Table of Contents
- 1 GTA 6 Trailer 1 Breakdown
- 2 Main Characters and Story Setup
- 3 Graphics and Visual Upgrades
- 4 Building Interiors
- 5 Water and Environmental Details
- 6 NPC Behavior and Diversity
- 7 Character Animation and Physics
- 8 Vehicle Details and Physics
- 9 Returning and New Vehicles
- 10 Law Enforcement Agencies
- 11 Brands and Businesses
- 12 Social Media and Technology
The first GTA 6 trailer dropped on December 5th, 2023 and it's packed with so much details that you probably missed half of it on your first watch. From the graphics to the tiny details in the background, there's a lot to unpack. In this GTA 6 trailer breakdown, we will list everything shown in the trailer so you know exactly what to expect when the game finally comes out.
GTA 6 Trailer 1 Breakdown
Main Characters and Story Setup
The trailer introduces two main characters who will take you through Vice City's criminal underworld:
Lucia Caminos is one of the protagonists. The trailer shows her locked up in a Leonida Department of Correction or Penitentiary facility. She's not there forever though. You'll see her out and about later in the trailer, and she's wearing an ankle monitor in the official artwork. This means Lucia is probably on parole when the game starts. Parts of the map might even be locked off early on because of this.
Jason Duval is the other main character. Jason teams up with Lucia and they start pulling off robberies together. The trailer shows them hitting up Uncle Jack's Liquor, which looks like a regular convenience store.
The story seems to follow these two as partners in crime. You'll see them driving together, robbing places together, and dealing with the cops together. It's going to be interesting to see how their relationship plays out.
Graphics and Visual Upgrades
Rockstar seriously upgraded the graphics for GTA 6. Here's what they're using to make everything look amazing:
- The game uses Ray Traced Global Illumination which makes lighting look super realistic. Light bounces off surfaces naturally and creates indirect lighting that makes indoor spaces feel real. You can see this in action when looking through building windows.
- RT Reflections mixed with Screen Space Reflections make mirrors and shiny surfaces actually reflect what's around them. Car side mirrors now show what's in front of them, which is a nice touch.
- They also used improved volumetric clouds and fog. Smoke looks thick and real. Clouds capture city lights at night and glow naturally. The volumetric lighting creates realistic rays and atmospheric effects.
Building Interiors
This is huge. The trailer shows what looks like real 3D building interiors that you can actually enter. Check these out:
- You can see straight through houses from the front window to the back window. Corner windows on condo buildings also show proper interiors that match up from different angles.
- Rockstar has a patent for a system that lets you purchase and customize building interiors in the game. Leaked footage shows NPCs walking around inside hotels, apartments, stores, and other buildings. This suggests you'll be able to enter way more buildings than in previous GTA games.
- The game uses Advanced Dynamic LOD (similar to Unreal Engine 5's Nanite) to render hundreds of these interiors at once. From far away, they show up as 2D images to save performance. Get closer and they turn into full 3D spaces.
Water and Environmental Details
The water in GTA 6 looks incredible compared to GTA 5. Here are the proofs:
- Water physics have been completely redone. Waves interact with objects naturally. Wind affects the water surface. You can see calm areas behind structures compared to open water. The gradient from wet to dry sand where waves wash up looks realistic and detailed.
- Marine life is everywhere. You'll spot bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead turtles, tiger sharks, and West Indian manatees swimming around. Brown pelicans and herring gulls fly overhead. Even American alligators show up in swamps.
- Water reflects light properly now. Boats and jet skis create realistic wakes. Ships and yachts actually move on the water instead of staying still. The whole ocean feels alive.
NPC Behavior and Diversity
Of course, the NPCs in GTA 6 are way more realistic and varied than before:
- Every single NPC has a different body type, skin tone, outfit, and activity. Walk down the beach and you'll see someone getting sprayed with sunscreen, another person passing a drink to their friend, a muscular guy checking his fitness tracker while jogging, and people walking their pets.
- NPCs carry their own belongings now, like bags, towels, coolers, sunglasses, drinks, sun cream bottles, and different phone models. Beach NPCs even have sand stuck to their feet. Everyone leaves footprints when they walk. Runners kick up sand as they move.
- NPCs walk in groups now instead of always being alone like in older GTA games. You'll see three friends walking together on sidewalks. This makes the city feel more alive and natural.
- Their phones are fully functional with working cameras and display screens. You can see NPCs recording videos and taking photos. Some NPCs are even filming a music video that you can watch from different angles in the trailer.
Character Animation and Physics
Rockstar improved how characters move and react to their environment, too. Such as:
- Muscle deformations show under the skin when characters move their arms or legs.
- Clothing wrinkles naturally based on body position.
- Sweat appears on NPCs working out at the beach.
- Hair physics look great.
- Necklaces and earrings swing naturally when characters move.
- Flip flops have their own physics.
- Lucia grips the car frame when Jason drifts around corners. Her car seat shifts when she leans during turns.
Vehicle Details and Physics
Cars in GTA 6 have tons of small details that add up to something special:
- Tire deformation happens when you drift or drive fast. Tires actually compress and change shape based on how you're driving.
- Incandescent light bulbs in older vehicles fade in and out naturally as the filament warms up. Modern LED lights turn on instantly. This small detail shows how much Rockstar cares about realism.
Returning and New Vehicles
The trailer shows a massive variety of vehicles returning from previous games and brand new additions.
Returning Vehicles
| Brand | Vehicle Models |
|---|---|
| Annis | Elegy Retro Custom, Hellion |
| Albany | Buccaneer, Buccaneer Custom, Primo |
| Benefactor | Dubsta, Schafter MK2, Serrano, Schlagen GT |
| Bravado | Buffalo STX, Banshee, Bison, Gauntlet Hellfire, Gauntlet Classic Custom, Oceanic, Police Buffalo, Rumpo, Youga Classic |
| Declasse | Tulip, Tulip M100 |
| Enus | Jubilee |
| Gallivanter | Baller |
| Grotti | Carbonizzare, Cheetah Classic, Furia |
| Imponte | Ruiner, Phoenix |
| Invetero | Coquette D10 |
| Jobuilt | Phantom, Rubble |
| Karin | Futo, Intruder |
| Maibatsu | Mule (flatbed), Penumbra, Sanchez |
| Nagasaki | Blazer, Carbon RS, Lifeguard Blazer, Outlaw |
| Obey | Tailgater |
| Ocelot | Jugular |
| Pegassi | Zorusso |
| Pfister | Astron, Comet S2 Cabrio, Comet Retro Custom |
| Ubermacht | Cypher, Rebla GTS |
| Vapid | Caracara, Chino, Dominator ASP, Dominator, Dominator GTX, Fortune, Police Cruiser, Police Interceptor, Sandking XL, Slamvan, Stanier, Stanier Taxi, Speedo |
| Shyster | 700PMP, Deviant |
| Zirconium | Stratum |
New Vehicles
| Vehicle Type | Models |
|---|---|
| Cars | Audi RS7, Buick Skylark 6th Gen, Chevy Impala 10th Gen, Chevy Sonic, Chrysler 300, Infiniti Q45, 90s/2000s Ford Explorer or Tahoe, Dodge Ram 2nd Generation, Dodge Ram Dually, Dodge Caravan 5th Generation, Dodge Challenger FHP, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Ford Explorer Police SUV, Ford F Series, New Flyer Xcelsior, 69/70 Mercury Cougar, 1960s Mustang Convertible |
| Off-Road | Swamp Buggy |
Aquatic Vehicles
| Boat Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Airboat | For swamp navigation |
| Barge | Large transport vessel |
| 28 Skater Catamarans | High-speed performance boats |
| Catamaran Yacht | Luxury dual-hull yacht |
| Cigarette 515 | Fast speedboat |
| Dinka Marquis | Returning yacht |
| Kayak | Small personal watercraft |
| Nagasaki Dinghy | Small motorboat |
| Reefer | Fishing boat |
| Shitzu Suntrap | Speedboat |
| Shitzu Squalo | Performance boat |
| Speedophile Seashark | Jet ski |
| Various Yachts | Multiple luxury yacht models |
| Yamaha Waverunner | Personal watercraft |
Aircraft
| Aircraft Type | Models |
|---|---|
| Commercial | Airbus A340 |
| Helicopters | Buckingham Maverick, Buckingham Nimbus, Police Maverick, Sea Sparrow, SuperVolito Carbon |
| Other | Mammoth Dodo |
Law Enforcement Agencies
Vice City has multiple police departments with different jurisdictions:
- Vice City Police Department handles the main city
- Ocean Beach Police Department handles the beach areas
- Port Gellhorn Police Department operates in the northern city of Port Gellhorn
County-level agencies include:
- Kelly County Police Department
- LCSO (Leonard County Sheriff's Office)
- Vice Dale Sheriff's Office
Brands and Businesses
Lots of new and returning brands fill the game world.
- New brands include Kowalski, Callus, Skala, Thirst Trap, MID, Alpha, Zesta, Pindayho Cerveza, Thaw, Uncle Jack's Liquor, Nine 1 Nine, Sol Sisters, WHS, and Phix.
- Returning brands from previous games include Pißwasser, E-Cola, Nogo Vodka, Richard's Whiskey, Logger Beer, iFruit, Drone phones, WANT credit cards, and Jetsam.
Social Media and Technology
The game features a new social media platform that looks like a mix of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
You can access it from your in-game phone and computers. Videos also appear in different aspect ratios suggesting the platform works across devices. Rockstar seems to use custom emojis throughout the app
This is the end of our GTA 6 trailer 1 breakdown All these details show that GTA 6 will feel more alive than any previous game. What do you think? Did we miss something? Which feature are you most excited about this upcoming game? Let us know!
