The GTA 6 extended look has finally given fans their deepest view yet of Vice City and the swamps and forests of Leonida — and there is far more packed into those 26 minutes than a single viewing reveals.

Netflix held the exclusive for about six hours before the footage landed on YouTube and elsewhere, ahead of the November 19 release. What follows is everything worth catching that you may have scrolled past.

Two Leads, One Chaotic Partnership

Character switching returns, working much the way it did across large stretches of GTA V.

At the 18:41 mark, control shifts from Jason to Lucia mid-chase as the pair try to manage a rapidly deteriorating situation from their red convertible. Rockstar’s Bonnie and Clyde can be swapped between freely, at least during open sequences.

Some missions appear to lock you to one character. Around 10:50, Lucia and Jason are pitched a job by their criminal associate Brian Heder while drinking at a rooftop bar called the Effluvia in downtown Vice City. They briefly debate who takes it before Lucia stands and walks off, leaving Jason with both the job and his Pißwasser.

Six Stars Are Back

Blink at the 14-minute mark and you will miss it.

While Jason fends off police cruisers and a helicopter with an automatic rifle from the back of a getaway car, six Wanted Stars are briefly visible.

That matters. GTA V capped its system at five, making it the outlier among the 3D entries — every other game in that lineage included a sixth tier, which in GTA IV signalled the NOOSE tactical units.

The New Criminal Profile System

Sitting alongside the Wanted level is something entirely new.

According to IGN’s preview, the Criminal Profile functions somewhat like the Honor system from Red Dead Redemption 2, but with more nuance. The game does not treat every crime identically — returning fire at an NPC who started the confrontation carries less weight than launching an unprovoked rampage.

You can also defuse situations before they escalate, using onscreen dialogue options to either antagonise or calm the other party. Another RDR2 inheritance.

Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told IGN that consistent behaviour may affect how the world responds and how the story unfolds.

Small acts count too. Throwing rubbish in a bin or feeding one of Leonida’s animals reportedly nudges your profile in a positive direction.

How Combat Has Changed

Rockstar has said little officially, but the footage gives plenty away.

The clearest upgrade is two-weapon quick switching without opening the weapon wheel. Watch Lucia at 18:31 as she moves through an outdoor range, flipping between a rifle and her pistol without pausing.

Weapon pickups look faster and cleaner — Jason grabs an enemy’s Duke 556 mid-firefight late in the trailer with no fuss. Aiming appears smoother overall, though it is hard to judge how much of that is auto-aim in recorded footage.

One-handed weapon use is also in. At 09:21, Lucia fires a shotgun with one hand while hauling a large bag in the other.

Minigames, Everywhere

Grand Theft Auto has always been generous with side activities, and this entry looks stacked.

Visible across the trailer: basketball, dirt bike racing, scuba diving, timed shooting challenges, stock car racing, kayaking, and backyard wrestling complete with WWE-style finishers.

Whether the BAWSAQ stock exchange returns remains unclear.

Carjacking Gets Complicated

Stealing cars is no longer a single button press.

At 06:07, Jason begins a Slim Jim minigame, working a flat metal tool into a door via a right-stick timing meter.

Nelson told IGN that higher-end vehicles with electronic locks require key cloners, meaning hot-wiring everything on the street is off the table.

Once you have the car, navigation improves — the new map HUD around the 8-minute mark renders buildings in 3D.

Callbacks to Rockstar’s Back Catalogue

The trailer is dense with references.

A scene on the water with Heder suggests RDR2’s fishing minigame has been adapted. Earlier, Jason’s driving leaves a man dangling off a bridge, possibly signalling the return of GTA IV’s Stranger Encounters.

Lucia working a bench press is a direct nod to San Andreas and its muscle-building systems.

More RDR2 DNA appears throughout: face coverings selectable from an item wheel for robberies, an animation where the pair hide their weapons behind their backs before entering a shop, and onscreen icons tracking health, wardrobe, and vehicle condition.

Binoculars are in as well — though using them to watch a man with a VR headset through a window is some distance from spotting elk on a ridge.

GTA V Features That Survived

Lifeinvader gets a spiritual successor. Clicking R3 brings up an optional livestream feed as Lucia flees police with a hostage bouncing in the boot.

An in-game TV advert showing boars and deer roaming the Leonida countryside strongly implies Trevor-style hunting missions are back.

The Most Interesting Detail

Save the best for the closing seconds.

Jason inherits Michael De Santa’s slow-motion shooting, complete with Max Payne 3-style killcam shots.

More intriguing still is what looks like a new vitals targeting system. Red markers appear to indicate lethal hit locations, while yellow markers around joints suggest the option to disarm enemies non-lethally — a mechanic reminiscent of GTA IV.

What It Adds Up To

With an estimated 80-plus hours to complete, GTA VI needed depth beyond scale, and the extended look suggests Rockstar North has spent that development time on systems rather than spectacle alone.

The Criminal Profile and the de-escalation options in particular point toward a game where how you play registers, not just what you finish. Whether that holds up across 80 hours is the question November will answer.