The next title for Rockstar Games appears to be Grand Theft Auto 6, and there may even be sequels in store for Bully and Red Dead Redemption following that, but it would be more exciting if the company created a new IP after instead. Rockstar is arguably best known for GTA, and it's understandable as to why hype for the next main installment in the series is so high. However, the widespread success and acclaim for Red Dead Redemption 2 shows that Rockstar can make very good games outside of their signature franchise as well. After the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar may want to try its hand at a new IP in order to break away from its traditional formula.
Most of Rockstar's success has come from crime-based narratives, as seen in the GTA and Red Dead Redemption series. A lesser example is shown in Bully, as while Bully is not as outrageous as GTA, protagonist Jimmy Hopkins is clearly a rebellious spirit. While Rockstar has shown its preferred niche, it could benefit from expanding the horizons of its games while still keeping some of the same spirit from the studio's past successes, delving into new genres much the way it did with Red Dead and L.A. Noire at the beginning of the 2010s.
Knowing what sorts of game elements Rockstar does well, there are several ideas that could be tried while still playing to the studio's strengths. A new IP could provide a fresh experience to fans, and potentially create a new hit in the same vein as Red Dead Redemption. The industry always needs new ideas, and Rockstar could provide some if it decided to ignore GTA or any of its other IP in the future. The fact that GTA 6 could be less edgy than previous installments could indicate a new direction from Rockstar, and that new plans are on the horizon.
Rockstar Could Make A Spacefaring Sci-Fi Adventure
To date, Rockstar has tackled the crime, Western, action, and noir genres in its games. Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis even showed that the company was capable of delving into sports, so most genres should be on the table. One genre that would potentially play to Rockstar's strengths as premier storytellers in the gaming medium is science-fiction. Rockstar has the resources to build something just as ambitious as Mass Effect, and seeing the studio apply its signature cinematic flair to the genre could be a welcome change of pace compared to its previous releases.
A Rockstar sci-fi game could see players explore crashed starships for salvage, or engage in high-tech gunfights with space pirates. Considering GTA's traditionally vast variety of side missions, a Rockstar sci-fi adventure would likely have plenty of content for players. This setting would also give Rockstar a chance to get incredibly creative with the story, crafting a plotline with worldwide or even galaxy-wide consequences.
A sci-fi-adventure could act as a good test for Rockstar's imagination. The game could feature a variety of creative alien species and planets. Rockstar has typically played with real-life concepts and historical eras when telling stories, so it would be interesting to see how the studio copes with world-building elements from scratch. Rockstar's writers have shown the ability to captivate audiences before, so challenging themselves to create an otherworldly universe could bear great fruit.
Rockstar Could Make A Great Superhero Game
The honor meter in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a mechanic that remains present over the whole game, tracking how noble of a man Arthur Morgan is at heart. The fact that Bully 2 would've had an RDR2-style honor system as well shows that Rockstar knows it in an intriguing concept. To waver between good and evil actions is a concept that has plenty of potential. Rockstar would do well to revive this mechanic, and the perfect setting for a conflict of good and evil would be a superhero story.
In this game, the main character could be a superhuman with a shadowy past, capable of both good and evil. The player would be able to take selfless actions such as helping people and stopping crimes, as well as selfish ones such as robberies. The game's missions could also be directed towards pushing the player down the paths of heroism or villainy. Similar to how RDR2 changed details depending on Arthur's honor, the game would be affected by the player's alignment. In the end, the player's actions over the course of the game would determine whether the protagonist rises as the next great superhero, a new villain, or a wild card who plays both sides of the law.
A superhero game could also provide a significant change in gameplay. Rather than pitched gunfights, combat could be a combination of fisticuffs and superpowers. Most Rockstar titles typically involve gunplay of some kind, and a game without firearms would take the studio outside of its comfort zone. That said, Red Dead Redemption 2's melee mechanics shows that Rockstar is capable of creating compelling hand-to-hand combat, so it could be that it becomes more of a focus in future titles.
A Medieval Fantasy Could Be A New Route For Rockstar
Most of Rockstar's games to date have taken place in modern settings. However, RDR2's startlingly accurate Wild West setting impressed players, proving that the studio is capable of more diverse backdrops for games. This should be taken as a sign for Rockstar to be more open to experimenting with different time periods. One way that the studio could go about this is by setting a game in a fantasy-style medieval world of knights and kingdoms. Given the Rockstar writers' penchant for going over-the-top, they could potentially be able to craft a world that is both delightfully absurd as well as engaging.
The player could take the role of a traveling adventurer that gets themselves wrapped up in the web of feuds that spans the kingdom. The crisscrossing paths of the game could let the player experience all sorts of colorful characters, from cunning merchants to rowdy tavern brawlers to foolishly greedy nobles. GTA's long list of quality characters shows that Rockstar's writers could take some medieval archetypes and use them to create some entertaining figures. The trick would lie in balancing the more comical parody elements with penning a story that would legitimately keep players interested.
A medieval setting would also provide a much different take on combat than Rockstar's norm. In place of guns, combat could involve swords, bows, and axes. The game could also include more exotic weaponry such as flails and bardiches, with the player being able to choose their own preferred weapon. It would be a system far different from anything that was in previous Rockstar games, but it could easily lead to some of the most intense gameplay from the studio to date. GTA 6 could be more like RDR2, and if so, it's possible the game could also inform other Rockstar titles regardless of genre.
A fresh IP could be exactly what Rockstar needs going into the latter half of the 2020s. With Grand Theft Auto 6 already confirmed after years of speculation, surprising fans with a new title could be the start of something great. Sequels to Red Dead Redemption 2, Bully, and L.A. Noire will no doubt be welcomed by fans, but Rockstar has the potential to make another strong IP going further into the decade.