When looking at the history of open-world games from the last twenty years, few franchises have been as formative asGrand Theft Auto. Now, after months of speculation, fans will finally be able to revisit the three games that started it all withGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition. After a reveal that didn’t disclose too much information just over a week ago, Rockstar Games recently gave gamers a trailer that finally showed whatGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogywill look like, and how some of the most important games in history have been updated for a new generation.
As rumors were circulating onGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition, many fans were wondering just how extensive the collection’s remastered updates would be.Rockstar Gameshas released some remasters of older games in the past, but they mostly served as ports for newer consoles. Now that Rockstar has revealed extensive details alongside the trailer forGTA: The Trilogy, it’s clear that this experience aims to improve on the three classic games in a way that truly modernizes them, while maintaining the core of why they’re so special.
RELATED:Some Vice City Fans Think Tommy Looks ‘Fatter’ in GTA Trilogy
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition’s Enhanced Graphics
AfterGTA: The Trilogywas formally announced by Rockstar Games, fan speculation went wild over how different the games might look from their original releases. While the originals still hold up to some degree, there’s no doubting that graphics have come a very long way since the era that these games first released in. To the satisfaction of many, Rockstar has more than delivered when it comes to makingGTA: The Trilogylook like a true graphical remaster ofGTA 3, Vice City,andSan Andreas.
Looking at the games in their original state, it’s clear what the graphical limitations were at the time they were made. Characters and environments are rather blocky, and textures are mostly plain with only some pops of color.GTA: The Trilogygives the games a huge overhaulon almost every graphical front possible. Character models, while maintaining the personality of their original blocky frames, are much more detailed than they were before. The overall texturing of hair and clothing has been greatly improved, and perhaps the greatest indication of change is that characters have individual fingers when they didn’t before.
On a greater scale, just about everything in each of the threeGTAworlds has been improved. Vehicles, roads, and buildings have received much better textures, and modern lighting effects have been applied to makeGTA: The Trilogylook closer to a truly next-gen experience. Draw distances have also been improved, which should make driving throughVice Cityor flying throughSan Andreasmuch more immersive. For those that have gotten their hands on a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S,GTA: The Trilogywill support 4K gameplay at up to 60 FPS.
RELATED:Grand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy Could Really Go Over-The-Top It It Adds Multiplayer
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition’s Gameplay Improvements
Luckily for those looking for a fully updated experience, graphical improvements aren’t the only changes coming toGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. Just as the games' visuals have aged somewhat compared to modern games, the gameplay ofGTA-then andGTA-now are two very different games. Even when games likeSan Andreasfirst released, some of the driving controls were considered clunky and difficult to get a hold of. Rockstar Games has fortunately taken this into consideration, and made a number of gameplay adjustments.
Rockstar Games isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to changing up gameplay forGTA: The Trilogy; as the game’s official site says, it will have aGTA 5-style controller layout. This should make things like basic traversal and combat much more familiar to those that have playedGTA 5for close to ten years, and the changes don’t stop there.GTA: The Trilogywill also have updated weapon and radio station selection wheels, and navigation will be improved with better mini-maps and the ability to create waypoints. To top it all off, players will be able to restart missions right away should they fail, instead of painfully navigating back to the start.
GTA: The Trilogyalso has an interesting feature for Switch owners, which should makeGTA’s first outing on a Nintendo home consoleunique from other versions. For those that want to bringGTAon the go, this collection will support touch controls for camera zooming, pans, and menu selection. There will also be motion controls for aiming on the Nintendo Switch, which should be an interesting way of combining modern gaming innovations with classicGTAgameplay. If anything, it’s a nice way to show that Rockstar cares about howGTA: The Trilogyplays on every console it’s available on.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Editionhas been a long time coming for a lot of gamers, so it’s exciting to see how much effort Rockstar has put into remastering its most iconic titles. Not only will this be a great trip down memory lane for some, but it also serves as a way for other gamers to experience some classic games if they never got to before. ConsideringGrand Theft Auto 6won’t be coming out any time soon,Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogyshould be a great way to hold some fans over in the meantime.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Editionreleases November 11 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with mobile versions also in development.
MORE:Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Price, Release Date, and Everything Else You Need to Know
