Rockstar games hasn't let people down since it first entered the mainstream with 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, which ignited a revolution within the industry, shattering sales records and becoming as influential to video game design as it was controversial. Since that seminal release, the studio has continued to top themselves with each new project. The company's most recent release, Red Dead Redemption 2, improved upon  Grand Theft Auto V in almost every way.

Related: 10 Signs Grand Theft Auto 6 May Be Coming Soon

RDR2 has been out for less than a year, but Rockstar surely must be cooking up their next big game. If we were gamblers, we'd say that next game is Grand Theft Auto VI. Like every development cycle, it is hard to say how they will top their recent masterpiece, but it won't stop any daydreaming about what the title might end up being. The ten entries in this list will look at five things from RDR2 the studio should include in GTA VI, and five things that are better left staying in the old west. For the latter, these mechanics aren't necessarily bad, but they don't belong in the open world mayhem for which the GTA series is known.

10 Needs To Keep: Detail Of The World

RDR2 vista
RDR2 vista

Grand Theft Auto V's Los Santos is huge, but the player can't do a whole lot in it besides sparking chaos. RDR2 adds a ton of depth to the world itself, letting players inside most houses, and allowing Arthur Morgan to rummage through cabinets. It's understandable to not have access to every building within GTA's urban sprawls, but they should have as many as possible.

There's more to detail than inside environments too. If weather had an effect on the city, or parts of it were destructible, it would go along way towards making it feel alive. A Shenmue level of realism isn't expected, but it should strive for something more than what it has done in the past.

9 Needs To Go: Shooting Mechanics

Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Shooting Wearing Bandana
Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Shooting Wearing Bandana

Rockstar's aiming mechanics are from the stone age. With the exception of Max Payne 3, all of their games are a chore when it comes to gunfights.

Related: 10 Features They Kept In Every GTA Game

Players who want to go without using auto aim will have a hard time, and there's no excuse for this in modern gaming.

8 Needs To Keep: Writing

Dan Houser's writing ability improves with each script, so there's no reason to believe Grand Theft Auto VI won't continue this trend. RDR2 really went miles ahead of GTA V with its plot. The western is a serious, somber tale about redemption, while Trevor, Michael, and Franklin's tale is more comedic.

Related: 10 Storylines In Red Dead Redemption 2 That Were Never Resolved

The next GTA doesn't need to get as dour as Arthur Morgan's tale, but a black comedy can still have award-worthy dialogue and scenarios. One area that can still be improved upon is the heavy-handedness with which its themes are conveyed. Players are smart enough to understand subtext without having it banged over their heads.

7 Needs To Go: Extreme Dedication To Realism

RDR2 haircut overweight arthur
RDR2 haircut overweight arthur

Dedication to realism is a good thing, but the developers should remember they are still making a game. Riding a horse is cool and all, but sometimes people just want to quickly reach their objective marker.

On the other hand, if transportation is fun enough, people will want to drive everywhere instead of fast travel. GTA V already did this so well with its smooth as butter driving and ability to take a cab. People have little reason to worry about this, since the Red Dead games strive to simulate the wild west, and GTA tends to be looser with realism.

6 Needs To Keep: Realistic Characters

RDR2 Ensemble Cast
RDR2 Ensemble Cast

Characters in Rockstar games were always memorable, but they felt like cartoons. RDR2's ensemble feels like genuine people. When certain ones bit the bullet, it was absolutely devastating.

Related: 7 Characters We Want To Return In GTA 6 (And 3 We Don't Want To See)

If they manage to get the same effect from characters in the next GTA, it will receive at least as much praise as RDR2.

5 Needs To Go: Cleaning Guns

Red Dead Redemption 2_20181031140725
Red Dead Redemption 2_20181031140725

As if getting guns wasn't enough, Arthur Morgan periodically needs to clean them to maintain their usefulness in a firefight.

It's a neat idea, but it breaks the pacing of missions and grows tiresome after watching the animation for the hundredth time. GTA VI shouldn't even think about adopting a similar mechanic. It would be like having to worry about gas in a car's tank.

4 Needs To Keep: Original Songs

RDR2 John building a house
RDR2 John building a house

Red Dead Redemption 2's original soundtrack does so much to heighten the emotion during its most crucial moments.

The original songs, written and performed by legends like Willie Nelson and D'Angelo, are catchy enough on their own, but are now unforgettable after being forever linked to the game. GTA VI should recruit more legendary songwriters and performers to lay down new tracks.

3 Needs To Go: Health And Stamina Cores

This system isn't too obtrusive in RDR2, where the whole world is heavier and survival is the main focus in gameplay.

GTA VI probably won't be about outlaws scraping by in the wild west, so they would likely feel out of place. Players should also have more health because death comes all too quickly in GTA V.

2 Needs To Keep: Talking To NPCs

Red Dead Redemption 2 Wagon

The amount of spoken dialogue in RDR2 is staggering. It takes a long time for Arthur to start repeating his lines, and the same goes true for the supporting cast.

GTA VI should offer the same amount of interaction with NPCs, or at least have more optional conversations with other characters.

1 Needs To Go: Bounty System

RDR2 Bounty
RDR2 Bounty

Bounties made sense in the old west. For the game, it was a solid mechanic for encouraging a certain play style.

Rockstar didn't seem to want players to tackle this map like they would have Los Santos or Liberty City. However, such a system would only serve to limit freedom in a contemporary urban setting.

Next: 10 Possible Settings For Grand Theft Auto VI (That Could Actually Happen)