In the absence of any official word from Rockstar in regards to Grand Theft Auto V‘s long-awaited sequel, many fans have returned to Los Santos in order to get their fix.
The sparkling cities and sprawling countryside that form the absurdly popular title’s world are, after all, filled to the brim with content, even to the extent, it seems, that fans are still making new discoveries nearly six years following its initial release. Considering the sheer number of collective hours GTA fans have sunk into exploring the fifth installment’s various nooks and crannies, that’s an impressive feat in itself – even more so when one considers that the revelation in question has been staring many in the face all along.
Check out the image below, courtesy of Reddit user ChanDanGreen99, for a big hint:
Struggling to find an answer?
Rockstar, as it turns out, devoted itself so thoroughly to constructing a realistic world that it even went so far as to include light pollution in Grand Theft Auto V. The term, for those not familiar, refers to the process of artificial light obscuring that which is naturally reflected by the Earth’s moon and produced by stars in the night sky. As ChanDan’s comparison image expertly reveals, the levels of light pollution in-game differ wildly depending on where the player is when the sun sets.
In heavily populated cities – where artificial light is high – barely any far off celestial bodies can be seen. Take a detour to the countryside away from metropolitan life, however, and the results will be markedly different. That Rockstar even contemplated putting in the effort to make its game engine realistically depict light pollution is just a testament to its attention to detail. One can only imagine how it’ll improve its craft even further with Grand Theft Auto 6, assuming it ever arrives.
With any luck, the rumors of a 2020 announcement will hold true, but in the meantime, Grand Theft Auto V‘s got you covered.