Key Takeaways
1. Obbe Vermeij, a former technical director at Rockstar North, believes a return to a futuristic setting like GTA 2 is unlikely for future games.
2. GTA 2 struggled to resonate with both developers and players due to its departure from real-world settings and the challenges of creating futuristic gameplay.
3. Developers were dissatisfied with the futuristic direction of GTA 2, leading to internal conflicts during its development.
4. Despite selling over 3 million copies, GTA 2 did not achieve the same level of success as later titles like GTA III and GTA: San Andreas.
5. Rockstar is focused on proven successful themes for future games, with GTA VI set in a Vice-City-inspired location, moving away from dystopian settings.
While GTA VI is coming soon, fans are curious if Rockstar Games might return to the futuristic vibe of GTA 2, maybe even a Grand Theft Auto Cyberpunk. However, Obbe Vermeij, the former technical director at Rockstar North, has made it clear that this seems unlikely.
Insights from Obbe Vermeij
In a recent chat with GamesHub, Vermeij revealed some behind-the-scenes insights into why the 1999 sequel didn’t resonate with either developers or gamers. GTA 2 was different from the main series because it abandoned the real-world settings of “Anywhere City” for a futuristic city, either set in 2013 or 1999, depending on which GTA theory you prefer.
Unique Features of GTA 2
The game featured advanced pulse rifles, electric guns, and flying cars, while still following the classic gameplay of car theft and shootouts. However, Vermeij noted that the team at Rockstar was not satisfied with the futuristic direction taken after the game’s launch. He mentioned:
“The crew that worked on GTA 2 really disliked it. I wasn’t involved in those games, but I was nearby, so I could hear all the shouting and discussions, and they weren’t happy about going into the future because they had to reinvent everything, like how weapons functioned and other aspects.”
Mixed Reactions from Gamers
Developers weren’t the only ones who struggled with GTA 2; players didn’t really connect with it either. Vermeij said, “Fans didn’t engage with the game or its city as much as they did with GTA 1.”
Even so, GTA 2 managed to sell over 3 million copies, but that was just a small number compared to the massive successes that Rockstar would later achieve, like GTA III: Liberty City, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas.
The Future of GTA
When asked if Rockstar would ever explore a dystopian, futuristic world again, Vermeij simply stated “no.” He elaborated:
“GTA is just far too valuable. Sure, it could be interesting, but it’s not worth the risk. The cultural impact is much greater now than it was back then. The game generates memes, conversations, and clicks. You wouldn’t get as much of that if it were set in some future scenario, I believe.”
With GTA VI set to launch at the end of 2026 in a Vice-City-inspired location called Leonida, featuring various biomes, Rockstar is focusing on what has proven effective for the past two decades.
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