One Grand Theft Auto fan recently replicated a popular promotional screenshot of 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas using the title's original PlayStation 2 hardware. Players are flocking to original consoles to re-experience the groundbreaking PS2-era classic following the disastrous launch of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition that left long-time GTA fans disappointed. Out of the three remasters, San Andreas is considered the most maligned, and the collection's numerous issues have led to backlash with Rockstar trying to recondition the situation.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a popular series installment thanks to its memorable characters and iconic moments have kept the groundbreaking PS2-era title timeless for almost two decades. Besides being excessively modded by its ongoing community to expand its gameplay, social media memes and callbacks have had nostalgic players regularly returning to the game even as it ages. As a way to show its gratitude for continued support, Rockstar Games recently released GTA GIFs in celebration of the GTA trilogy remaster's launch which included the remastered version of the universal meme "Here we go again," and added an achievement that makes a nod to the joke by requiring players to start a new save after earning 100% completion.
Shared on Reddit, user dccs120 posted a screenshot of what seems to be a replication of one of the original promotional screenshots for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The user claims that the recreation is using PlayStation 2 graphics and the image is shown to be on par with its original counterpart. Just like its source material, the fan's recreation shows the iconic wheelie, bringing back nostalgic memories of the mid-2000s.
While the series has evolved with each title - improving upon its graphics and gameplay - many players prefer the original GTA trilogy due to the games' older visuals and nostalgic mechanics. PS2-era Grand Theft Auto games and many other Rockstar Games titles were developed using RenderWare engine, a popular game engine at the time that gave the series its charm. With the release of new technology, RenderWare however grew outdated and Rockstar went on to create the RAGE engine prior to the release of its first HD universe title, Grand Theft Auto IV.
18 years after its initial release, fans continue to annually play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and its modding community releases new content every day to rejuvenate the title. Though the game's graphics are considered to have aged poorly, the assortment of its aesthetics and the general diversity in the game offers something for everyone and will continue to do so for years to come.
Reddit: dccs120/Reddit