On that note, we should mention that the GTA Trilogy has already been brought into the modern age (kind of) via various ports to more modern platforms (including mobile devices). As such, you essentially have the original PS2 games (as well as their Xbox ports), the more recent “updated” versions of these titles, and this Definitive Edition remaster. It’s all a little strange, but we’ll talk more about what changes were made to specific versions of the games when we get to certain points. For now, though, let’s keep it simple. Here is the official list of Definitive Edition updates that Rockstar shared just ahead of this remaster’s release:
A GTAV-style controller layoutUpdated Weapon and Radio Station selection wheels for quick switchingUpdated Mini-Maps with enhanced navigation allowing players to set waypoints to destinationsImproved gunplay and targeting controls, with upgraded drive-by controls in GTA: San AndreasThe ability to immediately restart failed missionsUpdated Achievements and TrophiesNew Rockstar Social Club Accomplishments for membersPlus newly supported languages; including Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Russian, and Korean, in addition to English, Spanish (Spain + Mexico), Italian, Japanese, French, and GermanHigher resolution textures from characters to weapons, vehicles toroads, and more for greater detailA completely rebuilt lighting system, with enhanced shadows, reflections, and moreImproved environmental effects such as water and weather effects including rain and fog, plus more distinct changes to highlight different times across the sky, sun, moon and starsEnhanced detail in trees and foliage, plus newly added three-dimensional detail to buildings and windowsIncreased draw distances to provide a new level of depth and definition4K-resolution support with up to 60 FPS performance for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X systemsNVIDIA DLSS Support for PCTouch screen camera zooming, pans and menu selections as well as Gyro aiming for the Nintendo Switch
Those are all “global” changes to the previous versions of the game, which is really just our way of saying that they are changes to every version of the GTA Trilogy that has been released so far. As you can see, the majority of those changes and updates affect these titles’ visuals and are intended to make the games look more modern than ever (although…well, we’ll get to that). What about the unofficial changes, though? Well, that’s certainly where things start to get more interesting. The truth is that it’s a little difficult to provide a full list of unofficial changes and differences in the Definitive Edition at the moment. While that’s partially due to the fact that these games have only been available for about a day (it doesn’t sound like Rockstar provided anyone with pre-release review copies of the games), it should also be noted that you could consider everything in this game to technically represent a difference or change. After all, the game’s new visuals and art direction mean that nothing is quite like it used to be. With that in mind, here are some of the more noteworthy Definitive Edition changes and differences that have been spotted in the game so far that aren’t necessarily entirely based on the remaster’s new look.
Cars no longer show dirtThere is only one “moon phase”Special animations for select vehicles (such as controlling the back of a garbage truck) have been removedYou no longer lose weapons when you die in San AndreasThere are fewer civilians and vehicles on the streetsAnalog steering has been removedLocal co-op has been removed from GTA: San AndreasSome characters (like Old Reece, the barber) have been replaced with generic NPCsThe top-down view option has been removed from GTA 3Vice City‘s vehicles appear to be far less durable and explode more oftenSome haircut options are missing from GTA: San AndreasSome of the text on storefronts has been changed (this appears to be the result of an error, but some are attributing it to possible censorship or design decisions)A reference to the Confederate flag in Vice City has been removed“Running with the Night” by Lionel Richie has been added back to GTA: Vice City, but all of the other songs that were missing from recent GTA Trilogy re-releases are still missing from the Definitive EditionThe “Bridge Facts” Easter Egg has been udpated with remaster informationThe “orange haze” in Los Santos is missingSome signs and small environmental details (such as a theater marquee in San Andreas) have been completely changed (seemingly due to texture problems/laziness)
Most of these unofficial differences represent changes to the original PS2/Xbox versions of the game as well as the more recent re-releases of these titles, although some differences (like the missing original song tracks) have been present in most versions of these games for quite some time. The point is that most of these changes are somehow unique to the Definitive Edition. While some fans worried that Rockstar would use these remasters as a chance to “censor” the original games, it seems like the only notable content change that has been made to these games in the name of modern sensibilities/restrictions is the decision to remove the Confederate flag from Vice City (which we’ve previously discussed). While it’s possible that there are other notable content changes in the game that haven’t been discovered yet, I’ve seen some…questionable content in these remasters, so it feels like those fears of censorship may have been largely unfounded. Generally speaking, though, it does feel like most of the unofficial changes that have been spotted so far are the result of the remastering process. It doesn’t seem like Rockstar elected to make many notable changes to these titles’ original content, and I strongly suspect that some of the differences we’ve outlined may eventually be patched out. Of course, if it turns out that there are additional, significant content changes in the Definitive Edition that haven’t been discovered yet, we’ll be sure to let you know.
