Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition (PlayStation 5)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): November 11, 2021
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Developer: Grove Street Games
- Also For: Computer, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
Releasing on the same day as Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is yet another franchise that is no stranger to ports, re-releases, and remasters. As fans of the second highest-selling video game of all time wait for yet another port of Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar has trotted out another GTA remaster: Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition. GTA is a household name, and part of that is due to the absolute acclaim of the PlayStation 2 trilogy of games--III, Vice City, and San Andreas. This collection packs together what some consider to be the absolute best the series has to offer, all for current generation consoles and even the Nintendo Switch.
However, this isn’t the first time Rockstar has tried this. San Andreas has seen a good few revisions throughout the years, beginning on the PlayStation 2, making its way to the original Xbox, finding itself getting an “HD” version on phones in 2013, and then porting that mobile version to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The latter of which was considered to be a poor remaster, developed by the exact same team that worked on Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition. Fortunately, some lessons appear to have been learned in the seven years since their last attempt.
There’s a reason that video games get remastered so commonly; with how fast the industry moves in the span of a decade, a game can release to outstanding reception, become the standard that all other developers follow and innovate upon, and then wind up utterly outdated and clunky by the time people want to go revisit it for nostalgia purposes. In replaying the PlayStation 2 versions of Vice City and San Andreas specifically for comparison against the Definitive Edition, I found that beyond being able to rock out to Micheal Jackson’s Billie Jean, those games have control schemes mired in the early ‘00s, and the lack of free aim feels frustrating when you want to hit specific targets easily. While I loved my PS2 back in the day, the 20 years since have brought a lot to the table in terms of what gamers expect when they jump into a game.
Which is why the Definitive Edition feels like such a critical revamp. The modernizations are apparent in one of the first missions of Vice City; you’re tasked with blowing up a red barrel by shooting at it as you’re swarmed with enemies. In the PS2 version, you’d have to either shoot wildly while running around, hoping you’d accidentally hit the target, or kill everyone and try to line up a shot without being able to freely aim. In The Trilogy, all you have to do is hold LT to aim, just like any other game on the market right now. Originally, driving used the X and O to accelerate and reverse, but now it uses the triggers, which feels more natural. This is exactly what a remaster should do: keep aspects of the original, while adding in small changes that make it just as fun to play as it did two decades ago.
Visually, the game has gained and lost a lot. Certain filters in San Andreas that used to add some moody lighting have been toned down to look more neutral, while other aspects, like the neon reflections in Vice City have been cranked up to eleven. Most textures look great, especially when driving, but scrutinizing them will reveal they do look a little dull. On the whole, character models tend to look nicer, with actual definition to clothing, but there is the occasional goofy-looking expression that looks like Rockstar forgot to put the finishing touches on some models in the remastering process.
At times, there is some frustration; GTA is such a massive franchise--clearly Rockstar could have done better with the resources they have. The neon lighting of Vice City, all redone in 4K, casts some great-looking hues across the streets, but is this really the best they could do with the power of the PlayStation 5? Textures look nice, but not to the point that the framerate in Grand Theft Auto III should be stuttering at any point. I can't help but think that if these three games are some of the most instrumental in gaming history, they might deserve better treatment than a visual upgrade with a few QoL improvements. It can be a mixed bag, though for me, the positive changes certainly outweigh the negative quirks. This is, at least, applicable to the PS5 version--the Nintendo Switch and PC ports appear to be less than stellar.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition, at the end of the day, is three well-regarded games bundled together, with some modernizations to help keep them relevant, nearly 20 years after their original release. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’m new to GTA that prevents me from finding many issues with this collection, as I’m absolutely taken with the fun gameplay and more than content with both the graphics and performance. But that also goes to show how this collection helps introduce these games to the current generation, allowing new fans to understand the hype behind three classic industry-defining titles.
Verdict
- Revamped aiming
- Weapon wheel, new GPS, general QoL changes
- Textures and details have been majorly improved but...
- GTA III has some noticeable framerate drops
- Hitboxes on buildings and cars aren't always quite right
- The faces aren't so good
