Initially long-speculated but now much-detested, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition has had a rocky rollout since its debut earlier this month. In short, gamers are unhappy with the "revamped" versions of three of the most acclaimed GTAs of all time. Now, more disappointment from fans is being projected at one iconic cameo in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
For the uninitiated, Claude is one of Grand Theft Auto's most important characters. In Grand Theft Auto 3, he's the silent protagonist who spends the entire game trying to get revenge on his backstabbing ex-girlfriend, Catalina. However, before his violent breakup with Catalina, Claude served as her driver during Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and actually competes against her ex Carl "CJ" Johnson in a race.
Seeing two significant Grand Theft Auto's protagonists face off in an exciting neck and neck race is a strange yet amazing moment for the GTA series. Not only does it act as a reminder that some games take place in the same universe, but it helps serve as a nice brief nod to previous sentimental adventures. Despite this, it's safe to say that players are far from pleased with how the developers handled this fan-favorite crossover in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition.
In Grand Theft Auto 3, Claude certainly takes advantage of the GTA Trilogy's added volumetric lighting, updated character details, and much-improved resolution. By making his overall texturing sharper and his clothing bolder, Grove Street Games managed to keep his iconic style mostly intact. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the San Andreas, as Claude has certainly seen better days.
In the sequel, Claude's model looks cartoony and unnaturally smooth, with his facial features being mostly plain. Fans argue that this is because of the Grove Street Games' dependency on using artificial intelligence to handle the graphical style plus textures on select in-game assets. This lack of human touch has unquestionably been a crux for the remaster, as it has led to some bizarre designs such as typos on GTA 3 store signs.
In summary, considering that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is generally regarded to have the best narrative in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. Hopefully, the developers will resolve this immersion-breaking issue in a future update, as it's left nothing but a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans who were hoping to re-live the mission but with the remastered version of Claude.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.