Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Reviews

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is ranked in the 9th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
60%
Nov 15, 2021

A messy remaster of three genre-defining open worlds, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition fails in giving GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas the treatment they deserve, but beneath the slightly shabby veneer, those same great games remain.

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5.5 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2021

3 brilliant games are back in a quality that is hard to swallow. I can not recommend GTA The Trilogy The Definitive Edition today and it's best to wait for the reactions of the developers. Will it get better? I hope so...

Review in Polish | Read full review

4.5 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2021
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6 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2021

While certainly there's some new enhancement in the remaster that might encourage completely new players to taste these icons of video games for the first time, it's certainly not their best choice as well, the remaster enhancements are unbalanced and leave out many old models the same which makes things feel weirdly divided into two layers, the AI is terrible and there's no real enhancement for character movement or shooting mechanics, there's an absence of small details and a lot of bugs that make this a disappointment especially from an awarded dev such as Rockstar

Review in Arabic | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2021

I'm a diehard fan of the GTA series, but I'm of two minds about this up and down port to the Unreal 4 Engine. The initial wow-factor of the visual upgrade is undeniable, but the more you play it, the more cracks appear in that pretty veneer. Some of those are legacy fissures that have not been repaired. Others are eyesore imperfections wrought by a new team of less-than-master craftspeople.

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6 / 10
Nov 16, 2021

If you're coming into Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy expecting each game to look and play like GTA V, prepare for disappointment at a passionless upscaling effort. On the flipside, if you fancy reliving these open world wonders with some of their rougher gameplay edges sanded down, prepare to lose yourself for sixty hours or more.

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80 / 100
Nov 16, 2021

Despite the complaints and all, the reality is that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is a pretty good remastered of three great PS2 classics. Something important to understand is that this are just remastered with few changes, not remakes.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Krista Noren
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2021

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition, at the end of the day, is three well-regarded games bundled together, with some modernizations to help keep them relevant, nearly 20 years after their original release. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’m new to GTA that prevents me from finding many issues with this collection, as I’m absolutely taken with the fun gameplay and more than content with both the graphics and performance. But that also goes to show how this collection helps introduce these games to the current generation, allowing new fans to understand the hype behind three classic industry-defining titles.

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50 / 100
Nov 16, 2021

The Grand Theft Auto series will always be seen as a cultural milestone in video gaming which led to the open world games that we cherish now, but the years have been a bit harsh on the trilogy and the complete lack of care put into what is essentially an afterthought of a remaster doesn't help matters much. The few updates made with controls, shooting, and lighting are nice, but not enough to justify the $60 price tag. The games are still worth revisiting, especially if you've never played the original releases, but only if you aren't playing on PC or the Switch as those versions seem to share the bulk of issues the game is currently experiencing. So far PS5 is the way to go for a hassle-free trip into Liberty City, just maybe wait for a price cut first.

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VideoGamer
Top Critic
6 / 10
Nov 16, 2021

If these games shaped or changed you, you might find the notion of their being shaped and changed, in turn, an unwelcome one.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
5 / 10
Nov 17, 2021

Lazy, amateurish, and half-finished are not how you usually expect to describe a Rockstar game, but this easily avoided mess shows three classic games in the least flattering way possible.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Definitive Edition isn't exactly the disaster it's been made out to be, but it is still a frustrating, underwhelming attempt to modernize three very important games. The quality of life improvements are generally welcome, and in many places, there's a faithful upgrading of the iconic visual style of the PS2 era titles. Unfortunately, not every change is welcome, and in the case of San Andreas, perhaps a little less of it might have done it a few favours.

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5.5 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition collects some truly groundbreaking games that still provide their share of nostalgic fun, but little has been done to make them shine here in 2021. Ultimately, a shoddy visual upgrade, choppy performance, and a lack of meaningful updates or extras may leave you questioning why you loved them in the first place. Perhaps this collection can be brought up to snuff with updates from Rockstar (or modders), but for now, its Wanted Level remains low.

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1.8 / 5.0
Nov 17, 2021

Unfortunately, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is proof that nostalgia will only get you so far. It'll get you to boot up the game with rose tinted glasses, there waiting for you are the GTA experiences we have all loved from years ago. They aren't the same though. Improvements are masked by flaws, and they don't truly feel elevated close to "definitive" edition status. The CEO of Grove Street Games has promised updates and hopefully these can fix the qwirks, the bugs and the oddities, which chip away at those rose tinted glasses. We all wanted Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition to allow us to once again sink hours into those glorious games of old. Perhaps they will get there, it's been a rocky start and currently it's not the hidden package we were looking for.

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5.8 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is definitely ... a disappointment. The technical restyling on the three chapters of the saga was half successful but does not pay the right homage to the original trilogy, while the improvements to the gameplay are not enough to make us forget the many bugs and glitches of this unsuccessful collection.

Review in Italian | Read full review

5 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition is anything but definitive, with too many issues that simply cannot be overlooked.

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IGN
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition is defective, disappointing, and surprisingly disrespectful to three classic games and their many legions of fans.

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Nov 17, 2021

These remasters feel less stable than the glitchy originals, with a lack of attention to detail that undermines the games' character

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Nov 17, 2021

There are great stories here, memorable characters, fun missions, and the tools players need to create countless hours of their own entertainment. The foundation of GTA Trilogy is comprised of three of the best games ever made, and so there is inherent value, especially for newcomers. But while the core gameplay of GTA Trilogy is truly incredible, the overall package feels rushed and haphazard. Those desperate for old school GTA on modern consoles should check the collection out, especifically if the promised Grand Theft Auto Trilogy fixes come through, but everyone else can safely skip it.

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6 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

The new version of the GTA Trilogy is still able to offer fans hours and hours of nostalgic "play", as long as they are able to overlook the obvious roughness within the offer.

Review in Italian | Read full review