His graphic mod named NaturalVision Evolved that allows a photorealistic rendering of GTA V has become a reference in the community of enthusiasts. Razed gave us a written interview to help you discover his background, his difficulties and his point of view regarding the new era of Rockstar Games.

Hi Razed ! Thank you for giving us this interview written for Rockstar Mag’ ! Before you start, how  are you?

« Thanks for having me! I’m doing well. Keeping busy with my projects. »

On your Patreon page, you introduce yourself and briefly talk about your background as a Mod creator and Shaders. But, let’s pretend this section doesn’t exist and can you introduce yourself to our few readers who wouldn’t know your work?

« My name is Jamal and I am a 31 yr old video game modder and developer. I currently reside in the city of Miami which is where I’ve lived for the majority of my life. I’ve been modding games such as GTA for several years at this point. It is something that I am truly passionate about and enjoy doing. »

What was the first video game you played?

« The first Rockstar Game I ever played was GTA2 back when I was in the 5th grade. The level of freedom in that game blew me away at the time. »

As the creator of the most popular mod for GTA V, we imagine that you are passionate about the Grand Theft Auto saga. If we put aside GTA V, which video games developed by Rockstar Games did you like the most and why?

« It’s quite tough for me to pick favorites because they’re all really, really great games. I can tell you that I really like Max Payne 1 and 2 because of the details and atmosphere in those games. They have this mysterious noir vibe that keeps me coming back to this day. And then there’s GTA Vice City which I enjoyed due its map, characters and story. It helped me learn more about 80s Miami and the music that was popular at the time. Big shoutout to Flash FM and V-Rock radio. I’ve gotten into bands and artists such as Hall and Oates, INXS, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Spandau Ballet and many more all thanks to GTA Vice City and Rockstar Games. »

What other video games do you play?

« I play a little bit of everything. I have a huge backlog of games that I haven’t finished yet. Those games include Stray, Horizon Forbidden West, Observer System Redux, Klonoa Remasters, FF7 Remake, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and lots more. It’s hard to find time to play these games for long when you’re constantly busy. »

Do you play GTA Online and what do you think about its evolution since its launch in 2013?

« I’ve been playing GTA Online on and off since the first day it launched. I’ve had some great memories there while playing with both friends and strangers. I’ve witnessed the game evolve over the years in ways that I have both liked and disliked. I’m a big fan of the new content that has been released in recent years, which has balanced things out and helped me enjoy GTA Online a lot more once again. I’m excited for the future and hope to see Rockstar Games add new maps and locations to help players expand their business ventures outside of Los Santos. »

How many years have you been involved in modding and what are the difficulties you have encountered?

« I’ve been modding for about 11 years now but I didn’t make my first mod until a few years down the road. The most difficult things I have encountered are the lack of official documentation and tools which result in having to spend dozens of hours (sometimes hundreds) in order to figure out how to properly modify or tweak something in a game. I think if modders had the same amount of access and tools as the actual game developers, then it would surely help speed things up. »

 

You work with other creators to improve the Mod in every update. How many people are working with you?

« We currently have a group of six people actively working on the project, including myself. There have been others who contributed in the past but are no longer involved. »

Which improvement proposed by NaturalVision Evolved was the most difficult to achieve?

« I’d have to say the volumetric clouds were the hardest thing to implement. It took us about 10 months to develop and release the clouds in a beta stage, which is the longest we’ve worked on a single feature. We still struggle with solving certain bugs that we’ve identified involving the clouds and hope to further improve them as time goes on. »

Were you contacted by Rockstar Games following the success of NaturalVision Evolved?

« No, I have not been personally contacted by them. »

How do you feel about the censorship of Take-Two around some Mods?

« Sometimes companies have to go out of their way to protect their intellectual property for various reasons. This may upset some people but at the end of the day you have to respect their decision. »

What advice would you give to enthusiasts who would like to embark on modding?

« They should make sure they’re doing this out of passion and stick to it for years to come. Do as much research as you can and learn from other members within the community. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. »

Can you share your PC configuration with us?

« You can view my PC configuration at this link: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/DhK48d, the pictures are slightly outdated though. I’ve since upgraded my video card and currently have all of my appliances connected to a UPS for safety measures. »

The highly anticipated GTA VI has not yet been unveiled by Rockstar Games. Journalist Jason Schreier said the story was set in Vice City. If this has been confirmed by Rockstar Games, what will be your reaction to this return in the satirical version of Florida?

« If this is really Vice City, I’d be incredibly happy! »

Do you have any specific expectations or improvements that you would like to see in GTA VI?

« I can talk for hours about what I would like to see in the next GTA game. I’d like to see a lot of attention to detail and atmosphere. I want to be able to see pedestrians living their day to day lives. Leaving for work in the morning, coming home late, watching tv, sleeping etc. all played out in real-time. Freedom is incredibly important here too. Nothing should stop players from breaking into a building or home as long as the player has all the right tools. Some places can have high security while others can be more lax. Make it more difficult for players to commit crimes and get away. They can definitely expand upon the witness system from RDR2 as well. There’s obviously a lot more that I’d like to see, but I’ll leave it at that for now. »

What is your vision on the new direction that Rockstar Games has taken in recent years?

« I’ll have to play their next game before I can form an actual opinion on their supposed new direction.. but I don’t think it really matters as long as they continue making great games. »

Thank you Jamal for answering our questions! Do you have a message for your French supporters?

« Thanks for being interested in my work. Much love to France and the rest of the world. »

Follow Razed :

Twitter : @Word
Website : www.razedmods.com
Patreon : www.patreon.com/razedmods

See you later on Rockstar Mag’ !