As the wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 enters its final stretch, I’ve spent my evenings back on the dirt trails and misty riverbanks of Red Dead Redemption 2 .

If GTA 6 is going to truly justify the thirteen long years of waiting since we first set foot in Los Santos, it cannot rely solely on scale, high-speed chases, or satirical noise.

Instead, it needs to look closely at its western cousin and adopt the patience that made New Austin feel so real . Here are five features that Vice City ought to inherit.

1. Meaningful downtime that exists outside the criminal hustle

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar has long understood that the quieter moments between shootouts are what transform an expansive map into a place that feels genuinely lived in.…