Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition
Remastered compilation of three Grand Theft Auto classics.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is a 2021 bundle of three action-adventure games from the Grand Theft Auto series: Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). Grove Street Games handled development, with Rockstar Games publishing. The package remasters all three titles, adding visual improvements and gameplay tweaks. Each game follows a different protagonist in a distinct setting, though they exist in the same fictional universe. Grand Theft Auto III stars the silent Claude in Liberty City; Vice City, set in 1986, follows mobster Tommy Vercetti in the Miami-inspired Vice City; and San Andreas, set in 1992, centers on gangster Carl "CJ" Johnson in the state of San Andreas.
Development spanned roughly from early 2020 to late 2021, about 1.5 years, with the team aiming to preserve the original games' look and feel. The physics were based on the originals but re-implemented in Unreal Engine 4, requiring a full rewrite rather than direct code copying. Artificial intelligence was used to upscale textures automatically. The developers studied what made the original games unique, adding new coloring, weathering, and lighting effects, plus assets taken from Grand Theft Auto V (2013). There is no public evidence that they consulted with the original developers at Rockstar North when updating character designs; the work was handled entirely by Grove Street Games. Before release, digital retailers removed the older versions of the three games, drawing criticism from players and journalists; Rockstar responded by restoring those original versions on the Rockstar Store.
The Definitive Edition launched on 11 November 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with Android and iOS versions following on 14 December 2023. The Windows release suffered from significant issues with the Rockstar Games Launcher, causing widespread problems at launch, though the games were not universally unplayable for exactly three days—some users could play after workarounds, and the exact duration varied. Critics gave the collection poor reviews overall; they praised the improved visuals, lighting, controls, and new gameplay mechanics, but heavily criticized technical glitches, the art direction, and character models.
- Developer
- Grove Street Games
- Publisher
- Rockstar Games
- Release date
- 11 November 2021
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Known for
- Remastered trilogy with controversial technical issues
Lore & Background
The Definitive Edition was developed over roughly 1.5 years, from early 2020 to late 2021, focusing on maintaining the look and feel of the original games. The physics were based on the originals but re-implemented in Unreal Engine 4, requiring a full rewrite rather than direct code copying. Artificial intelligence was used to automatically upscale textures. The team studied the distinctive qualities of each game, adding dynamic coloring, weathering, and lighting effects, as well as new assets from Grand Theft Auto V (2013). There is no public evidence that they consulted with original developers at Rockstar North when upgrading character designs; the work was handled entirely by Grove Street Games. Prior to release, existing versions of the three games were removed from sale from digital retailers, leading to criticism; Rockstar later restored the original versions on the Rockstar Store.
Reader's Guide
The compilation received poor reviews upon release, with critics generally praising the enhanced visuals, upgraded lighting, improved controls, and added gameplay mechanics, but criticizing its technical problems, art direction, and character models. It was one of the lowest-scoring games of 2021 and was subject to review bombing on Metacritic. The Windows launch was marred by problems with the Rockstar Games Launcher, rendering it unplayable for three days. Rockstar apologized for the technical problems and announced intentions to improve the game through updates. Despite its flaws, the compilation represents an attempt to preserve and update three influential open-world games for modern platforms.
Did You Know?
- The development team copied the original physics code to maintain the feel of the original games.
- Over 100,000 textures were changed, using an AI program to upscale them before manual adjustments.
- The Windows launch was unplayable for three days due to problems with the Rockstar Games Launcher.
- Some music tracks and cheats from the original versions were removed, as was San Andreas's cooperative multiplayer mode.
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