Developer: Grove Street Games
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release Date: 11th November 2021
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch & PC
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
▫️ Review code provided by the publisher ▫️
The games within Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition comprise three of the best ever released on the PlayStation 2. Heck, there are a large group of gamers who would have at least one of these games on their shortlist for greatest games of all time. So when the definitive edition was announced, the internet exploded with hype. Many ignored the fact that despite months of rumours it was announced via a Tweet from Rockstar, along with a short, cinematic trailer. That it was released less than two months later – digitally only for now. People even ignored the term ‘remaster’ is used rather than ‘remake’. What this all added up to unfortunately was many going in with expectations that simply weren’t going to be met.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition is exactly what it says on the tin. Three classic games, packaged as one, with enhancements that were able to be applied without going in and reworking the entire core of the game. The day we get remakes of these titles, they’ll be released separately, at full price (each) and with preview showcases at major events. Until then, there is no denying that these are the definitive versions of each game. So let’s break down exactly what has been improved.
GAMEPLAY
If you haven’t gone back and played the original releases of these games recently it really is hard to explain just how difficult they were to play. No control over the camera, face buttons to accelerate in vehicles and more were standard when these titles launched, but times have well and truly moved on. I am happy to report that as advertised, the control scheme is now much closer to what we have come to know and love in GTA V. The addition of a weapon wheel, free camera movement and universal driving controls are all quality of life additions that add up to make these classics significantly more accessible.
Auto targeting is pretty good in San Andreas, but can become a pain in the two earlier titles. This wouldn’t be as annoying if the AI were smarter and more tactical, but they almost never use cover and instead simply all sprint at you. This can be really frustrating at times, especially in GTA III & Vice City where you a shunted to the back to the start of a mission if you die. Only San Andreas has mid-mission checkpoints. Being able to set manual waypoints now is a nice quality of life addition, but bizarrely if you already have a mission marker set you can’t override it.
GRAPHICS
The new character models do look cartoon-like. But given they only gave this TLC to important characters across each game they couldn’t very well churn out GTA V level character models and have them strutting around alongside NPC’s that look like extras from early episodes of the Simpsons. Issues do arise with these new models from time to time though. One particular instance springs to mind in San Andreas when Ryder is meant to be smoking a cigarette but with his new thinner hand the cigarette is now just floating between his fingers.
There is no doubt that graphical updates have taken place though. At a moments glance, the worlds of all three games look sharper and clearer. Vice City looks so much more vibrant and the neon really pops. There was an issue with the lighting at launch where during cutscenes everything was way too dark. To the point where you could barely see anything. Then there was the rain. In GTA III especially if it started raining at night you literally may as well have pulled the car over and listened to a bit of Chatterbox while waiting for it to blow over. Thankfully patch 1.02 has now alleviated the problem.
I have seen complaints about how the improved draw distance in the games is a negative and emphasises how small the game worlds are. While this may be a gripe for some, it certainly isn’t for me. One of my favourite things about these games is the modest world size. I yearn for the days when an open world this size was acceptable, instead of the likes of Assassins Creed Valhalla which just feels way too much.
PERFORMANCE
You have the choice of performance or fidelity mode, which honestly just feels like a joke given the fact that I’m trying to play a PS2 game on a PS5. Worst of all, even on performance mode none of the three titles manages to maintain a solid 60fps – even for a short time. Surely this can be addressed by a patch, but the fact it was allowed to be released with issues like this is questionable at best.
By now you have probably seen multiple glitch compilation videos. This puts me in a tough spot because while I have absolutely no doubts that all this stuff is legitimately happening to players, I didn’t experience these issues myself. The worst I had in my time with the trilogy was when during escort missions the other character sometimes decided that instead of getting into the car they would start doing comical laps around it. On a few occasions, I even had to run the numpty over and restart to continue.
MISSING CONTENT
As soon as the trilogy was announced, speculation began about how much of the original soundtrack would remain. GTA: III retains every track from its original 2001 release, but both Vice City and San Andreas are missing fifteen and twenty-one songs respectively. It’s sad to not have the likes of ‘Express Yourself’ by the NWA, ‘I don’t give a fuck’ by 2 Pac and ‘Billie Jean’ by Michael Jackson, but enough top-quality tracks remain along with the iconic original stations that it is never a distraction.
PICK OF THE BUNCH
Honestly, this will vary from gamer to gamer. To a new player sampling these classics for the first time, they are likely to gravitate more towards San Andreas as it is the most advanced gameplay-wise and boasts superior mission checkpointing. Although, some may be put off by the character micromanagement such as eating, working out etc. Returning players however will probably be driven to their preferred game by nostalgia.
TROPHIES/ACHIEVEMENTS
Much like the PS2 classics, the trophy and achievement lists take some serious work and grinding. Rockstar doesn’t do easy lists, with Max Payne 3 being the most glaring example. Completing each of the three games is a challenge in itself, made a little easier by the updated controls and sporadic mission checkpoints, but paramedic missions, exporting car lists and more will definitely put you to the test. Thankfully, as each game in the trilogy launches separately, they each have their own platinum and 1000G.
VERDICT
This is a hard one. Public opinion on this trilogy is breaching Cyberpunk territory for many, but I went in with my eyes wide open having paid close attention to the pre-release noise (and lack thereof). I expected basic ports with an updated resolution and frame rate, so even getting the new control scheme was a bonus. This is not the upgrade that the majority of fans wanted, but it is an improvement on the original games and once the disappointment dies down, most will notice that.
-Craig 🧐
