Having released with glitches, bugs, missing features and more, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is currently in the midst of a massive fan backlash, with many fans having been left disappointed by the package, which remastered GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas. The 3D Universe GTA titles are considered as some of the greatest games in Rockstar's library, but many believe that the GTA Trilogy remasters don't do them justice. Responses to glitches, graphical shortcomings, and wonky gameplay have ranged from mildly disappointed to outraged, and many fans are upset at Rockstar for releasing the collection in its present state.
GTA: The Trilogy collects three of Rockstar's early GTA titles in the franchise's 3D timeline: GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas. Despite the incredible legacies of the games, they are products of an older generation, and they have aged considerably in the years since their releases, especially graphically. While previous anniversary editions and PC ports have modernized the games somewhat, there had long been rumors that the games would receive full remasters, and Rockstar officially announced GTA: The Trilogy on October 8, a little more than a month before the trilogy's November 11 release. Anticipation continued to build until release day, when fans and reviewers immediately began reporting issues with the games.
Related: GTA: Liberty City Stories & Vice City Stories Should Get Remasters
Much of the criticism has focused on GTA: The Trilogy's unwelcome changes to the original games, but there was backlash even before its release. After the official announcement of the remasters, Rockstar removed the original editions of the games from digital retailers, prompting backlash from fans. In addition to this move hurting chances of early GTA titles being properly preserved, it became clear that songs with expired copyrights would be removed from the games in The Definitive Edition. It isn't just music that has been affected though - some of the beloved cheat codes from the original games have also been removed, with Rockstar explaining that certain cheats wouldn't be compatible with GTA: The Trilogy's use of the Unreal Engine. Some fans were also skeptical that the trilogy was being developed by Grove Street Games, which had previously handled mobile ports of classic Rockstar titles.
The GTA Trilogy Remasters Aren't As Good As The Original Games
Much of what makes the GTA Trilogy remasters so bad are the visual mistakes and glitches, and there has been backlash over what fans see as a lack of attention to detail. Most of the time, the remasters do a solid job of matching the look of the originals with HD graphics, but there have been some glaring issues as well. Fans on the GTA: The Trilogy Reddit have posted videos of vehicles clipping through the ground, cars inexplicably exploding, and extreme character model glitches during cutscenes. On top of these glitches, there are typos and other mistakes on billboards and in-game text, with one example being a Vice City van that originally read "Top Fun" being turned into "Top Bun" in the remaster. This is a relatively humorous error, but many of the glitches - particularly related to driving - severely impact gameplay.
These aren't the only problems that fans have taken issue with. Many of the intentional remaster decisions have been widely criticized, such as the hand and finger models for GTA: The Trilogy characters being changed, as well as the decision to remove the fog from San Andreas. The worst "improvement" to the trilogy, though, is the new look of the in-game rain, which is now so heavy and poorly layered over the environment that it makes driving difficult and unpleasant. These changes diminish the overall aesthetic of the GTA Trilogy. While the original games are visually dated, they were also atmospheric and possessed a charm that is missing from the Definitive Edition remasters.
This apparent lack of quality is uncharacteristic of both the GTA series and of Rockstar Games more generally. The studio had to temporarily remove GTA: The Trilogy from the Rockstar Games Launcher and many fans have been demanding refunds. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this backlash over Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition affects hype for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, as this marks a rare critical disappointment in Rockstar's catalog.