Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Gets A Surprise Update And Gamers Are Stoked

When the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition launched three years ago it wasn’t the experience that longtime fans of the franchise were hoping for. Although the words “definitive edition” are in the game's title, many felt it was a low effort release by Rockstar Games. The company has now quietly released an update that brings several upgrades, however, which will make this release come a lot closer to that “definitive edition” moniker.

The most noticeable change will address fans’ biggest complaint, which is the lighting system used. When it launched back in 2021, it did so with lighting that was completely different from the original releases, which changed how the games look. Now, players will have the option to choose between the newly implemented Classic Lighting that they remember, or the lighting put in place in 2021. Although the classic version is the one that will be enabled by default.

There are several other changes that are less noticeable, but still restore various elements that were missing. On the visual side of things the heat haze effect and ambient clouds are now restored, while streetlights are now back to an orange hue. Some of the gameplay improvements include the ability to run while using weapons such as the shotgun, fixed swimming speed, and upgrades to character animations.

It's important to note that these fixes are only coming to players who bought copies on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and on PC. Unfortunately, those who purchased the title for their PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch will not be seeing any of these improvements.

It took far longer than it should have, but it’s great to see Rockstar Games took the time and effort to properly restore these classic games. It’s just a shame that only a portion gamers will be able to enjoy the more definitive experience.