GTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition

[METALMAN]

I loved these games at the time but I imagine if I played them now without significant gameplay enhancements I’d think they were terrible and I probably wouldn’t enjoy them. There’s just something kind of ugly about games from that period which means that even though I enjoyed them at the time they just aren’t as good to go back to as games from before or after.

[apsham]

51 minutes ago, King Ellis said:

https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/4kaa7414o5k979/grand-theft-auto-the-trilogy-the-definitive-edition-coming-november-11

Apparently the  San Andreas portion at least will be coming to Game Pass on launch. Personally would have been perfect if it were III but still cool, I guess.

III is coming to PS Now in December as well. I'm not as familiar with that, is that the streaming one?

It is re; PS Now but most newer things are downloadable too.

[Bobfoc]

The graphics look better than I thought they would. I'm hoping the game runs well on Switch because that's the platform I'm most interested in. That said, having the San Andreas portion on Game Pass will be a great way to give it a try without paying any extra.

EDIT: I've just seen that the whole package will cost £54.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the USA. That's far too much for me.

[Just Joe]

At least they have usable fingers now I guess. No way am I paying that much, can't see it devaluing too much over the next year or so either sadly. 

[Baddar]

As someone who didn't play much GTA way back then (I did play 3 and SA but not to completion), what was so wrong with the control scheme?

I know older GTA's have always had little gameplay annoyances to do with checkpoints in missions, restarting way back just to drive to a location etc., but I don't recall the bad controls.

[apsham]

There's just no way it would feel good in modern hands - especially stuff like targeting made the game harder than it ever needed to be when shooting, etc.

[Adam]

12 minutes ago, Baddar said:

As someone who didn't play much GTA way back then (I did play and SA but not to completion), what was so wrong with the control scheme?

I know older GTA's have always had little gameplay annoyances to do with checkpoints in missions, restarting way back just to drive to a location etc., but I don't recall the bad controls.

It just wasn't advanced in any way like we've come to know games nowadays. The most recent of these three games came out in 2004, after all.

You couldn't really turn fluidly, and the lock-on mechanic (which I think was only brought in for San Andreas?) was very straight. Going back to it after playing two new generations of games with modern gunplay controls is just very difficult to do.

[tristy]

I’m on board with the graphics, but now I need to know if there’s a control scheme update (surely) and the music situation.

[METALMAN]

On 22/10/2021 at 16:58, Baddar said:

As someone who didn't play much GTA way back then (I did play 3 and SA but not to completion), what was so wrong with the control scheme?

I know older GTA's have always had little gameplay annoyances to do with checkpoints in missions, restarting way back just to drive to a location etc., but I don't recall the bad controls.

Also no cover system and pressing X to accelerate when driving was just dumb 

[Bobfoc]

I played these games on PC, so I'm used to keyboard and mouse controls. I tried them out years later on console and really didn't like how they controlled.

[MalaCloudy Black]

 

[Benji]

On 22/10/2021 at 20:39, tristy said:

I’m on board with the graphics, but now I need to know if there’s a control scheme update (surely) and the music situation.

Yeah, graphics wouldn't bother me either way. I grew up with those graphics and whilst I understand others need improvements, it wouldn't bother me. Controls though have evolved beyond belief and it makes a hell of a difference. Music I'm less bothered by because I can always Spotify shit and not have the music suddenly stop when I exit a car, but it'd be nice if it was there.

[MalaCloudy Black]

The music isn't a dealbreaker for me but I'd be a liar if I said I wouldn't be bummed if I couldn't drive around listening to "I Don't Give A Fuck" or "Nothin' But A G Thang". I'd get over it pretty quick though >_> 

[The Buscher]

For a while I had the entire V-Rock playlist from Vice City on my iPod.  I'd be cruising around to that every time I played.

[MalaCloudy Black]

The main complaint I'm seeing so far for SA is "you need to add an option to enable fog, the draw distance is so good I can see SF and LV from SA and it's breaking my immersion"

[apsham]

The removal of the fog is an awesome sight when you first start the game and whip around the corner. I get why people might not like it, but it's not a Silent Hill thing for me where fog is atmospheric and literally hiding unfinished architecture.

[Kaney]

I've been really looking forward to these, GTA3 was the first PS2 game I ever played, but I'm not hearing great things so far. Has anyone here actually played it much? I saw somewhere they're basically mobile phone ports or something, some of the weather effects look crap.

[Bobfoc]

I've been playing San Andreas through Game Pass and am enjoying it. The controls feel better, and it seems they've added checkpoints and autosaves, which is very welcome. I'm actually wondering if it's easier than the original. I finished Wrong Side of the Tracks without any problems at all. Maybe it's because the game's a bit easier to control now.

[apsham]

47 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

I've been playing San Andreas through Game Pass and am enjoying it. The controls feel better, and it seems they've added checkpoints and autosaves, which is very welcome. I'm actually wondering if it's easier than the original. I finished Wrong Side of the Tracks without any problems at all. Maybe it's because the game's a bit easier to control now.

I've been finding the same Bob, even though I haven't played much. I think the improved frame rate kind of helps out a bit there - and even at the start with the bike riding bit (which I never had much of an issue with, but did fall behind sometimes) I found myself having to slow down because I was getting too far ahead of everyone at some points.

To @Kaney I would say that I am still enjoying things overall. I know some people need to fix the darkness of everything by moving the contrast slider, etc - but if you know what you're getting it's still a fun experience. Some of the new character models for side characters look janky as all hell, up-res'd textures look jarring sometimes because you're seeing it way cleaner than you did back then, but it's basically what they said they were going to do here. You do get a little bit of that "mobile" feel with it (which, I mean - they're putting these on mobile so I'm not shocked) which is my own personal gripe since I hate mobile UI stuff, and this is flavoured a bit by me not paying yet and just playing SA on GamePass but I'm having a good time so far.

Plus K-ROSE kept all of its songs I think and that's pretty good.

[Bobfoc]

I can't say I care that the characters look as though they're made of plasticine. It's something I can get used to quickly. I suppose I have lower standards if I know I'm playing a game that's approaching twenty years old, remaster or no.

From what I've seen, the games don't run brilliantly on Switch. It seems that they struggle to maintain 30fps, often dropping to around 20fps. While that doesn't make them unplayable, it's still a bit of a shame.