Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition was developed by Rockstar Games and released in 2021. The game features three GTA games that have been updated and packaged together. The three games include Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
The big question you may ask is: Are these games different from their original release? Have they been improved, added to, or altered in any way? For two-decade-old games, $59.99 is a lot of money, so let’s examine the difference. By the end, you’ll know if these games are just a release or something entirely different.
Graphics
The updated graphics and textures are the biggest and most obvious difference in the Definitive Edition. The game was built using Unreal Engine 4 and features modernized graphics while keeping the atmosphere and theme of the original games. Buildings and characters look cleaner and are now in HD rather than the blurry textures they used to be.
However, the new graphical changes are both an improvement and a drawback. While the games look better from a pure graphics standpoint, the world loses some of its magic. Updating rendering distances and removing fog makes the worlds seem much smaller. So, while you get clean textures and updated models, you lose parts of the game that made them iconic and nostalgic to many fans.
Combat
Several quality-of-life improvements were made for the Definitive Edition, taken right from the latest Grand Theft Auto game, GTA V. Players can now use the weapon wheel, slowing down time as they select. When shooting guns, you can now use the controller triggers to aim down sights and fire the gun.
This has also made features like drive-bys much easier to pull off, as you can easily use the analog stick to look around and fire your weapon. Essentially, the combat plays the same on a mechanical level as GTA V, so players who are most accustomed to that game can easily swap over to the Definitive Edition.
Quality of Life
There are a multitude of small changes Rockstar decided to make that make the games a lot easier to play and digest. While some changes are controversial among the fanbase, they have been made to make the games more appealing to modern gamers.
- Added navigation points that include waypoints, distance makers, and fastest routes.
- Missions can be restarted immediately after failure.
- Longer missions now include checkpoints.
- Radio stations can be selected similarly to GTA V
- The co-op mode from GTA: San Andreas was removed
Conclusion
The most important part about Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is that it doesn’t change the story. Characters, missions, and plot points have all remained the same but now have a fresh coat of paint. While the release was criticized by fans who pointed out the amount of glitches, bugs, and questionable choices, the overall game is enjoyable and playable. While it may not be worth it to seasoned gamers who own the originals, the Definitive Edition can be worth the price for those looking to play the older titles.