GTA 6’s Vice City has had a huge glow-up

This ain’t a PS2 game.

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Image credit:Rockstar

We finally have our first proper glimpse of GTA 6 , Rockstar’s next magnum opus, and it looks to be a huge sprawling epic set in a new version of Vice City that’s far grander and more intricately detailed than we’ve ever seen before. Considering the last time we visited it was the PS2 era, Atomic Kitten were still in the charts, and half the people who work on this website were still in nappies, it’s a pretty mindblowing upgrade.

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Vice City was one of the most impressive open world games of its day, but it looks like Space Invaders compared to GTA VI. |Image credit:Rockstar

That’s what, three generations since the GTA: Vice City? And what’s perhaps more striking than the scope and scale of the city is the quality of the character models. The photorealistic skin and hair, the dazzlingly lifelike animation: things have definitely come a long way since the original 3D rendition of Florida’s jewel in the mud. Obviously. It’s been over twenty years. But Rockstar wasn’t exactly known for its character work back then. Cars and buildings? They had that nailed. Urban cityscapes? Completed it. Faces that don’t look like potatoes? We’ll get back to you. Separated fingers? Uh, look mate, take it or leave it yeah.

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GTA 6’s Lucia looks like a human person, and Tommy Vercetti looks like a half melted foot lolly |Image credit:Rockstar

Finding GTA 6’s new serious tone a bit much? Try it with some flatulence instead.Watch on YouTube

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I’m not making up foot lollies |Image credit:Unilever

So it’s astonishing to see how far GTA 6 has leapt ahead of almost everything else we’ve seen, not just in technical terms, but in terms of artistry. Seeing this footage removes any doubt as to why it’s been so long since the last big GTA release: the amount of blood and sweat (and money) being leathered into this game is obscene.

Can’t wait to play the damn thing. 2025! Unbelievable.

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Grand Theft Auto VI

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S

Wishlisted - Our 10 Best Steam Next Fest Demos

Another Next Fest kicks off soon, but we’ve already done the digging for you.

Welcome to Wishlisted, a showcase of our favourite demos from Steam Next Fest: June 2024. Check the video above or watch on YouTube .

Finding the Best NextFest Demos is all about the joy of discovery, but with so many Steam Next Fest demos getting released in such a short amount of time, it can be bewildering. So we’ve decided to show you our ten Best Steam Next Fest games which we think deserve your attention. These are all upcoming Steam Next Fest games that we’re genuinely excited for, and that we think should play nicely on PC handhelds too!

This is just the start of our Next Fest coverage. This week we’ll be previewing loads of upcoming demos across the entire network - right here on VG247, of course, but also over on our sister sites Eurogamer and Rock Paper Shotgun. Bookmark our Wishlisted Steam Fest hub to stay in the loop. And this is well before Next Fest actually starts, so you, dear reader, get to bask for a solid fortnight celebrating all the wonderful new games that are just around the corner. Enjoy!