The Grand Theft Auto series is one of the most important franchises in the history of video games. For the entirety of the 2000s and a portion of the 2010s, Rockstar embodied innovative sandbox designs and controversial content thanks to the success of these games, particularly the trilogy of mainline games in the 3D universe.

Grand Theft Auto 3 introduced the formula, Vice City normalized the use of licensed soundtracks and told a more developed story starring villainous protagonists, and San Andreas added nuance to the storytelling with an arguably more noble protagonist and expanded the series’ environmental potential. These games were innovative and important. To this day, they are sometimes considered Rockstar’s most beloved games. Celebrating them is a logical decision, but at first glance, it is hard to tell if Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is worth the purchase even after updates and patches.

RELATED: GTA Trilogy- The Origins of Each Protagonist Explained

The Controversy of GTA Definitive Edition

gta trilogy protagonists new look

Unfortunately, Rockstar’s decision to remake these games proved to be sloppy. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition was the source of rumors, and its existence was eventually confirmed. However, the confirmation only occurred a month before the remasters’ official release. Considering that the compilation was meant to celebrate Grand Theft Auto 3’s 20th anniversary, and as a result, the series becoming the juggernaut it is now, this marketing tactic felt rushed. The abrupt and considerably late announcement, alongside the confirmation that Rockstar outsourced the development of the remasters, left several Grand Theft Auto fans skeptical.

The fact that the original versions of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, were announced to be pulled out of digital stores following the remasters’ release worsened expectations. People’s suspicions were validated when Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition came out. The new visuals, especially Tommy's design, have already proven to be divisive in the community, but the revelations of glitches, technical issues, and programming shortcuts were piling up. Rockstar has been tainting its reputation to some people ever since the seemingly endless Grand Theft Auto 5 ports have been released.

The company’s decision to focus almost entirely on that game and Grand Theft Auto Online, Red Dead Redemption 2 notwithstanding, has made several Rockstar fans bitter. When the flaws of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition became apparent, all the pent-up frustration was released, leading to communities imploding and demanding refunds from Rockstar. While Rockstar has yet to provide a set of refunds for those that want their money back, it has attempted to make up for its mistake by promising to bring back the original versions of the GTA trilogy on its own platform.

RELATED: GTA Trilogy Modders Add Fog Back to San Andreas

Issues and Fixes to GTA Definitive Edition

gta trilogy san andreas glitch

The stories and general gameplay in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition are nearly identical when compared to the originals, but there are some changes, like the addition of the weapon selection circle and controls from Grand Theft Auto 5, as well as white outlines on targeted enemies. In theory, these games are modernized versions of gaming classics. What hindered the remasters when they first came out was mostly technical, but it was enough to make fans dismiss them. The character models either look nearly exactly like their original counterparts, outdated polygons and all.

The modernization of background elements was streamlined, leading to mistakes like a nut on a San Andreas store sign becoming as round as the donut it accompanies. Everything regarding the rain and its effects was choppy, a plethora of minor glitches was being exposed in all three games, and some of them were valued by players due to being entertaining, while others made certain missions more challenging than they needed to be. Some of the glitches could be found in the original games, and others were brand new. After countless social media posts criticizing and mocking its treatment of its most iconic games, Rockstar revealed a long list of things that were fixed across all games in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.

Whether the contemporary versions of these games remain worthwhile, even after Rockstar took the time to fix a lot of issues, is debatable. The patch mostly aims to fix bugs that range from inconsistencies in the aesthetics to polishing the mechanics in certain missions. Other notorious flaws, like the rain effects, were also taken care of. However, the core of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition remains the same. It’s an outsourced remastering of what cemented Rockstar as a pioneer in the industry. The overall tone and aesthetics are not what players would expect out of a modern Grand Theft Auto game, and the trilogy’s direction regarding bringing these settings back in modern gaming culture is still aimless. Even then, there are still game-breaking glitches. Whether the trilogy is worth picking up after the updates depends on one’s priorities and dedication to Grand Theft Auto.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: GTA Trilogy Has Unfinished VR Mode