In an announcement which came as a surprise to very few, Rockstar Games has made the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition official. Apparently, the announcement was timed to coincide with a special anniversary – this month marks 20 years since the original release of Grand Theft Auto III. According to the publisher, GTA III is a particular milestone in the series as it became a cultural phenomenon, and it sparked an open-world genre when it "set players loose in the sprawling, three-dimensional metropolis of Liberty City with a new and unprecedented sense of freedom and immersion".
Rockstar games wants to say a "heartfelt thank you" to all GTA fans and explains that the 20 anniversary was a major impetus for the release of the trilogy. We will find out how thankful Rockstar is to fans when we discover the pricing / upgrade fees for owners of the original games, nearer to availability "in the coming weeks".
Summing up Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, this is a compendium of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas games that has been updated for all current gen platforms. Importantly, while the trilogy features "across-the-board upgrades including graphical improvements and modern gameplay enhancements for all three titles," it retains the classic look and feel of the originals.
To be clear about the platforms that are being embraced; the trilogy will be coming to; the Rockstar Games Launcher on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Current gen mobile gamers are not being ignored, with the collection scheduled to be released on iOS and Android in the first half of 2022. Rockstar should start teasing the graphical improvements soon, to maintain hype. Meanwhile, existing versions of the titles will begin to be removed from stores in the coming weeks.
Other old games news – Quake 1 and Hitman GOTY
While we are on the topic of older game updates, the first big update for Quake 1 Enhanced Edition has arrived for all platforms. The update delivers improvements to controls, map spawns, online multiplayer, bits, and general features. If you check the release notes there are platform specifics addressed too, as well as plenty of bug fixes, all in a neat 45MB download.
In the wake of vociferous complaint regarding DRM and online-only features in Hitman GOTY on the GOG store, the online PC games store has decided to remove the title for now. "We shouldn't have released it in its current form, as you've pointed out," wrote a GOG employee on the official forums.
What will be most interesting is how the desire for more modern games on GOG and the store's particular no-DRM character manage to gel. Perhaps the Hitman developers plus GOG will be able to work out a more elegant solution with sufficient appeal to customers, we shall wait and see.
