GTA Trilogy - Definitive Edition, PlayStation 4, M (Volwassen)

Wat een glorieuze viering van drie toonaangevende openwereldgames had moeten zijn, is uitgedraaid op een grote teleurstelling die absoluut niet de ‘definitieve’ manier is waarop je de spellen zou moeten beleven. Begrijp me niet verkeerd, de games zelf blijven geweldig, maar de geüpdatete (camera-) besturing en enkele grafische updates boksen bij lange na niet tegenop tegen alle missende content en de talrijke grafische missers die deze collectie maakt. Daardoor voelt Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The (So Called) Definitive Edition aan als een luie cash grab, waarvoor Rockstar Games zich zou moet schamen.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy: Definitive Edition PS5 Review . What GTA fan wouldn’t enjoy the prospect of updated versions of Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas? That’s clearly what Rockstar banked on when it announced a remaster of the famous trio of sandbox crime games. A visual touch-up, some quality of life improvements, and the same core experience that won hearts and minds during a golden era of gaming history. That would be great, right? Well, what should have been a celebration of three of the most important games of the PlayStation 2 era has become a parade of memes and hysteria. Underneath the drama surrounding Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy: Definitive Edition’s uneven remastering, is everything really all that bad? The answer is of course, a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.

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. — Richard Allen  and David Flynn