A new trailer for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition was released today, as well as pricing information. The trailer shows familiar places from the classic Grand Theft Auto 3D Universe, with an up-resed art style that captures the feel of the original games while making them a bit more pleasing to the eye.
Crisper, cleaner textures are all well and good, and I’m relieved the game won’t be $80 at release. But $60 still feels like a lot when I can already play them on my PlayStation 2 (and also have digital copies on the PS3, come to think of it). The Rockstar website offers that the games are “updated for a new generation, now with across-the-board enhancements including brilliant new lighting and environmental upgrades, with high-resolution textures, increased draw distances, Grand Theft Auto V-style controls and targeting, and much more, bringing these beloved worlds to life with all new levels of detail.”
The list under “Updated Player Experience” includes updated minimaps and weapon/radio selection wheels, as well as the ability to restart failed missions. “Enhanced Visuals” include higher resolution textures and improved water and weather effects. There will be 4K-resolution support with up to 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, NVIDIA DLSS support for PC, and touch screen and Gyro features for the Nintendo Switch. According to the Rockstar store page, they’ve also added several languages. In addition to English, the game will now be playable in Mexican and Peninsular Spanish, Polish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, French, Russian, Korean, Italian, Japanese, German, and Brazilian Portuguese.
There has been no mention of including motorcycles in GTA III or being able to swim rather than instantly dying when a character hits the water in III and Vice City. As this is a remaster and not a remake, one is better off also not expecting any improvements to the series’ perspective on women, race, or gender/sexual minorities. For whatever it’s worth, the new graphics do look nice. The Rockstar site also includes gameplay screenshots.
Nov. 11 will be the digital release date through PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, and Rockstar Games Launcher on PC. Dec. 7 will be the physical release date for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S. Rockstar also announced that GTA III will also be released as a standalone for PS Now on Dec. 7 (it was originally released as a PS2 exclusive way back in 2001) and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas – Definitive Edition will be on Xbox Game Pass on Nov. 11 (San Andreas was the first Grand Theft Auto game available on Xbox consoles, before GTA III and Vice City were re-released).