Cities at night in GTA transform into different environments. Trailer 2 commits enough to night content that we can interpret it as a real part of the game's atmosphere rather than stylised footage.
The daytime counterpart is the aerial shots breakdown.
What the night frames show
The art deco strip lit up. Neon signs. Nightclub exteriors. Headlights reflecting on rain-soaked streets. Medium shot of a group of people waiting in line to enter a club. Night driving through downtown. A wetlands frame with reduced visibility.
Detail stays put - which is harder than it sounds. Many open worlds drop detail at night to mask rendering load. There's no dearth of detail at night in Trailer 2.
Why night matters
Content that comes alive at night: clubs, strip clubs, late-night businesses. Content that reads better at night: the art deco strip feels strongest when the sun goes down. Content that changes behaviour at night: police presence, NPC density.
GTA V did night right; GTA 6 seems to do night better.