Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look

Landing on Vice City: First Impressions

As you try to avoid watching another pointless overtime cricket or rerun of a show you've already seen seven hundred times, you stop on something titled 'Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look'. Your remote control hand is intrigued by the 27 minute long R rated video showing a game that hasn't even released yet. Is it a movie about a game? A really long trailer? Or a trailer with movie production quality that's so much longer than normal? The answer is ka-ching, trailer that costs so much more than normal to make.

The ‘extended look’ part of the Vice City game begins with an immersive, yet familiar, HD version of the Vice City world. The graphics really capture your attention with their rich detail and HD quality. Fans of the series (or animation in general) will be hooked after the first few minutes. The sound also really shines with the sounds of late night neon city racing, gritty dialogue, and of course the chaotic yet artful car chases. There’s something captivating about all the sensory overload. It’s clear they wanted to set a high bar for what people will be expecting of this behind the scenes look, even though it’s really a reel. Though to be fair, it’s a a great looking and artful cinematic reel and nearly impossible to look away from for it cinematic value. For a general audience, this reel may be unnecessary as the constant vignettes and edits may feel unrelated as a traditional narrative, and as an action sizzle reel, you’ll be pleased.

Beyond the Hype Reel: Does it Hold the Remote?

After the initial response to the 'extended look' is positive, the real test is the 27-minute run time. Does it still capture the interest of fans when live sports are a click away? For the die-hard Grand Theft Auto fans, the answer is easily a resounding "yes." For much more than better graphics; this look sets the tone, suggests characters and even storylines and the scope of the Grand Theft Auto universe. It even shows players the two leads and some of the crazy, unique situations that are a staple of the Grand Theft Auto series. The tone here is pace, the pacing is endless, and the tone even drives the storytelling. The pacing covers the grisly with the ridiculous. Even in the context of describing this extended look, not enough time has been allocated to describe it all. Each frame has a detailed story summarized, and invites players to watch all this footage more casually.

This extended look in a standalone format might not hold someone's attention who isn't already a part of the Grand Theft Auto world. While the production value is clearly high, the episodic format means this is really more of an extremely long commercial with some slow reveals of characters and worlds to interact with. The focus here is more on the potential of the game and what lies within it rather than on complete stories that actually end. You are shown interesting concepts, but just enough to frustrate and intrigue you at the same time. It sits in the same frustrating place as a teaser trailer for a game that you know won't be out for many months. Even though the presentation and the technical value is extremely high, this won't keep people engaged past the hype cycle. It doesn't hold value to most people's entertainment hunger in the way a film would.

The Verdict: Flip, or Stay Tuned?

After 27 minutes of high-octane animation, 'Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look' deserves your attention. Or maybe you just reach for the remote? If you are a Grand Theft Auto series fan or someone who likes to appreciate state-of-the-art animation and catch a preview of a highly anticipated media piece of pop culture, this 'extended look' deserves to keep your eyes glued to the screen. This teaser combines high-quality production with an excellent dose of adrenaline to keep everyone excited about what’s to come. It brings back the elements that made the series popular. It blends the love of open-world games with the madness of crime. It returns in a beautiful and detailed way to capture everyone. It is an announcement of an event for its audience.

For hardcore fans, this is a solid preview of the movie, but for casual viewers or those looking for a self-contained short movie, This easier to skip. It has impressive visuals, and a big budget, but ultimately serves to build buzz, and only accomplishes that. Relatively speaking, it has a short runtime. Like watching the Super Bowl commercials (for production value), it is impressive, but that’s not why you are watching the game. It is a drawn out tease, and it is a good piece of advertisement for the movie. While it is a free movie (legally) for a general audience to watch and expect to be entertained for over two hours, this is a poor and disappointing replacement. As a preview of a full movie, it has a good tease and sets expectations, but it shows a lot of potential, and leaves you wanting more.