Rockstar Games has its own proprietary engine called RAGE, which has been used for previous titles and will be seen in action in GTA 6. Ever since Grand Theft Auto 5, the developers made various changes to the game engine in order to improve it in all aspects.
RAGE stands for Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, which has had various releases and the latest one will be numbered nine. Overall graphical improvements were quite noticeable with 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2 release, which was termed to be mesmerizing among many. Thus, with the usage of the improved version of Rockstar’s home-baked engine, many other improvements are expected with the release of GTA 6.
In 2022, we got a lot of information about GTA 6, partly due to a large-scale leak that was put forward by a hacker group. While the leaks weren’t large in number, they sure showcased a lot of things that fans had been eagerly waiting to observe.
On the brighter side, the leaks provided insight into how the development has progressed for the studio. With that said, let us look into how RAGE 9 would compare with the upcoming game release, which will be showcased in December 2023.
How RAGE used to be and what improvements has it seen over the years?
RAGE (8th version) has seen major improvements with the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 in 2013. The engine mainly focused on improved graphics while making the physics system more dynamic. Even after a decade, the engine proves to be quite stable even while being used with mods. Moreover, the DirectX 11-based engine is highly capable of simulating life at a large scale which makes the experience great for all.
However, Rockstar didn’t stop there in kept on improving and released Red Dead Redemption 2 featuring RAGE 8. This engine mainly added support for DirectX 12 and Vulcan API to extend its support. The best feature of this engine was its unique weather system that looks realistic for the volumetric effects. Moreover, this engine even improved the AI for NPCs, which helped uplift the karma system.
Now, the engine had been lacking in destruction simulation when it came to earlier releases. However, subtle improvements were noticed with the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, which had a lot more level of detail when it came to snow simulation or water physics. Thus, by default, it can be expected that more improvements and details will be implemented with Rockstar’s next project.
How will RAGE 9 evolve for GTA 6 release?
Over the years Rockstar has worked hard on its proprietary engine by adding improvements with each release. However, they have constantly worked on certain key areas like overall game physics, day-night cycle, render quality, and AI interaction.
In-game physics simulation and performance
GTA 6 will be Rockstar’s next-generation open-world title and feature various changes that will fit current generational standards. For instance, the water physics of the game is likely to see improvements and might feature fun activities. According to certain leaks and rumors, the new game might also feature surfing which would be a new experience.
This might be true as the game is set in Vice City, which has large beaches and would fit the Miami setting. Rockstar even worked on their own surfing game in the past called H30. However, this game was released on PlayStation 2, which was almost three generations ago. Yet, the possibility of it being a feature in the upcoming game is likely.
Furthermore, Nvidia displayed real-time water physics with PhysX 5 in 2021 at their Omniverse Physics Showcase. By mixing mesh-based water systems with realistic water physics, a lot can be achieved in the upcoming title.
Major improvements in water physics and rendering were observable between Grand Theft Auto 5 and RDR 2. If modern technology is implemented now, GTA 6 could again set the bar high for this innovation. Additionally, the water physics in Red Dead Redemption 2 was also quite realistic at ultra settings, which could be improved upon later.
Physics is also applied in vehicles and character models, which Rockstar has tweaked over time. When compared between GTA 5 and RDR2, the latter proved to be more realistic and well-tuned to fit the scenario. Additionally, the ragdoll physics in RDR2 is superior which gives a more refined experience.
Additionally, the vehicle physics might be changed a bit to provide realistic destruction and handling like never before. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the cart physics doesn’t fall out of place and sells its realistic gameplay. With GTA 6, the body physics of vehicles might be based on their prior release and focus more on body-work damage, just like GTA 4.
Lighting, day-night cycle, and weather in GTA 6
Lighting plays a crucial role in video games and the entertainment industry as it helps with realism when done right. Red Dead Redemption is a prime example when it comes to Rockstar’s history with lighting and realistic graphics. However, that was only possible for its atmospheric simulation which helps with the propagation of light in various situations.
Grand Theft Auto 5 on the other hand with RAGE 8 couldn’t pull off the same feats as it wasn’t designed to handle lighting like with RDR2. However, with RAGE 9, Rockstar will be improving on the old ways so that it fits with the new title. As known for leaks so far, the lighting is similar to that of RDR2. However, with that said, there is the likelihood that these things will be tweaked during the final release.
Lighting also varies according to the time of day, which brings the thought of day and night cycles. As observed in Red Dead Redemption 2, the day-night cycle works wonderfully, and the lights the scenario well. Moreover, the transition between each day was smooth due to the potential of Rockstar’s game engine.
One of the major highlights of RDR2 was its weather system which not only has great visuals but also in-game interaction. The skies of the game were made in a way that fit the open landscapes of the game. Since GTA 6 will feature all kinds of landscapes, this might be tweaked all over for the Miami beach-like scenario or outward locations that are open and barren.
