GTA 6 changes far more than it seems, and the Extended Look proves it

GTA 6's Extended Look has shown how the game plays under the hood: a split health bar, several ways to break into cars, fridges full of food and NPCs that react to what you do. Rockstar Games hasn't published a mechanics guide yet, but 26 minutes of gameplay captured on PS5 reveal plenty. These are the most important new features.

A split health bar (and Focus)

In the corner of the screen, Jason and Lucia now show several vitals. Health is split into two segments: the first refills on its own over time, but topping up the second requires eating or healing. Below sit stamina and a purple bar with an eye icon: Focus.

Focus is reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption 2's Dead Eye. It lets you aim precisely in slow motion and also helps you spot the police, who no longer appear on the minimap as in previous games.

Stealing cars is no longer a one-button job

Gone are the days of opening the door and driving off. To take a parked car you have two options:

• Use a lockout tool (a slim jim) to pop the lock without damaging the vehicle, via a short minigame.
• Smash the window, which is faster but noisier and leaves the car damaged.

As Kotaku puts it, for the first time in over 25 years stealing cars in GTA will actually be hard. It makes sense: the game lets you track down and sell vehicles, and damage lowers their value.

Full fridges: eating and drinking matter again

Jason opens his fridge at home and a menu of food and drinks pops up. Each item refills something different: some smoothies give stamina and Focus, others add health. It is an evolution of Red Dead Redemption 2's cores and fits the new health bar.

NPCs that react to what you do

Pedestrians are no longer just set dressing. According to Sole Retriever's breakdown, witnesses take note of your clothes, weapon and vehicle, and security cameras count too. The map marks the crime scene and, if you go back, the police may resume the search.

To shake them off, Jason and Lucia can open their car's trunk to change clothes or stash weapons mid-chase. There are also icons that react to what you do: petting a dog brings up a halo; fleeing a robbery, devil horns. They are part of the Criminal Profile, which tracks what kind of criminal you are. Rockstar has told IGN that it is not an honour system like the one in RDR2.

Other details you shouldn't miss

• Physical phone: the phone is an in-game object and the camera moves closer to the hand when you use it.
• Satellite-style map: far more detailed than the simple roads of previous games.
• Limited weapons: you can't carry everything; the rest stays in the trunk or at the safehouse.
• Character switching: GTA V-style, zooming out from the sky, and locked at certain story moments.
• RDR2-style interactions: holding the trigger brings up options to interact with people and animals.