A GTA moment reminding all of us why they are pretty much the kings of tiny details none ever really notices but end up being discussed by all. We just learned from a recent viral tweet by NikTekOfficial that Red Dead Redemption 2 has an animation of a sheep moving its tongue, with water splashing as it takes a drink. Sheesh, is anyone really watching that? But that’s what makes it so great. Such crippling detail brings to the front shades of curiosity in the gamers: Just how bonkers is Grand Theft Auto VI going to be with modern hardware? The reactions range from utmost hype to the sudden feeling of worry.
Just a quick little exercise: Rockstar’s attention to detail in RDR2 is something worth the legends. We’re talking about a game that animates horse testicles shrinking in the cold. So, assuming Rockstar has gone so far as to animate sheep drinking animations in a Western game, what does this say for GTA 6, set in a modern to-the-bone vibrant Miami-inspired city? Power from PS5 and Xbox Series X/S could really give them room to create more life in this world than has ever been seen before. Another user, bag_saddler, also said, “People still dont understand how technically impressive rdr 2 is.” And there, they are not wrong. That game’s a technical masterpiece, even all these years later.
Then things get confusing with the replies because there’ll always be people that look high detail in a negative light. Some gamers are afraid these tiny animations might be the costs. FKwegwerf urged, “shit like this does nothing for gameplay. it’s just so that Twitter heads can point it out. it inflates the Dev time by like 2x or they this stuff instead of more or better missions.” Ouch, right there is an actual concern, ain’t it? We trading fun, memorable missions for drip, drip, drip of a bottle with condensation? Another user, ProfChocCaXe, made an analogy to “when Activision bragged about AI fish,” suggesting it could be nothing but marketing fluff.
Think of all that debate about Red Dead Redemption 2. Some players hit the nails behind the hammer declaring it to be the greatest ever game. But other people… well, they just weren’t feeling it. User OppositeDay2024 joined the debate alongside another player, saying, “I thought it was a steaming pile of shit and ive been playing video games for 25+ years… To me it wasnt even a game,” giving it both barrels! And this ties in with another fear that GTA 6 might be so slow or realistic that it could lose the feel of chaotic classic GTA. User Dexterion77 disputed that “GTA game are faster , and such details dont matter,” saying they were quite a different tone to the two series.
The hype for GTA 6 is creating unrealistic expectations from some. Ryan Misale warned, “dont expect anything crazy from GTA VI. Everyone’s getting so delusional… that they might end up getting disappointed by what could have been a great game had they not expected to see the full, accurate life cycles of the flies in-game.” I feel this is a valid point. When you build something up in your head for a decade, the real thing can never quite match it. Another user, danumba01, has called it already: “I feel like it’s gonna be a flop. There’s no way they can do so much in one game.”
Don’t forget the elephant in the room- Rockstar’s actual post-launch support. User utb1528 said, “And then RDOnline was abandoned,” with a painful reminder for those Red Dead Online players who felt left out. It is worrying many, that all the love could go to GTA 6 online side while single-player was forgotten. Then there were the classics of frames, the whines; WorldParkkk hoped “they don’t run it with 30 FPS only.” Because in 2024, that ain’t gonna cut it for a large number of players.
And thanks to the comments went completely off track. Rombbb_Gaming calls out culture wars, voices worries about “the amount of woke it will have that will absolutely destroy the vibe.” Meanwhile, mrgiskard already has their mind on the future, musing “They should build a sci-fi world in their next project.” And my favorite Eyelidsounds just drops the comment “The Sheep Peeper,” which… I have no idea what that means, but I love it.
So, now, where the hell are we? Rockstar has created this reputation for crazy detail that very much informs the heart of the worlds of those games. That sheep drinking animation seen in RDR2 is really the shining example of their obsession. With GTA 6, this could mean fully living, breathing Vice City, where every puddle perfectly reflects light, and every NPC has an outline of its own schedule. On the other hand, it also sets them way too high. People are expecting a perfect game, with some already gearing up for a letdown because they’re either concerned that the magic is going to be gone or else misplaced focus.
Here’s an example of how the conversation is splitting the community between sheer excitement and cautious disbelief. Only time will really tell if Rockstar can show up with the experience worthy of such monumental hype or if all those insanely detailed features will end up just being that- details. One thing is for sure, the entire gaming community will be watching very closely. Perhaps, very closely when it comes to how the water splashes!
