After a disastrous launch in 2021, Rockstar has finally released a substantial update forGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Editionandwhile the experience is still rough, it at least looks better. The remastered versions of the PlayStation 2 classics were meant to impress fans with updated visuals that featured enhanced textures and overhauled lighting but theimplementation was so poorthat most players longed for the original games' presentation. Fortunately for those wanting a nostalgia rush, that’s now an option.
PerRockstarINTEL,GTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Editionreceived a patch almost exactly three years after it was released and while it doesn’t completely fix the game,it does add in a “Classic Lighting” mode which restores the sky to how it looked in the original releases. It may sound like a minor change but it makes for a substantial improvement when the lighting effects in the remaster were so wonky; The reworked version was criticized for being overly dark and difficult to parse. Some other fixes also made it into the mod but Classic Lighting is the biggest improvement.
What Else Is New In GTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition?
Some Decent Quality Of Life Upgrades
AsGTAveterans enjoy the old-school look of theDefinitive Edition, they will also be able to enjoy a few much-needed quality-of-life improvements.Perhaps the biggest is the ability to run while firing assault rifles, shotguns, and the flamethrower inGrand Theft Auto IIIandVice City, a feature that had been removed from the remaster. Across the board, various character models have been spruced up to look a little better and animations have also been overhauled to appearmore natural and less stilted.
Overall, the patch forGTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Editionhasn’t solved all of the bundle’s issues butit has at least given fans a way to play the games that closer resembles how they originally appeared. What’s odd is that the “Classic Lighting” mode was originally released for the mobile port of the remaster in December 2023, so why it’s taken this long to make its way into every other version remains unknown. It may not be enough to saveDefinitive Edition’s reputation, but it’s still an improvement.
What Order GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Should Be Played
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition will offer GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas, but what game should you play first?
GTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition Is Still Bad
Classic Lighting Isn’t Enough To Save It
After having put a decent amount of time intoGTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition, the implementation of Classic Lighting isn’t enough to bring me back for more. The game wasan unmitigated disaster at launch;Not only was it functionally broken it was also disrespectful to the legacy of the pioneers of the open-world genre. I’m glad that diehard fans can make thegames look closer to how they rememberthem but the fact that it’s taken this long for such a patch is still frustrating.
