After many leaks and rumors, developer Rockstar Games has officially revealed that Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition exists and bundles together Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas together for fans of the series to revisit. While the games are all undeniable classics in their own right, Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition has an opportunity to improve all three of them beyond simply graphics to help modernize them even further.
The official announcement of Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition revealed very little about the games, not including a look at the visual enhancements or when fans could expect its release. However, it's not hard to imagine how beautiful the games could end up looking, especially when seeing how well Grand Theft Auto 5 has aged despite originally releasing on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Hopefully, the developers are also looking at other avenues to improve the games both for longtime fans who remember the originals fondly as well as new players who may be checking them out for the very first time.
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto 3 is the oldest title in the remastered trilogy, and there are quite a few ways that it could be enhanced to bring it closer to modern standards. For example, improving some gameplay mechanics would do well for the remasters. This should include adding swimming and, most importantly, revamping the game's lock-on system for shooting. Shooting in the original Grand Theft Auto 3 can be clunky and results in players just wildly spraying in the general direction of enemies until they secure a hit.
Another way that it could be improved would be to add some of the customization features that the series has come to be known for. Grand Theft Auto 3's cosmetic items are coming to Grand Theft Auto Online, and it would make sense if players were able to do more customization in the remaster as well. This could include customizing the player character as well as cars. The remaster would also do well to expand the game's radio stations and tracks. One can assume it'll include the music featured in the originals, but expanding on the offered songs with period-accurate songs would be a fantastic way to breathe some new life into them.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is one of the most iconic games in the classic franchise thanks to its fantastic setting akin to 1980s Miami, engaging story, and vibrant world. Despite the game's status as a classic in the industry, there are still a few ways that Vice City could be improved. As for mechanical improvements, it would be a worthy addition for players to be able to swim in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but it also would be great for the game's save system to be overhauled so that players did not have to go to save points when they were done playing. It would also be very interesting for the game to incorporate a system similar to Grand Theft Auto 5 that has players see what their character was up to when they first load into the game.
It would also be great to see Vice City expanded in regards to the side activities and mini-games offered to players. There already are quite a few hidden things players can do in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but the vibrant Vice City is a perfect setting for plenty more. These could include a wide variety of activities like playing sports mini-games, boat races, going surfing, or even going on dates and enjoying the nightlife like in Grand Theft Auto 4.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was a big leap forward for the series, and is the longest title in Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition. This means that any improvements to the game in the remaster will likely require a bit more work from the developers, but it could also be the one that players spend the most time with. The original title did add a lot of customization features at the time, but it would be great to see those options expanded on in the remaster. These could include more hairstyles, clothes, and even a way for players to customize their house to show off in-game achievements or progress.
Though unlikely, seeing some content originally cut from San Andreas make a return in the remaster would be interesting. While this probably shouldn't include the infamous Hot Coffee mini-game, it could add a lot of cool features like sharks, skateboards, a player-owned casino, and even the ability to become a drug dealer to make extra cash. Some of the additions may be pretty small in the greater scope of the game, but all of them combined could add a lot to the game and be a cool treat for fans of the game who would like to see the "new" content in one of their favorite games.
It will be very interesting to see what Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition looks like when it releases later this year. There are many different ways that Rockstar can improve the classic games, and, hopefully, the developers will explore trying out some ways that fans may not be expecting. Fans of the series have also called for other Grand Theft Auto titles to receive remasters, so hopefully, this first trilogy will perform well enough to see other titles be remastered in the future.
Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: Definitive Edition is in development for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
