Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition | Game Brain

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Game Cover

Near-perfect at everything it does, but wisely limits its remit. A great conversion.

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Play three genre-defining GTA classics, updated for a new generation, in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. Buy for PS4 and PS5.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,289 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The remastered trilogy features nostalgic classics that still provide fun gameplay experiences.
Quality-of-life improvements, such as revamped controls and autosave features, enhance the overall playability.
Visual upgrades and updated lighting help to modernize the iconic settings of the original games.

The remaster suffers from numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly on the Switch and PC versions.
Character models and graphics are inconsistent and often lack the polish expected from a Rockstar title.
The collection feels rushed and lacks the depth and care that fans anticipated, making it hard to justify the price.

graphics
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition" have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players noting a significant decline in quality compared to the originals. Issues such as low resolution, blurry visuals, and inconsistent character models are prevalent, alongside numerous bugs and frame rate problems that detract from the overall experience. While some visual upgrades are acknowledged, they are often described as lazy and lacking the charm of the original games, leading to disappointment among fans.
- “Much needed gameplay tweaks are present; upgraded visuals make returning to Liberty City and Vice City far less painful.”
- “Upgrades to driving and shooting are excellent; some graphics look good (GTA: Vice City).”
- “With GTA V graphics and controls, these could have been great remasters.”
- “Nintendo Switch and PC versions are essentially broken at launch, with graphic, frame rate, and gameplay issues on nearly every console aside from the PS5. The lack of updates makes justifying the $60 price tag nearly impossible.”
- “Constant frame rate problems, low resolution and blurry visuals in docked and handheld modes, lots of bugs, glitches, and audio issues. Character models are a real mixed bag, and there's awful pop-in that directly affects core gameplay.”
- “Graphics look lazily upgraded; Grand Theft Auto 3 looks like no one cared while working on the upgrade. Some awesome tracks in the radio channels are still missing.”
gameplay
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition" has received mixed reviews, with many players highlighting significant issues such as bugs, poor graphics, and frustrating mechanics that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the improved controls and quality-of-life enhancements, the overall execution feels unfinished and lacks the polish expected from a Rockstar title, leading to disappointment among fans. The launch versions, particularly on Nintendo Switch and PC, are criticized for being nearly unplayable, further complicating the justification for the game's price.
- “Improved gameplay and controls, along with other quality of life improvements such as the checkpoint system. All three stories are worth experiencing if you haven’t already.”
- “Much needed gameplay tweaks are present; upgraded visuals make returning to Liberty City and Vice City far less painful.”
- “Quality-of-life improvements to gameplay are definitely helpful; stories still hold up well to time.”
- “Nintendo Switch and PC versions are essentially broken at launch, graphic, frame rate, and gameplay issues on nearly every console aside from the PS5. Lack of updates makes justifying the $60 price tag nearly impossible.”
- “Constant frame rate problems, low resolution and blurry visuals in docked and handheld, lots of bugs, glitches, and audio issues. Character models are a real mixed bag, and awful pop-in directly affects core gameplay.”
- “The gameplay tweaks don't go far enough; San Andreas in particular is very glitchy at times. The package feels a little unfinished in its launch state.”
music
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the music in the reviewed games is generally praised for its nostalgic value and epic quality, with many noting that the soundtracks remain enjoyable despite some missing tracks and minor issues. While the original music adds to the charm, some players feel that the soundtracks could have been better preserved. Despite these criticisms, the iconic tunes contribute significantly to the overall experience of the games.
- “Vice City’s soundtrack is boss.”
- “Soundtracks may be compromised but they're still fantastic.”
- “Soundtracks are as epic as ever.”
- “those minor soundtrack chops cut deep”
- “missing music, missteps and glitches”
- “lousy performance, soundtracks used to be even better”
stability
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the trilogy has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues such as constant frame rate drops and low-resolution visuals. Many users feel that the charm of the original games has been lost, and the overall experience is marred by technical problems, making it a poor port that fails to meet expectations, especially on next-gen consoles. Despite these issues, some players still find entertainment value in the games, particularly for newcomers.
- “This is a poor port, a shoddy, stuttery, low resolution mess full of bugs, glitches, audio problems and more besides.”
- “Constant frame rate problems, low resolution and blurry visuals in docked and handheld, lots of bugs, glitches and audio issues, character models are a real mixed bag, awful pop-in that directly affects core gameplay.”
- “Buggy, from progression locks to visual glitches and random constant crashes. Game-breaking ones too. The visuals may look nice, but they lack the soul of the originals, as well as the consistency.”
story
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The story remains largely unchanged, retaining original voice lines and most of the music, while introducing new features like autosave and mission restart. However, some missions feel outdated, and the visual upgrades have received mixed reviews, with performance issues noted. Overall, the narrative continues to engage players, supported by improved checkpoint systems and faster load times.
- “The stories are still engaging, and the mission checkpoint system along with fast load times enhance the overall experience.”
- “Many missions haven’t aged well, with no behind-the-scenes extras, an often-ugly visual 'upgrade', lousy performance, and soundtracks that used to be even better.”
optimization
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the higher-resolution models and tolerable performance on next-gen consoles, while others criticize poor performance, bugs, and a lack of charm compared to the originals. The Switch version is particularly noted as one to avoid due to its subpar optimization. Overall, many feel that the visual upgrades do not compensate for the game's performance issues and the aging of its missions.
- “The models and textures are higher-res and look okay.”
- “The performance on PS5 and Xbox Series is tolerable.”
- “Nostalgia can be squeezed out of it.”
- “Poor performance, bugs and glitches, and the charm of the originals has been largely lost.”
- “Many missions haven’t aged well, there are no behind-the-scenes extras, and the often-ugly visual 'upgrade' contributes to lousy performance.”
- “The Switch version should be avoided due to its numerous optimization issues.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the visual upgrades and refreshed controls significantly enhance replayability, while the abundance of content for the price adds to the game's value. Additionally, the iconic soundtrack contributes to a compelling experience that encourages players to revisit the game.
- “The refreshed controls make this game much more replayable, and there is tons of content for the asking price.”
- “The visual upgrades are mostly appreciated, adding to the overall experience.”
- “Vice City's soundtrack is fantastic, enhancing the replay value significantly.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the games has been criticized, with one title being labeled as a particularly egregious cash grab, overshadowing the quality of the other two games.
- “Two of the three games are still pretty great, but this is one of the most brazenly offensive cash grab releases I've seen in recent memory.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could be amazing ruined by aggressive microtransactions.”