A reader explains why he has begun to lose interest in GTA 6 and why he decided to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 instead of a PlayStation 5.
Ever since it was first unveiled, I’ve been meaning to get a Nintendo Switch 2. I’ve also been looking forward to GTA 6 for years, just like many gamers, and fully expected to buy a PlayStation 5 in order to play it this year. To my surprise, though, I found myself taking advantage of the cheap Switch 2 deals this week and now I’m a proud owner of Nintendo’s newest console, with no way to play GTA 6.
Why the Switch 2 won me over
I could’ve probably got a Switch 2 last Christmas, but it didn’t seem to have the games I was interested in then and there wasn’t much information about what was coming next. I knew it was something I’d get eventually but the need to own one didn’t reach critical mass until the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time reveal and the price bargain (although I admit the very positive reviews for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave also helped, even though I wasn’t previously interested in that).
But this isn’t really a story of being interested in the Switch 2, it’s of me losing interest in GTA 6. I would still play the game if I had the console to play it (I have a PlayStation 4 and Switch 2 now, only) but I’m not buying a new console for it and have lost more and more interest the more I’ve seen of it.
GTA 6 fails to impress
My first real doubts came with the Netflix reveal, which was underwhelming to me. It looked great, obviously, but everything that they showed and did in it feels like things I’ve already done in GTA 5 and other games. I don’t think there was any sign of any new gameplay features or ideas that add up to anything important and while driving and shooting is obviously the heart of GTA I was expecting something more.
I don’t know what exactly, I just wanted to be wowed by either ‘How did they think of that?’ or ‘I never thought the PS5 was capable of that’. I didn’t see anything close to either, just a lot of very similar looking action and the usual style of dialogue, except with characters that didn’t seem all that exciting, especially Jason.
Collector’s edition and final thoughts
I admit I was also weirdly put off by the collector’s edition they showed off this week. I know it’s only aimed at hardcore fans and all that, but it was so expensive and so completely rubbish in terms of its contents it felt like Rockstar mocking their fans, trying to prove to themselves that they will buy literally anything.
I was never going to get it anyway but there’s something about it that rubbed me up the wrong way. Maybe there is some super amazing new feature in GTA 6 that they’re just waiting to show off next month or something, but I doubt it. For all the waiting and money spent on making it, it seems like they could’ve just downgraded the graphics a bit and released it on PlayStation 4. Or Switch 2.
Not that I don’t want good graphics in my games, of course I do, but not at the cost of any kind of new ideas. That’s why I went for the Switch 2, in terms of both Nintendo’s stuff and indie games. And yes, I realise the irony of wanting Ocarina Of Time – a remake – as one of my first games, which is a rare example of Nintendo purposefully avoiding doing anything new.
New ideas are hard to come by nowadays in gaming, but I figure my best bet is on a Nintendo console with good access to indie titles. I am curious about GTA 6, and maybe I’ll try and borrow a friend’s PlayStation 5 at some point, but beyond that I’m happy to give up the long wait for it to come out.
