With Grand Theft Auto 5 turning eight years old on September 17, Rockstar Games is gearing up for yet another rerelease. Including the PC version, GTA 5 will have been released four separate times on seven different platforms by March 2022. Rockstar seems to rely heavily on the game, having only released Red Dead Redemption 2 as a brand-new title since GTA 5's initial launch. Many are growing increasingly frustrated with Rockstar's insistence on pushing this game, especially as the current-gen upgrade doesn't seem to be offering much.
Rockstar's new trailer for GTA 5 on PS5 is rather underwhelming. The developer is known for its incredible attention to detail and remarkable craftsmanship, and while GTA 5 was impressive in 2013, it's not nearly as awe-inspiring in 2021. The new trailer boasts better graphics and near-instant character switching in single-player, but beyond that, it's just GTA 5. The trailer even closes with a GTA Online teaser, similar to the one seen at the end of the first gameplay trailer in 2013 - but back then, it was new and exciting. Now, it's something players are more than well acquainted with.
It's been over a year since Rockstar announced this version of the game, and now GTA 5's current-gen version has been delayed to 2022. It will have been almost two years between the announcement and release of this remaster, a window typically seen in brand-new games. Rockstar was likely impacted by COVID-19 during development, but there's currently almost nothing in the new version that makes it seem worth buying at full price. Based on what's been shown, this could've been an update to the existing version of the game for those with the new consoles.
Why GTA 5's PS5 & Xbox Series X Remaster Feels Like A Cash Grab
Rockstar has promised new content in this version of GTA 5, but it has yet to actually showcase any of it. Fans have nothing to be excited for because it's virtually the same game with some better visuals and performance upgrades. A lot of work needs to be done if Rockstar really wants players to continue engaging with Grand Theft Auto until GTA 6, ranging from how the game's online mode is both structured and performs to exciting new content that draws players in.
If there is more to the rerelease than Rockstar is letting on - perhaps new story content or some game mechanic that's only possible on the new consoles - that should be stated directly, rather than just vague teasing of more to come. The GTA 5 announcement was a low point during the otherwise exciting PlayStation Showcase. It stopped a show full of brand-new games dead in its tracks to highlight a glorified port with little substance. Had Rockstar shown something truly new for this version of GTA 5, fans likely wouldn't be so frustrated, but it feels like GTA 5's previous rereleases have already exhausted all the possibilities to keep the game fresh and new.
The fan response to this rerelease has been largely negative. The GTA 5 trailer has been ratioed by dislikes on Rockstar and PlayStation's YouTube channels, and comments suggest fans are unhappy with Rockstar's continued focus on this one game. Rumors have suggested the developer is working on remasters of the PlayStation 2 GTA trilogy, but nothing has been confirmed. These would be yet more rereleases, but they would at least be something a little different - and possibly more exciting, depending on how much work has been done to improve the old games. Maybe Rockstar will shock fans with a GTA 5 port featuring dramatic improvements, but right now, it simply feels like a soulless cash grab.
Grand Theft Auto 5's PS5 and Xbox Series X remaster is slated for March 2022.