Tapping into nostalgia can be both a hugely rewarding and dangerous venture for studios to dive into. On one hand, a team can recapture or build upon the magic that audiences fell in love with in the first place. On the other hand, there is a risk of muddling the vision of the original product, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of dedicated fans. Enter Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, a compilation of the classic PS2-era GTA games. While it was met with mixed results, the Mafia: Definitive Edition release from last year proved to be a success.
In many ways, both of these titles share similarities. Both are revisiting classic games that helped pioneer the shift into the boom of open-world gaming. Secondly, both make revisions and changes to the original experiences in an attempt to bring them up to modern standards. However, it is in this last area where Mafia: Definitive Edition succeeded whereas Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy missed the mark. When it all comes down to it, Mafia: Definitive Edition showed much greater care for what came before, as well as a more substantial effort to deliver a worthwhile modern product.
The Advantages of a Good Video Game Remake/Remaster
Revisiting a classic title and giving it a makeover is nothing new for the gaming industry, with multiple games receiving the treatment in recent years. As the years go on, gaming technology continues to improve and have advantages that didn't exist beforehand. While a novelty for the time, the original Mafia from 2002 pales in comparison to anything released today. Simply remastering the game would have been an acceptable option, cleaning up the visuals and tinkering with the controls, but developer Hangar 13 went above and beyond for Mafia: Definitive Edition.
Comparing the original 2002 release to Mafia: Definitive Edition is like night and day, with modern hardware much better suited to deliver an authentic crime thriller set in 1930s Illinois. The updated graphics help sell the atmosphere of the time, while updates to the driving and shooting controls additionally make for a more responsive and enjoyable experience. Essentially, a video game remaster or a remake has an opportunity to build on what already existed and deliver something even better. In this regard, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy seemed to take one step forward, but two steps back, not proving itself to be a substantial upgrade from the originals.
The Mixed Reception to GTA: The Trilogy
After months of rumors, Rockstar officially confirmed that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition was a reality, with a release date set for early last month. Despite a general lack of information leading up to release, fans were still excited to revisit these genre-defining titles with some updated graphical touches. Unfortunately, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy is plagued with numerous bugs and visual hiccups, many of which are still being fixed as of the writing of this article.
Even aside from the glitches within the remaster, there was a lack of a substantial enough improvement from the PS2 originals to be considered anything impressive. If anything, controversies have risen up as some would argue that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition actually looks worse in some areas compared to the originals. Simply slapping a new visual coat of paint over older textures and character models have resulted in some freakish displays and a somewhat ugly hue to the experience. Many fans expected more from Rockstar, especially considering its resources and talent on display with past titles like Grand Theft Auto 5.
Honoring the Legacy of a Game
This is not to suggest that a remaster is inferior to a remake, simply because it doesn't go quite as far in the development process. A remake is a huge undertaking, requiring bigger budgets and even bigger teams to pull off properly. That being said, Rockstar has these resources at its fingertips, having generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Furthermore, the company has studios set up all over the world, with more than enough hands on deck to have been put to work on Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy.
The Grand Theft Auto series has made a huge impact on gaming, and for something with such a prestigious legacy, it is natural for gamers to have a certain level of expectations when revisiting such landmark titles. While a full remake would have been appreciated, the remaster delivered here definitely needed more love and care. By comparison, Hangar 13, the developer behind Mafia: Definitive Edition is nowhere near as big a name as Rockstar, but delivered an infinitely more impressive remake.
The 2002 original is stunningly redesigned with breathtaking graphics and plenty of quality of life improvements to help smooth out more outdated gameplay mechanics. What's even more puzzling is how both Grand Theft Auto and Mafia are IPs under Take-Two Interactive. Hopefully, the success of Mafia: Definitive Edition sends a message throughout the company to not repeat the mistakes that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy made when it hit the marketplace.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.