Rockstar Los Angeles worked on the residents: different heights and bodies, freckles, moles, degrees of tan, and tattoos. Animations are recalculated onto those bodies during play, so not every height needs a set of its own.
The trade press cites well over 600,000 unique animations, compared with 300,000 in Red Dead Redemption 2 and 55,000 in GTA V. In previews, passersby react if you eavesdrop on a conversation, or they flinch back when a masked Lucia draws a weapon for a robbery.
In the Extended Look, a dog encounter offers the options Pet, Scold, or Study, and a woman with two hammers recognizes Jason and Lucia. Previews describe Greet and Taunt prompts when your weapon is holstered, Defuse or Provoke in tense moments, and residents who confront you if you follow them or listen in too long.
Animals can be studied, and newly discovered species are tracked. Not every encounter is marked on the map.