Does anyone actually play video games using the Netflix app? I know they have games on there you can play on your phone. But I’ve never really been interested enough to actually use Netflix on my phone. After all, I use the streaming service to watch movies or television show, not play video games. So, maybe this is the reason why I found it really weird Rockstar Games decided to partner with Netflix to give us the worldwide preview of Grand Theft Auto VI: Extended Look. To be fair, Rockstar Games and most of the other mainstream video game news outlets also streamed it on Youtube and such. Still, it’s on Netflix. Really.

Of course, Youtube won’t allow me to embed the video on this page because of age-restrictions. Which is why I find it incredibly funny that I can embed videos of people reacting to the Grand Theft Auto VI: Extended Look on this website without any problem. Funny how that works, huh? Then again, if you think about it, this review is like my reaction to it… but with words you have to read.

So, I already did a post on Grand Theft Auto VI: Extended look but it was more of my predictions on what other mechanics Rockstar Games didn’t show us yet. That wasn’t a proper review of the entire show, though. Well, I might as well do it now!

So, obviously the Grand Theft Auto VI: Extended Look gives us a preview on what we can expect from the game. It gives us a little sneak peek at our main characters, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, who are purported to be a depiction of a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. The Extended Look shows off a lot of stuff, like the actual gameplay and all sorts of activities you can do while living in the fictional state of Leonida and Vice City. If that sounds like a lot of area to play in, that’s because it is! We don’t really get to appreciate the entire scope of Leonida or even Vice City for that matter but we do get a hint on how big this new open world will be during that one scene where Lucia goes BASE jumping off that one skyscraper before switching over to Jason. I do kind of wish they opened up a map or something so we did get to see how grand the game will be in the Extended Look. I know you can probably look that up on the Interwebs but it would have been nice if Rockstar Games gave us a little taste in this 30-minute Extended Look.

Speaking of the gameplay, the Extended Look does give you a good idea of how the gunplay will feel like… if you know exactly where the enemies are. Although the shooting segments did manage to show you the important stuff, like how the cover mechanics are, with your character (mainly Jason Duval, strangely) sticking to cover and crouching when necessary. It also does show destructible environments as debris will explode next to your character while you’re ducking the hailstorm of bullets.

What I didn’t like is how good and precise the guy (or gal) controlling Jason was during the Extended Look. I understand he probably rehearsed these scenes for days to become really good at them. I can’t be sure but I also do think they “dumbed down” the enemy AI a little bit or made them do less damage as there were moments when your character (once again, just Jason) walking without any cover and hardly getting any damage.

It also got to a point where he was just too good! He was moving the targeting reticule to the areas where the baddies would appear so he could get the headshot as soon as they popped in. He either made these action scenes look too easy or, worse, made them look like anyone playing the game for the first time should be able to do exactly that without any problem. He could’ve shown a little more struggle to really give viewers the idea of what it would be like to play these scenes for the first time.

I did find it somewhat odd that they really didn’t show off much melee combat besides that one or two second portion of Lucia fighting off three enemies at the same time as this is a big improvement over the previous games. If I remember correctly, none of the previous Grand Theft Auto games had you really fighting multiple people at the same time. They would give you the illusion of facing off multiple enemies but it would really just be a one-on-one-slugfest while the other guys wait their turn. That doesn’t seem to be the case in Grand Theft Auto VI as we see a brief fistfight with Lucia Caminos taking on several guys and, just after she dodges one guy’s attack, she has to block the punch of the guy to her left immediately. This looks hectic but a lot more fun and I really wish Rockstar Games showed more of this.

Rockstar Games also showed off a lot of the other activities both Jason and Lucia get to do all around Leonida and Vice City. I already mentioned the BASE jumping and the fistfights. But there were so many other things to do. Of course, you can go visit *ahem* the “gentleman’s club” at night, drive different kinds of vehicles and even race them, watch TV, commit various felonies like robbing stores and the like. But there are new hobbies you can pick up in Grand Theft Auto VI, like shoot some hoops, participate in some backyard wrestling, scuba diving and working out as seen in the Extended Look. Rockstar Games has been good at cramming so many things to do in their open world games so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are still many more activities that couldn’t be featured in the Extended Look because of limited time.

Returning from Grand Theft Auto V is the ability to switch between characters. While in the previous game, you can switch between the three protagonists, you only have two options in Grand Theft Auto VI: the aforementioned Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. They do give us a glimpse on how instantaneous the switch can be when we get to that scene of Lucia BASE jumping before switching to Jason having a drink with his buddy. The Extended Look does hint there are going to be some missions only Lucia can do and vice versa. Or, at the very least, it might start out that way before his or her partner will come into the mission.

There is also the final missions shown where both Jason and Lucia are hired to protect some VIP and they seem to switch between each other depending when one of them hits some kind of checkpoint. Hopefully, this will seem more seamless and less abrupt as the trailer. Then again, it does seem like they did cut out some portions of the mission for one reason or another. So, they might have done these edits to avoid spoilers.

However, because of the level of polish on this presentation, it did make the more awkward moments during the Extended Look come off as a little more obvious. Things like the beer bottle popping into Jason’s hand when he reached into the fridge and the awkward looking backflip he does when diving off a pier looked incredibly off. These are all things we wouldn’t focus on too much in other video games. But, like I said, that’s only because of how almost perfect the Extended Look made Grand Theft Auto VI look. But it is fun to nitpick at all of these teeny tiny faux pas moments.

However, the main thing I do have to say about the Extended Look is that it’s supposed to be more than just a preview of Grand Theft Auto VI. It was a big commercial for the game and a way to convince gamers that, after a year-long delay, this game was going to be worth it. And, in all honesty, I have to agree. There is just so much polish in the entire presentation. From the art design, the graphic fidelity, the lighting system, the sound design and to whatever. You name it, it nails it.

And what’s even more amazing is it looks this good on a base PlayStation 5. Not the PlayStation 5 Pro!

Yes, the entire Extended Look was done on the regular version of the PlayStation 5! Not only will this game sell in the millions in the first day (heck, it’s already sold almost 5 million units on pre-order as of this writing), this is also going to be moving a lot of consoles as well because Grand Theft Auto VI is not coming out on PC until some undefined date in the future. So, if you want to play this gorgeous game filled with hours and hours of things to do, you have to get either a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X/S. If you don’t, well, I’m pretty sure what you’re getting for this coming Holiday season, huh?

Honestly, the Grand Theft Auto VI: Extended Look was definitely worth watching if you’re a gamer. Of course, I can’t really recommend you go see it if you don’t like video games as you’re not the target audience. But, if you’re a gamer, I do suggest you go see if, even if you don’t like the Grand Theft Auto series. At the very least, it will show you what a big budget game should look like to make it worth your money.

Have you seen the Grand Theft Auto VI: Extended Look? Did you watch it on Netflix or on one of the other video gaming news sites? Did it make you want to get it when it launches? Let me know in the comments section below!