between the jobs that drive the plot.
The preview also describes preparing robberies by scouting targets and interfering with security cameras. During the demonstrated jewelry-store robbery, the situation escalates into a chase; afterward, the couple hide their money, change clothes and wait out the pursuit.
That demonstrated escape continues beyond the initial burst of violence, giving the pair things to do after the robbery. Alongside the dates and calls, it suggests that ordinary actions between the big set pieces could help carry the story.
Rob Nelson tells MacDonald that Rockstar wants to encourage empathy for players interested in it, while retaining their freedom to play as usual. Jennifer Kolbe says the team could have made “GTA 5.5” faster, but wanted something more ambitious.
The interesting test of that ambition is how much the partnership changes the decisions you make. For a player who becomes attached to these two, choosing what to do next could come to involve the life they share as well as the next thing to steal.
Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Players preparing their consoles can also read our Xbox download-size breakdown.
Official artwork: Rockstar Games.
