A new update is live for the controversial Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on consoles and PC. It adds visual enhancements previously exclusive to the mobile versions developed by Video Games Deluxe and published by Netflix. These include a classic lighting option, which brings the atmosphere and skybox closer to the original games.
As pointed out by Twitter user TJGM, the update adds volumetric clouds when flying high up in the sky, improved lamp posts, shadows moving in real time, improved running and aiming animations, lens flares on fire and new effects for glass breaking. CJ also no longer appears deformed when cycling, and weapons from Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City, which required standing still, can now be aimed while moving.
There are also options to pause cutscenes and save games have dates and timestamps attached. Not everything is ideal, though. Camera controls tend to re-center often, especially while flying, and LOD doesn’t look very good. Nevertheless, considering everything wrong with the original release, this is a massive step up. Oddly enough, Grove Street Games, who worked on the base game, and their logo are missing from the main menu and splash screen.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and PC. Check out our review of the launch version here.