Nothing is quite as exciting as a new Grand Theft Auto release, right? Well, this week we get three titles in the series, with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition giving Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a revamped release on modern platforms. We’re hyped to play each of the games all over again and you should be too… want to know why? Check out five reasons down below.
– The visual enhancements look fantastic!
When Rockstar gave gamers their first look at Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, there were some divisive opinions over the visuals. Personally? I loved them, with the enhanced landscapes, sublime lighting effects, and Pixar-like character models offering EXACTLY what I wanted from a remastered release.
The original trilogy always had a cartoony vibe to it that didn’t strive for complete realism, so the new character models feel like they fit in perfectly. The locales themselves look wonderful too, with the sight of Las Venturas brightly lit up at night or the beautiful vistas of Vice City certainly making the games feel like they belong in 2021. You’ve only got to look at the comparison videos to see how much effort has been made to improve upon the visual design, and I’m all in on it.
– You can play each game handheld on the Nintendo Switch!
Whilst the Grand Theft Auto series is no stranger to portable play, gamers have never been able to play through the trilogy on a handheld console. Sure, it has come to mobile devices, but that brings its own issues thanks to finicky touch screen controls, whilst Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories on the PSP didn’t have the same impact of their predecessors.
With the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch, players will be able to experience all three games on a handheld console, with the additional quality of life improvements and gyro controls present. Whilst there’s no doubting that it won’t look as pretty as the other platforms and there might be some sacrifices made with its frame rate, it’s still amazing that gamers will be able to experience the crime escapades all over again in the palm of their hands. Whether you’re playing in bed at night, on the train whilst going to work, or heck, even in the bath (I wouldn’t recommend it), it’s going to be a blast speeding over Mount Chiliad as you go on a long drive across San Andreas.
Check out a gallery of screenshots for the game on the Nintendo Switch down below:
– You can restart missions from checkpoints!
I remember countless occasions when playing through the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy that I’d fail a mission, causing me to have to leave the hospital, make my way back to the mission giver, and start all over again, minus any weapons I had at the time. It was frustrating, but something that Rockstar improved upon in later entries in the series.
Well, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is getting the same treatment, with players able to restart from a checkpoint when dying or failing a mission. Not only will this save a lot of time for gamers and streamline the core story experience, but it’ll also make some of the tougher missions a bit more bearable (yes, I’m talking about you, ‘Demolition Man’). Whilst this might seem like a small addition to those who didn’t play the original trilogy, it will go a long way in alleviating some of the old-school frustrations of the games.
– It looks like cheat codes are still there!
If you played the initial Grand Theft Auto Trilogy back in the day, chances are you used cheat codes to enhance your experience. Whether it’s to get weapons, to get the police off your back, or to spawn in a tank, the options they offered never felt like they ruined the gameplay experience but instead gave players more freedom to cause as much chaos as possible.
Well, whilst cheat codes aren’t as common in gaming as they were back then, it looks like Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is going to include them. I’m guessing they’re the classic code combinations too, which I’m sure plenty of gamers will remember PERFECTLY. Whilst I’m sure the idea of using cheats might not seem that exciting to some gamers, their use in Grand Theft Auto’s sandbox of mayhem allows players to have hours upon hours of fun without touching a single story mission.
Or you can just play legit and earn your way to glory, but come on… you can get a TANK with a few button presses.
– It’s the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, man!
The Grand Theft Auto Trilogy brings with it plenty of special memories for gamers, so being able to experience it all over again with souped-up visuals and enhancements is just incredibly exciting in itself. I haven’t played the games for years now and I can’t wait to re-visit each of their cities – I can still remember my way around Vice City perfectly, but seeing it in its glorious enhanced form is going to be a treat.
And if you missed out on the games the first time around… what better time than now to play them? With the improved aiming, waypoint markers, enhanced controls, and aforementioned visual upgrade, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will not only look better than ever but also feel a lot more intuitive to play.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or this is your first rodeo with the trilogy, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is going to offer the best way to experience three of gaming’s most iconic and beloved releases. I can’t wait to play it.
