The rough playtime ratio and order goes something like reality 1 — threshold 0.01 — reality 0.5 — threshold 0.5 — reality 0.1. (The demo covers about 0.4 of that first reality 1.) Right now I’m hooking up the quests for that final threshold 0.5 — reality 0.1 stretch. Quest hookup means handling events and quest processing when previously built sections get cleared. The quest side is just table entry, but the events take some work. I’m planning to finish the connections first, then handle the event work while rewriting the dialogue. Events need some animation assembly too, so there’s a bit of labor involved.
Finishing around late September and moving into testing and voice recording still looks doable, but I’ll need to build more to know for sure. Being at the tail end is pretty draining, and I’ve been getting through it by thinking about the next project, or imagining refactoring and tearing this one apart to build a sequel, or remaking the prologue.
Anyway, it’s more than just “the end is in sight” — it’s closer to the summit. Close enough that I can see the ridgeline connecting my position to the peak.
Also, GTA 6 is something else. It’s been a long time since a game made my heart race like that. I’d pushed my release to February even though I’ll be done in October or November, because of the advice that GTA would vacuum up all media attention for two months around its launch — and now I’m certain that was the right call.