Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition promises to bring back a trio of beloved games; Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas; for the modern audiences to enjoy. Not only will the releases be on more platforms than ever before, there is a lot of potential for the remasters to fix what the original versions of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy missed out on.
Beyond polishing games that are 15-to-20 years old, the confirmation of such remasters is an opportunity to add new features that Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5 used, especially online play. While having some form of online connectivity is the norm with games these days, even ones that are primarily single-player, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition having online multiplayer would hugely benefit the remasters. Multiplayer would not only add more replay value to these classic games, but also import the crazy hijinks, customization features, and minigames from Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5 into a titles that could not afford such features back in the day.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy's Multiplayer Potential
Rockstar Games has already somewhat prepared itself for the possibility of adding multiplayer, online or otherwise, to its older games. It already added cosmetics based on Grand Theft Auto 3 into Grand Theft Auto Online. While this seems like just a fun Easter egg that aims to please nostalgic fans, it might also be a hint of what's to come. Rockstar might use the remasters to its advantage and introduce plenty of aesthetic items based on other Grand Theft Auto games. It might even pay attention to other games like Bully and Red Dead Redemption.
The games industry is no stranger to putting achievements locked behind online escapades. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition's achievements have leaked, and if that leak can be relied on, all its achievements are limited to the single-player formula. Online achievements in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy- The Definitive Edition could be just as ridiculous as their single-player counterparts. Due to the games' nature as open sandboxes with side quests, this might be a Pandora's box, but it can also contribute to the madness.
There are rumors that Rockstar is designing the remasters using Grand Theft Auto 5's controls. By its nature, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition has three protagonists similar to Grand Theft Auto 5. It is true that the games' stories are generally disjointed and take place in different time periods, but despite this an online component, combined with multiplayer and Grand Theft Auto 5's control scheme, could make these absurd games even more ludicrous.
If Rockstar went all the way, the remasters could use Grand Theft Auto 5's protagonist swapping system for a hypothetical online mode starring Claude, Tommy, and CJ. If people have to use modern controls, then the multiplayer will likely be similar to Grand Theft Auto 5 with the charm of original games intact. An amalgam of old-school and contemporary GTA is a possibility, and some discarded GTA tropes might even make a return.
Creating Larger Events in Older Worlds
Weird encounters, secret characters, and events of supernatural or fantastical origins are not foreign to the otherwise semi-realistic world of Grand Theft Auto. These random cameos are a key part of the GTA experience. If multiplayer were to be added to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, these extras could turn into events around the worlds of Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. Anything goes when aliens, cryptids, and other mythical beasts are involved. If Rockstar can make something like finding Bigfoot as ridiculous as possible, a multiplayer system for three classic GTA games is capable of inserting even more finds.
Grand Theft Auto Online's home options have been criticized before, but not really addressed by Rockstar. Considering Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is providing players with two cities and an entire state to roam through, it'd be a perfect time for Rockstar to overhaul the housing system. Expanding on customization options, the types of buildings the player character can inhabit, the potential for renovations, and how far one can go when it comes to living in civilization or the wilderness would address the issues with GTA Online's home options and put the hypothetical online mode for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition at an advantage.
Beyond all of that, Grand Theft Auto Online has a community dedicated to roleplaying. This type of interaction, usually limited to roleplaying games, is meaningful in a GTA context. Online multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, due to its multitude of locations and characters, would give players more opportunities to participate in a wider GTA world than what the Grand Theft Auto 5 version of Los Santos has to offer.
This does mean a lot considering Grand Theft Auto 5's large cast of characters, but three remastered games have more characters and places to explore. By including an online mode in these games, Rockstar can give players a chance to engage in their respective areas' subcultures and even create a few of their own, further engrossing themselves into the games' universe.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition releases in 2021 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.