Does GTA Trilogy work but? Is Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy worth it?

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition launched on Steam on January 19, after a protracted interval of exclusivity within the Rockstar Games retailer for PC gamers. Featuring remastered variations of Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the bundle launched again in late 2021 in not-so-ideal form. Multiple efficiency and visible points plagued every entry, and whereas Rockstar has launched some patches since, this re-release calls for warning.

At the second, it’s not attainable to buy the unique variations of the three video games on Steam, which suggests the Definitive Edition package deal is now the solely obtainable bundle on the shop. After some hands-on time with every title, here’s a breakdown of what you may count on (or slightly what to arrange for) from the GTA Trilogy’s Steam model.

Image: Rockstar through Polygon

Does the GTA Trilogy work but?

Well, the reply is sophisticated. Yes, you may largely boot up the GTA Trilogy on Steam and play every one of many video games with out that many points. At least from my expertise, I didn’t encounter any specific bug that prevented me from going to level A to B with out that many points (I’ll inform you extra in regards to the hostile automobile drivers in a while). Glitches such because the heavy rain that made it virtually inconceivable to see are not current.

That stated, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is essentially from being in an optimum state. In all three instances, the video games get caught loading throughout the first boot-up. After the Rockstar Games launcher opens — which, sure, continues to run within the background even with the Steam model — I get a black display screen and the sport’s course of doesn’t reply. So every time I’ve to open up the duty supervisor, finish the method, and open the sport once more. All video games additionally requested for firewall permission, too, in case you’re serious about realizing.

Presentation-wise, the video games are a combined bag. I went with GTA Vice City’s Steam model first, and to my shock, the highest proper nook of the UI was current all through the entire beginning cutscene. This didn’t repeat itself afterward, but it surely wasn’t one of the best first impression. In phrases of interface, all three video games share the identical construction — the choices are displayed on the left facet of the display screen, whereas the background itself is the sport’s map. You can use your mouse to tug it round, but it surely’s not till you really choose the map button that you simply get to see the icons or place waypoints. In addition, typically hovering over this menu with the mouse chosen the button above the place my mouse cursor was pointing in the direction of. While not a deal breaker, the presentation as an entire feels unpolished.

In phrases of visuals… it’s sophisticated. None of the three video games defaulted to my PC’s customary decision, which is 1080p, and so they had black bars on the facet till I modified the setting and restarted them. In-game, some cutscenes showcased characters with clean or outright clipped eyes, and some fashions seemed blurry when seen up shut. A couple of different instances, the place of NPCs or key objects — such because the bomb that goes off in the beginning of GTA III — was clearly in a unique place than supposed. Again, whereas these points gained’t stop you from enjoying the GTA Trilogy per se, they add as much as turn into a continuing distraction.

Your mileage will differ when it comes to the brand new total aesthetic of every sport, each because of the totally different use of lighting and the totally different mannequin designs. But even in the event you don’t thoughts all people’s faces trying like a mix of a shocked child and a squashed clay determine, some lighting results are distracting at finest and disruptive at worst.

Floating objects akin to police stars or quest markers emit their very own mild, and it’s extremely vivid, to the purpose the place you may see their reflections on fences or different close by objects. Shadows have the other downside, particularly throughout cutscenes, the place characters are sometimes obscured (though that is typically associated to the present in-game time of day). In different instances, it’s the reflections that may cover characters, akin to within the drive-through scene in San Andreas the place the group is choosing up meals. The glare towards the entrance windscreen was so intense that I might solely see CJ clearly contained in the automobile.

Image: Rockstar through Polygon

Is the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition worth enjoying?

Truth be informed, revisiting GTA III or GTA Vice City at the present time feels inevitably clunky, and many of the small additions are merely delicate adjustments, such because the radio channel wheel from Grand Theft Auto 5 now current in all three video games. It’s additionally worth mentioning that there’s a respectable quantity of accessibility choices current in comparison with the unique releases.

There had been, nonetheless, some odd cases right here and there. For instance, typically hitting police automobiles or bikes doesn’t instantly result in having a wished star. Sure, that is useful, however off-putting nonetheless. Driving usually simply appears to be chaotic — in GTA III, I couldn’t go traverse for quite a lot of blocks with out seeing a automobile crash or a killed pedestrian on the ground blocking a road.

In San Andreas, typically drivers will simply enrage themselves and begin hitting you, again and again, for no motive. During one specific occasion, they managed to flip my automobile round, so I obtained out earlier than it exploded. But even after the deed was carried out, the driving force continued to reverse slowly after which marched towards the wreckage in an limitless loop.

Unfortunately, efficiency may be fairly arbitrary as effectively. Using an RTX 2060, i7 8700k, and 16 GB of RAM, I used to be on the 60 FPS mark more often than not operating the best settings. But the framerate dropped typically throughout all three video games, typically with no particular motive. DLSS is an choice a minimum of, however total, it looks as if the video games are appearing in a way more demanding approach than they need to, and impacting efficiency consequently. (The followers of my PC did a wierd, steady noise whereas enjoying them, which I had by no means heard earlier than.)

All in all, in the event you’re planning to see all three video games by means of, you’re sure to come across points and glitches akin to those described above. If you really need the GTA Trilogy on Steam, they’re the one sole choice obtainable, and the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. But when you have a PS2 laying round nonetheless, that could be your finest wager to soak into nostalgia with out being horrified or dissatisfied each ten minutes.