Rockstar Games has released an update for all GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition games that not only improves gameplay, but also brings back the visual style of the original versions released on the PlayStation 2 in the early 2000s
The GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition includes remakes of three classic games from the PS2 era – GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas. When it was released in November 2021, the trilogy was widely criticized for bugs, poor visual changes, simplified character models, and overall quality. Despite several updates released shortly after release, these versions remained disappointing for two years. However, in 2023, Netflix released remasters for mobile devices, which turned out to be much better. Now, a year later, these changes, as well as new improvements, are available on PC and console versions.
Rockstar Games has quietly released an update for GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. A Twitter user with a nickname BeskInfinity has documented many changes in detail, from visual improvements to gameplay.
One of the most famous innovations was the addition of the “Classic Lighting” option, which first appeared in mobile versions from Netflix. In games like San Andreas, the lighting is now closer to the original, with warm sunsets, purple deserts and stormy clouds bringing back a familiar feeling. Fog has also been added, which makes the maps appear larger visually as distant objects are no longer visible.
The update affected not only lighting. The animations have been corrected, the display of shadows has been improved, and the glow from street lamps has been added. In San Andreas, clouds at high altitudes developed. An important gameplay change was that the player can now move while aiming with any weapon, and not just a pistol or a machine gun.
Additionally, the logo for Grove Street Games, the studio behind the original remasters and mobile ports, has been removed. Her work caused a lot of criticism from the community. The mobile versions and part of the new update were developed by Video Games Deluxe, who previously adapted LA Noire for VR.
